ABSTRACT
rpoB, which encodes the B subunit of RNA polymerase, is related to rifampin resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Escherichia coli. We determined the nucleotide sequences (346 bp) of rpoB gene from 25 Korean isolates of Helicobacter pylori. These nucleotide sequences were aligned and compared with H. pylori 26695 strain. No insertions or deletions were observed in all H. pylori strains. In the phylogenetic tree constructed by UPGMA method, 26 strains of H. pylori were separated into four clusters. Deduced amino acid sequences of amplified rpoB DNA comprised 115 amino acid residues. Twenty six H. pylori strains could be divided into 5 groups by the signature amino acid sequences. Two strains isolated from the same patient showed different nucleotide sequences. These results suggest that the sequences of rpoB are also highly divergent in H. pylori isolates and are useful for the epidemiologic study.