Detection of spores of Bacillus anthracis using the polymerase chain reaction.

Carl, M; Hawkins, R; Coulson, N; Lowe, J; Robertson, D L; Nelson, W M; Titball, R W; Woody, J N · J Infect Dis · 1992

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to identify spores of Bacillus anthracis. By using an assay capable of amplifying a 1247-bp fragment from the gene that encodes the edema factor of B. anthracis, as few as 10(3) copies of a plasmid containing the edema factor gene and as few as 2 x 10(4) spores were detected. Subjecting the product of this PCR to a second PCR designed to amplify a 208-bp fragment nested within the 1247-bp product improved detection to a single plasmid copy per PCR and to two spores of B. anthracis per PCR.

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