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Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) was proposed in 1998 as a portable sequence-based method for identifying clonal relationships among bacteria. Today, in the whole-genome era of microbiology, the need for systematic, standardized descriptions of bacterial genotypic variation remains a priority. Here, to meet this need, we draw on the successes of MLST and 16S rRNA gene sequencing to propose a hierarchical gene-by-gene approach that reflects functional and evolutionary relationships and catalogues bacteria 'from domain to strain'. Our gene-based typing approach using online platforms such as the Bacterial Isolate Genome Sequence Database (BIGSdb) allows the scalable organization and analysis of whole-genome sequence data.

Original publication

DOI

10.1038/nrmicro3093

Type

Journal article

Journal

Nat Rev Microbiol

Publication Date

10/2013

Volume

11

Pages

728 - 736

Keywords

Alleles, Bacteria, Bacterial Typing Techniques, Base Sequence, Databases, Genetic, Evolution, Molecular, Genetic Variation, Genome, Bacterial, Genomics, Multilocus Sequence Typing, RNA, Bacterial, RNA, Ribosomal, 16S