title: Differentiation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex by PCR amplification of genomic regions of difference.
abstract: Differentiation of members of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex by conventional mycobacteriological methods is time consuming, making surveillance of species-specific disease difficult. A two-step, multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method based on genomic regions of difference (RD1, RD1(mic), RD2(seal), RD4, RD9 and RD12) was developed for the differentiation of M. canettii, M. tuberculosis, M. africanum, M. microti, M. pinnipedii, M. caprae, M. bovis and M. bovis BCG. The size of the respective multiplex PCR amplification products corresponded to the presence of the different M. tuberculosis complex members. This method allows for rapid differentiation, making it suitable for routine laboratories and surveillance purposes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biochemistry, Centre of Excellence in Biomedical Tuberculosis Research/MRC, Centre for Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Desmond Tutu TB Centre, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, South Africa. rw1@sun.ac.za
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Warren
authors.forename: N C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Gey van Pittius
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barnard
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hesseling
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Engelke
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Kock
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Gutierrez
authors.forename: G K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Chege
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Victor
authors.forename: E G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Hoal
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: van Helden
mesh_terms: D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S