title: Detection of Streptococcus mutans by PCR amplification of spaP gene.
abstract: Synthetic oligonucleotide primers were used in the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify a sequence of the spaP gene, which encodes the surface protein antigen I/II of Streptococcus mutans. A DNA fragment of c. 192 bp was amplified from lysed S. mutans cells or isolated DNA. With S. mutans cells, the lower limit of detection was 4-40 cfu. With these primers, 13 reference and 50 clinical strains of S. mutans were identified. Amplification of the 192-bp product was not demonstrated when 41 strains of other streptococcal and non-streptococcal species were tested. The spaP gene PCR has potential for the rapid diagnosis of S. mutans infections.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Microbiology and Immunology, School of Dentistry, University of Tokushima, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ono
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hirota
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nemoto
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Fernandez
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ota
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fukui
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000737:chemistry; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013295:Streptococcus mutans / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D017931:DNA Primers; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; C055764:S-layer proteins