title: Use of sloppy molecular beacon probes for identification of mycobacterial species.
abstract: We report here the use of novel "sloppy" molecular beacon probes in homogeneous PCR screening assays in which thermal denaturation of the resulting probe-amplicon hybrids provides a characteristic set of amplicon melting temperature (T(m)) values that identify which species is present in a sample. Sloppy molecular beacons possess relatively long probe sequences, enabling them to form hybrids with amplicons from many different species despite the presence of mismatched base pairs. By using four sloppy molecular beacons, each possessing a different probe sequence and each labeled with a differently colored fluorophore, four different T(m) values can be determined simultaneously. We tested this technique with 27 different species of mycobacteria and found that each species generates a unique, highly reproducible signature that is unaffected by the initial bacterial DNA concentration. Utilizing this general paradigm, screening assays can be designed for the identification of a wide range of species.
authors.affiliation: Public Health Research Institute, New Jersey Medical School, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey 07103, USA.
authors.forename: Hiyam H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: El-Hajj
authors.forename: Salvatore A E
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Marras
authors.forename: Sanjay
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tyagi
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Shashkina
authors.forename: Mini
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kamboj
authors.forename: Timothy E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Kiehn
authors.forename: Michael S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Glickman
authors.forename: Fred Russell
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Kramer
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Alland
mesh_terms: D001431:Bacteriological Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D015336:Molecular Probe Techniques; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D044366:Transition Temperature