EN
The aim of the present study was the phenotypic and genotypic characterization of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis strains isolated from goats with symptoms of caseous lymphadenitis, derived from herds in Poland. Sixty one isolates were studied and their morphology of colonies and cells, biochemical properties, production of phospholipase D were determined. All strains were genotyped by ADSRRS-fingerprinting. The results of the study showed the significant variability in biochemical and genetic properties of C. pseudotuberculosis strains. Among all isolates, 11 distinct biochemical groups were determined. All strains produced phospholipase D, the main virulence factor of C. pseudotuberculosis, and all but one isolate had no ability to reduce nitrate to nitrite. We also found a variability in the activity of alkaline phosphatase, alfa-glucosidase, pyrazinamidase and fermentation of maltose and sucrose. Genotyping of strains showed 10 distinct genome patterns consisting of 11 to 20 bands between approximately 1400-100 bp. The obtained results indicate that ADSRRS-fingerprinting technique could be a useful tool for the screening of genome differentiation and establishing relationships between clinical isolates of C. pseudotuberculosis.