ISSN:
1435-4373
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Abstract Two alkaline phosphatase-conjugated 24-mer oligonucleotide probes were developed to detect the heat-labile enterotoxin gene in enterotoxigenicEscherichia coli. Probes were antisense codon sequences, which are transcribed into mRNA, of the heat-labile enterotoxin gene of enterotoxigenicEscherichia coli of human origin. Using dot-blot hybridization, probes were tested with 100 clinical isolates and evaluated by a reflectance-type densitometer. Results agreed very well with those of an immunological test, the Biken test, and a32P-labelled recombinant DNA probe. The oligonucleotide probes did not react with nucleic acids prepared from other diarrhoeagenic bacterial pathogens. Thus, the alkaline phosphatase-conjugated oligonucleotide probes seem to be highly sensitive and specific for detection of heat-labile enterotoxin-producing enterotoxigenicEscherichia coli. Moreover, the results indicate a potential usefulness for densitometric evaluation of DNA hybridization.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF01984927
Permalink