title: A simple and sensitive method to extract bacterial, yeast and fungal DNA from blood culture material.
abstract: This study investigated the various commercially available kits and 'in-house' methods to extract DNA from Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, yeast and fungal agents in commonly employed blood culture material. The main methods investigated were as follows; Qiagen QIAmp Blood kit, Roche high PCR template preparation kit, Puregene DNA extraction kit, boiling, glass beads/sonication and wash/alkali/heat lysis. The results indicated that a simple wash/alkali/heat lysis method was the most sensitive, reproducible, simple and cost-effective extraction method. This was the only method which removed any PCR inhibitors and inherent DNA which existed in virgin BacT/Alert aerobic, anaerobic and paediatric blood culture material. Contaminating microbial DNA from Lactococcus lactis or Bacillus coagulans was identified in all batches of BacT/Alert FAN aerobic blood culture material examined.
authors.affiliation: Northern Ireland Public Health Laboratory, Department of Bacteriology, Belfast City Hospital, Belfast BT9 7AD, UK.
authors.forename: B C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Millar
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Jiru
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Earle
mesh_terms: D001769:Blood / Q000382:microbiology*; D003470:Culture Media; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000032:analysis; D008828:Microbiological Techniques / Q000191:economics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004271:DNA, Fungal; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic