title: Genus-specific polymerase chain reaction for the mycobacterial dnaJ gene and species-specific oligonucleotide probes.
abstract: Identification of tuberculous and nontuberculous mycobacteria by biochemical methods is a long-term process that takes up to 8 weeks for completion and requires expertise to interpret the results. In order to detect and differentiate the major pathogenic mycobacterial species, we developed genus-specific primers that amplify the dnaJ gene from the broad spectrum of mycobacterial species and determined the nucleotide sequences within the dnaJ genes from 19 mycobacterial species (Mycobacterium tuberculosis, M. bovis, M. bovis BCG, M. africanum, M. microti, M. kansasii, M. marinum, M. gastri, M. simiae, M. scrofulaceum, M. szulgai, M. gordonae, M. avium, M. intracellulare, M. xenopi, M. fortuitum, M. chelonei, M. haemophilum, and M. paratuberculosis). On the basis of the dnaJ gene sequences, we developed dot blot hybridization analysis with species-specific oligonucleotide probes for the M. tuberculosis complex. M. avium, M. intracellulare, and M. kansaii, allowing a rapid identification of these species following polymerase chain reaction for the dnaJ gene. We conclude that polymerase chain reaction with the genus-specific primer that amplifies the dnaJ genes and subsequent dot blot analysis with species-specific oligonucleotide probes are most useful for differential diagnosis of tuberculosis and nontuberculous mycobacterial infections.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takewaki
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okuzumi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ishiko
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakahara
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ohkubo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nagai
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes