title: Spatial distribution of Escherichia coli in the mouse large intestine inferred from rRNA in situ hybridization.
abstract: Fluorescent oligonucleotide probes targeting rRNA were used to develop an in situ hybridization technique by which the spatial distribution of Escherichia coli in the large intestines of streptomycin-treated mice was determined. Single E. coli cells were identified in thin frozen sections from the large intestines by the use of a probe specific for E. coli 23S rRNA. Furthermore, the total bacterial population was visualized with an rRNA probe targeting the domain Bacteria. By this technique, all E. coli cells were seen embedded in the mucosal material overlying the epithelial cells of the large intestine, and no direct attachment to the epithelium was observed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby.
authors.forename: L K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Poulsen
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lan
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Kristensen
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hobolth
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Molin
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Krogfelt
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000254:growth & development*; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D007420:Intestine, Large / Q000382:microbiology*; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000382:microbiology; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes / Q000737:chemistry; D012338:RNA, Ribosomal, 23S / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D012338:RNA, Ribosomal, 23S