AXIMA Microorganism Identification System - Options
Strain Solution™ Dedicated Database
Highly accurate Bacterial Characterization Software for iDplus
Based on proteotyping techniques using a MALDI-TOF MS mass spectrometer, Strain Solution is intended for (1) characterization of bacteria at the subspecies level (such as characterization of subspecies/strain level and screening for specific serotypes & genotypes) and (2) molecular phylogenetic analysis for research use.
Using this approach, preregistered protein markers are used to differentiate the subspecies and strain level of bacteria. The Strain Solution software determines whether or not this data matches the acquired MALDI-TOF MS data for target bacterial strains.
Difference in Marker Peaks for E. coli O157 and non-O157 Bacteria*
*Teruyo Ojima-Kato, Naomi Yamamoto, Mayumi Suzuki, Tomohiro Fukunaga, and Hiroto Tamura: Discrimination of Escherichia coli O157, O26 and O111 from other serovars by MALDI-TOF MS based on the S10-GERMS method. PLoS ONE, 2014, 9: e113458.
- Obtain more accurate and reliable characterization results than conventional microorganism differentiation methods using MALDI-TOF MS fingerprinting.
- Quickly characterize bacteria by differences in the genetic sequence using MALDI-TOF MS.
- Perform molecular phylogenetic analysis on a theoretical basis using proteotyping techniques in combination with the cluster analysis functionality included in the software.
- Allows for the creation of new/custom protein marker databases.
Applications
The software broadens the range of possible applications using the iDplus series by enabling bacterial characterization below species level. This research-use software is ideally suited for:
- Management of bacterial culture collections
- Discrimination of genetically similar bacteria that are difficult to differentiate by 16S rRNA gene sequencing
- Molecular phylogenetic analysis
- Serotypic screening
Proteotyping
Proteotyping involves using assigned protein components detected using a MALDI-TOF MS system as markers for characterizing microorganisms. The markers are identified in advance, for example, using genetic sequence information. Compared to conventional gene-based typing methods, such as DNA sequencing, this offers the advantage of a faster and simpler method. If the genomic sequence for the target bacteria species has not been decoded, proteotyping can be accomplished by decoding the base sequence for the S10-spc-alpha operon, for which about half of the ribosomal proteins have been coded (S10-GERMS method: S10-spc-alphaoperon Gene Encoded Ribosormal protein Mass Spectrum).
Workflow Using Strain Solution
Precautions
*1 Steps indicated inside the blue box (top left) are not included in the software functionality.
*2 The standard configuration of the software does not include a marker peak database. To use the system, bacterial strain marker peaks for target bacterial species must be registered in a database in advance. If the dedicated database (optional) is used, the step for searching marker peaks can be omitted.
List of Registered Bacterial Species
| Genus | Species | Serotype |
|---|---|---|
| Escherichia | coli | O157 |
| O26 | ||
| O111 | ||
| albertii | ||
| Listeria | monocytogenes | 1/2a |
| 1/2b | ||
| 1/2c | ||
| 3a | ||
| 3b | ||
| 3c | ||
| 4a | ||
| 4b | ||
| 4d | ||
| nnocua | 6a | |
| ivanovii subsp. ivanovii | ||
| ivanovii subsp. londoniensis | ||
| seeligeli | ||
| welshimeri |
Precautions
- This database is optional. The list of registered bacterial species is current as of September 2016.
- Shimadzu makes no warranty regarding the accuracy of information included in the product or the usefulness of information obtained from using the product.
Strain Solution software was created on the basis of the results obtained from the Food Safety & Security Technology Development Project (group leader: Professor Hiroto Tamura of the Laboratory of Environmental Microbiology, Faculty of Agriculture, Meijo University), a "Knowledge Hub Aichi" core research project of Aichi Prefecture, which is in-turn based on ideas from the Meijo University and the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology.
Strain Solution is a trademark of Shimadzu Corporation.