title: An oligonucleotide hybridization assay for the identification and enumeration of F-specific RNA phages in surface water.
abstract: F-specific RNA phages can be used as model organisms for enteric viruses to monitor the effectiveness of sewage treatment, and to assess the potential contamination of surface water with these viruses. In this paper a method is described which identifies RNA phages quantitatively by a plaque hybridization assay. Oligonucleotide probes were developed that can assign phages to their phylogenetic subgroups. Such a distinction is important, since some subgroups preferentially occur in sewage of human origin, while others tend to be associated with animal wastewater. The method has been tested on a large number of isolates and represents an improvement in time and reliability over the previously used serological classification.
authors.affiliation: Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry, Leiden University, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Beekwilder
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nieuwenhuizen
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Havelaar
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: van Duin
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D005374:Filtration; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D012317:RNA Phages / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012367:RNA, Viral; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014871:Water Microbiology
chemical_list: D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D012367:RNA, Viral