Discrimination of Bacillus cereus and Bacillus thuringiensis with 16S rRNA and gyrB gene based PCR primers and sequencing of their annealing sites.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the possibility for discrimination of Bacillus cereus and B. thuringiensis using 16S rRNA and gyrB gene based PCR methods, and to obtain the sequences of the primer annealing sites so that the PCR results may be explained.


RESULTS
Based on the sequence difference in the variable region (V1) of 16S rRNA and in the gyrB gene between B. cereus and B. thuringiensis, PCR primers specific to these Bacillus spp. were designed. When these primers were used to discriminate B. cereus and B. thuringiensis, six of 82 B. cereus strains were identified as B. thuringiensis while 67 of 73 B. thuringiensis strains were identified as B. cereus. Sequence analysis of the primer annealing sites showed that there is no clear-cut difference in the V1 region of 16S rRNA, and in the gyrB gene, between B. cereus and B. thuringiensis strains.


CONCLUSIONS
Although 16S rDNA based probes and gyrB gene based PCR primers have been suggested for the discrimination of B. cereus and B. thuringiensis strains, when a large number of Bacillus strains was tested, results showed that discrimination between B. cereus and B. thuringiensis is difficult. Therefore, to distinguish B. thuringiensis from B. cereus, a single feature, such as the presence of a parasporal crystal protein or cry gene, may sometimes be reliable.


CONCLUSIONS
Discrimination between B. cereus and B. thuringiensis is a challenging debate to which this paper makes a contribution.
Chen
M L
ML
Department of Food Science, National Chung-Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC.
Tsen
H Y
HY
D001409:Bacillus cereus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D001413:Bacillus thuringiensis / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D027081:DNA Gyrase / Q000235:genetics*; D017931:DNA Primers; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D020459:Genes, rRNA; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
D017931:DNA Primers; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D027081:DNA Gyrase