title: Identification of clinically relevant viridans group streptococci to the species level by PCR.
abstract: A PCR assay that allows identification of clinically relevant viridans group streptococci (Streptococcus gordonii, S. mitis, S. mutans, S. oralis, S. salivarius, and S. sanguis) to the species level and identification of milleri group streptococci (S. anginosus, S. constellatus, and S. intermedius) to the group level was developed. This assay was based on specific amplification of internal fragments of genes encoding D-alanine:D-alanine ligases which are species specific and ubiquitous in prokaryotes possessing peptidoglycan. The specificity of this assay was tested on 9 reference strains and 91 characterized clinical isolates. This assay offers a specific and rapid alternative to phenotypic or DNA-DNA hybridization methods for identification of clinically relevant viridans group streptococci.
authors.affiliation: Unité des Agents Antibactériens and National Reference Center for Antibiotics, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Garnier
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gerbaud
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Courvalin
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Galimand
mesh_terms: D000409:Alanine / Q000235:genetics; D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization / Q000379:methods; D010457:Peptidoglycan / Q000378:metabolism; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D013045:Species Specificity; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D010457:Peptidoglycan; D000409:Alanine