title: Comparative analysis of the 16S to 23S ribosomal intergenic spacer sequences of Bacillus thuringiensis strains and subspecies and of closely related species.
abstract: Bacillus thuringiensis spacer regions between the 16S and 23S rRNAs were amplified with conserved primers, designated 19-mer and 23-mer primers. A spacer region of 144 bp was determined for all of 6 B. thuringiensis strains, 7 B. thuringiensis subspecies, and 11 B. thuringiensis field isolates, as well as for the closely related species Bacillus cereus and Bacillus anthracis. Computer analysis and alignment of nucleotide sequences identified three mutations and one deletion in the intergenic spacer region (ISR) of B. thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki HD-1 when compared with ISR sequences from other subspecies. The same differences were identified between the ISR of B. thuringiensis strains and the ISR of B. cereus and B. anthracis. These minor differences do not seem to be sufficient to allow the design of a species-specific oligonucleotide probe.
authors.affiliation: Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service--Quebec Region, Sainte-Foy.
authors.forename: S N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Bourque
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Valero
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Lavoie
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Levesque
mesh_terms: D001408:Bacillus anthracis / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D001409:Bacillus cereus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D001413:Bacillus thuringiensis / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics*; D012338:RNA, Ribosomal, 23S / Q000235:genetics*; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D012338:RNA, Ribosomal, 23S