Development of Bacterial Species-Specific DNA Probes Based on Ribosomal RNA Genes Using PCR

DNA probes are being used increasingly to detect and identify microorganisms, particularly pathogenic bacteria in a variety of areas. These include medicine, the food industry, and the environment. Various strategies have been used to develop DNA probes for specific bacteria that include the use of genes for antigenic determinants and virulence factors, randomly cloned DNA fragments, high copy number sequences including insertion elements, and ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes (1 –7 ). The sequences used for DNA probes ought to be both highly abundant as well as specific for the organism of interest. Therefore, rRNA is a potential target for the development of DNA probes.