A randomly amplified polymorphic DNA marker specific for the Bacillus cereus group is diagnostic for Bacillus anthracis.
Aiming to develop a DNA marker specific for Bacillus anthracis and able to discriminate this species from Bacillus cereus, Bacillus thuringiensis, and Bacillus mycoides, we applied the randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) fingerprinting technique to a collection of 101 strains of the genus Bacillus, including 61 strains of the B. cereus group. An 838-bp RAPD marker (SG-850) specific for B. cereus, B. thuringiensis, B. anthracis, and B. mycoides was identified. This fragment included a putative (366-nucleotide) open reading frame highly homologous to the ypuA gene of Bacillus subtilis. The restriction analysis of the SG-850 fragment with AluI distinguished B. anthracis from the other species of the B. cereus group.
Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Alimentari e Microbiologiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy. fonchius@imiucca.csi.unimi.it
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D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000881:Anthrax / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D001407:Bacillus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D001408:Bacillus anthracis / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001409:Bacillus cereus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D015252:Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific / Q000378:metabolism; D005819:Genetic Markers; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D019105:Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique; D013045:Species Specificity
D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D005819:Genetic Markers; C024669:endodeoxyribonuclease AluI; D015252:Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific