Development of a rapid method for direct detection of tet(M) genes in soil from Danish farmland.
A method for direct detection of antibiotic resistance genes in soil samples has been developed. The tetracycline resistance gene, tet(M), was used as a model. The method was validated on Danish farmland soil that had repeatedly been treated with pig manure slurry containing resistant bacteria. The tet(M) gene was directly detected in 10-80% of the samples from the various farmland soils and could be detected in all samples tested after selective enrichment. To validate the obtained results, the method was applied to garden soil samples where lower prevalence of resistance was found.


RESULTS
A detection limit of 10(2)-10(3) copies of the tet(M) gene per gram of soil (in a Bacillus cereus group bacterium) was achieved. tet(M) gene was detected in soil samples with the highest prevalence on farmland treated with pig manure slurry.
Agersø
Yvonne
Y
Danish Veterinary Institute, DK-1790 Copenhagen V, Denmark. ya@vetinst.dk
Sengeløv
Gitte
G
Jensen
Lars Bogø
LB
D001420:Bacteria, Aerobic / Q000235:genetics*; D001421:Bacteria, Anaerobic / Q000235:genetics*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D008372:Manure / Q000382:microbiology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012988:Soil Microbiology / Q000592:standards*
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D008372:Manure; C083138:Tet M resistance protein, Bacteria