title: Detection of spores of Bacillus anthracis using the polymerase chain reaction.
abstract: The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to identify spores of Bacillus anthracis. By using an assay capable of amplifying a 1247-bp fragment from the gene that encodes the edema factor of B. anthracis, as few as 10(3) copies of a plasmid containing the edema factor gene and as few as 2 x 10(4) spores were detected. Subjecting the product of this PCR to a second PCR designed to amplify a 208-bp fragment nested within the 1247-bp product improved detection to a single plasmid copy per PCR and to two spores of B. anthracis per PCR.
authors.affiliation: Naval Medical Research Institute, Naval Medical Research and Development Command, Bethesda, Maryland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carl
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hawkins
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Coulson
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lowe
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Titball
authors.forename: J N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Woody
mesh_terms: D001408:Bacillus anthracis / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001483:Base Sequence; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes / Q000737:chemistry; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes