title: Wolbachia detection: an assessment of standard PCR protocols.
abstract: Wolbachia is a large monophyletic genus of intracellular bacteria, traditionally detected using PCR assays. Its considerable phylogenetic diversity and impact on arthropods and nematodes make it urgent to assess the efficiency of these screening protocols. The sensitivity and range of commonly used PCR primers and of a new set of 16S primers were evaluated on a wide range of hosts and Wolbachia strains. We show that certain primer sets are significantly more efficient than others but that no single protocol can ensure the specific detection of all known Wolbachia infections.
authors.affiliation: Équipe BAMBOO (INRIA), Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR CNRS 5558, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 43 bd du 11 Novembre 1918, 69100 Villeurbanne, France. simoes.m.pat@gmail.com
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Simões
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mialdea
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Reiss
authors.forename: M-F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Sagot
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Charlat
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001181:Arthropods / Q000382:microbiology; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D004772:Entomology / Q000379:methods*; D009348:Nematoda / Q000382:microbiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D020577:Wolbachia / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S