title: Differentiation between bacterial species and sub-species by pyrolysis mass spectrometry of extracted DNA.
abstract: Whole cell samples from cultures of Staphylococcus aureus, S. hominis, S. epidermidis and Streptococcus pyogenes were analysed by pyrolysis mass spectrometry and the results were compared with Py-MS-derived analyses of samples of DNA extracted from the same organisms. Py-MS analysis differentiated the four organisms in both circumstances. These results challenge previous assumptions that Py-MS is restricted to detecting phenotypic differences, although the basis for the differentiation of the DNA extracts has yet to be determined.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Medical School, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mathers
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Freeman
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Sisson
authors.forename: N F
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Lightfoot
mesh_terms: D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000145:classification*; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis / Q000145:classification*; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000145:classification*
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial