title: Genotypic identification of mycobacteria by nucleic acid sequence determination: report of a 2-year experience in a clinical laboratory.
abstract: Clinical isolates of Mycobacterium spp. were identified by direct sequence determination of 16S rRNA gene fragments amplified by polymerase chain reaction. Identification was based on a hypervariable region within the 16S rRNA gene in which mycobacterial species are characterized by species-specific nucleotide sequences. A manually aligned data base including the signature sequences of 52 species of mycobacteria easily allowed rapid and correct identification. The results of this study demonstrate that polymerase chain reaction-mediated direct sequence determination can be used as a rapid and reliable method for the identification of mycobacteria in the clinical laboratory. In addition, the prompt recognition of previously undescribed species is now feasible.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kirschner
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Springer
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Vogel
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Meier
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wrede
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kiekenbeck
authors.forename: F C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Bange
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Böttger
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000235:genetics*; D009164:Mycobacterium Infections / Q000175:diagnosis; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry*; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S