16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) gene sequences used to study bacterial phylogeny and taxonomy have been by far the most common housekeeping genetic marker utilized for identification and ancestor determination. This study aimed to investigate, for the first time, the relationship between Klebsiella spp. isolated from clinical and environmental samples in Iraq.
Fifty Klebsiella spp. isolates were isolated from clinical and environmental sources. Twenty-five isolates were collected from a fresh vegetable (Apium graveolens) and 25 from clinical samples (sputum, wound swab, urine). Enteric bacteria were isolated on selective and differential media and identified by an automatic identification system, vitek-2. The total DNA was extracted and PCR amplified for selected isolates. The 16S rRNA gene was amplified by using the universal primer 27F (5'- AGAGTTTGATCCTGGCTCAG- 3') and 1492R (5'- GGTTACCTTGTTACGACTT- 3’). The 16SrRNA gene sequence was analysed among some local isolates, and the results were compared with the standard data of similar registered strains in NCBI. The most common species of Klebsiella was Klebsiella pneumoniae pneumoniae (Kpp), followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae ozaenae (Kpo) and Klebsiella oxytoca (Ko). The results of the identification of species and sub species by using the biochemical test (vitek-2) were more precise than those obtained by the use of the universal primer.Phylogenetic tree strategies have clearly indicated a relatively close similarity amongst all analysed Klebsiella isolates and revealed the intra-species genetic distance between the individual isolates of the Klebsiella spp. In conclusion, our results revealed the main advantage of using universal primers for the identification of Klebsiella spp. and their root from nature.
