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Detection of Bacteroides fragilis in clinical specimens by polymerase chain reaction amplification of the neuraminidase gene

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Abstract

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used in an attempt to detect Bacteroides fragilis by amplifying a segment of the gene encoding B. fragilis neuraminidase. Forty-five reference strains representing 45 species and 113 clinical isolates were tested. Only B. fragilis was PCR positive, except for Bacteroides merdae ATCC 43184, which gave a band by ethidium bromide staining that showed no signal by Southern hybridization. Using a protocol that employed DNA extraction by Sepa Gene kit and a highly sensitive digoxigenin-chemiluminescence detection system, detection of B. fragilis by PCR was in complete agreement with culture results for 44 clinical specimens from which a wide range of aerobic and anaerobic organisms and fungi were recovered.

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Author notes

  1. Ravi Jotwani

    Present address: Department of Microbiology, National Institute of Immunology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, 110067, New Delhi, India

  2. Kazue Ueno

    Present address: Gifu College of Medical Technology, 795-1 Nagamine, 501-32, Seki, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Anaerobic Bacteriology, Gifu University School of Medicine, 40 Tsukasa-machi, 500, Gifu, Japan

    Ravi Jotwani, Naoki Kato, Haru Kato, Kunitomo Watanabe & Kazue Ueno

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  1. Ravi Jotwani
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  2. Naoki Kato
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  3. Haru Kato
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  4. Kunitomo Watanabe
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  5. Kazue Ueno
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Jotwani, R., Kato, N., Kato, H. et al. Detection of Bacteroides fragilis in clinical specimens by polymerase chain reaction amplification of the neuraminidase gene. Current Microbiology 31, 215–219 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00298376

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00298376

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