title: Inhibition of PCR by agar from bacteriological transport media.
abstract: We observed inhibition of PCR in throat swabs submitted in routine bacteriological transport media. Experimental studies showed that agar, which was extracted with DNA by DNAzol (Gibco BRL, Gaithersburg, Md.), was the inhibitory agent. No inhibitory effect was observed with a transport medium which did not contain agar.
authors.affiliation: Provincial Laboratory for Public Health of Southern Alberta, Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, Canada. gibb@acs.ucalgary.ca
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Gibb
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wong
mesh_terms: D000362:Agar / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D009177:Mycoplasma pneumoniae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010614:Pharynx / Q000382:microbiology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D000362:Agar