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Toolbox of Molecular Techniques for Studying Leptospira Spp.

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Spirochete Biology: The Post Genomic Era

Part of the book series: Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology ((CT MICROBIOLOGY,volume 415))

Abstract

This chapter covers the progress made in the Leptospira field since the application of mutagenesis techniques and how they have allowed the study of virulence factors and, more generally, the biology of Leptospira. The last decade has seen advances in our ability to perform molecular genetic analysis of Leptospira. Major achievements include the generation of large collections of mutant strains and the construction of replicative plasmids, enabling complementation of mutations. However, there are still no practical tools for routine genetic manipulation of pathogenic Leptospira strains, slowing down advances in pathogenesis research. This review summarizes the status of the molecular genetic toolbox for Leptospira species and highlights new challenges in the nascent field of Leptospira genetics.

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  1. Biology of Spirochetes Unit, Institut Pasteur, 28 Rue Du Docteur Roux, 75724, Paris Cedex 15, France

    Mathieu Picardeau

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Correspondence to Mathieu Picardeau .

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  1. Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia

    Ben Adler

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Picardeau, M. (2017). Toolbox of Molecular Techniques for Studying Leptospira Spp.. In: Adler, B. (eds) Spirochete Biology: The Post Genomic Era. Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology, vol 415. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/82_2017_45

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