Colony Hybridization

Abstract The genes that encode several of the enterotoxins produced by Escherichia coli have been cloned by recombinant DNA techniques. When the nucleotide sequence of these genes is determined, defined sequence oligonucleotides that include a part of these genes may be synthesized. A 22-base DNA hybridization probe was produced for each of 2 heatstable E. coli enterotoxin (ST) genes: STH, from strains originally isolated from humans; and STP, from strains first found in pigs. For this study, 32P end-labeled DNA probes, sonicated calf thymus DNA, and 3 known and 20 unknown (10 ST-positive and 10 ST-negative) strains were sent to each of 23 collaborators. Cultures were spotted onto an agar-based medium and grown into colonies, which were transferred by blotting to cellulose filters, lysed by alkali and steam, and used for DNA colony hybridization with the ST DNA probes. Strains containing an ST gene were recognized as dark spots on an autoradiogram. Of the 460 samples analyzed, 440 (95.7%) were correctly classified by the collaborators. The method has been adopted official first action.

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Real-Time PCR Quantification of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in Oysters Using an Alternative Matrix

Journal of Food Protection ◽

10.4315/0362-028x-67.11.2424 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 67 (11) ◽

pp. 2424-2429 ◽

Cited By ~ 38

Author(s):

G. E. KAUFMAN ◽

G. M. BLACKSTONE ◽

M. C. L. VICKERY ◽

A. K. BEJ ◽

J. BOWERS ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Real Time ◽

Real Time Pcr ◽

Vibrio Parahaemolyticus ◽

Pcr Amplification ◽

Oyster Tissue ◽

Pcr Assay ◽

Colony Hybridization ◽

The Real ◽

Mantle Fluid ◽

June July

This study examined the relationship between levels of total Vibrio parahaemolyticus found in oyster tissues and mantle fluid with the goal of using mantle fluid as a template matrix in a new quantitative real-time PCR assay targeting the thermolabile hemolysin (tlh) gene for the enumeration of total V. parahaemolyticus in oysters. Oysters were collected near Mobile Bay, Ala., in June, July, and September and tested immediately after collection and storage at 26°C for 24 h. Initial experiments using DNA colony hybridization targeting tlh demonstrated that natural V. parahaemolyticus levels in the mantle fluid of individual oysters were strongly correlated (r = 0.85, P < 0.05) with the levels found in their tissues. When known quantities of cultured V. parahaemolyticus cells were added to real-time PCR reactions that contained mantle fluid and oyster tissue matrices separately pooled from multiple oysters, a strong linear correlation was observed between the real-time PCR cycle threshold and the log concentration of cells inoculated into each PCR reaction (mantle fluid: r = 0.98, P < 0.05; and oyster: r = 0.99, P < 0.05). However, the mantle fluid exhibited less inhibition of the PCR amplification than the homogenized oyster tissue. Analysis of natural V. parahaemolyticus populations in mantle fluids using both colony hybridization and real-time PCR demonstrated a significant (P < 0.05) but reduced correlation (r =−0.48) between the two methods. Reductions in the efficiency of the real-time PCR that resulted from low population densities of V. parahaemolyticus and PCR inhibitors present in the mantle fluid of some oysters (with significant oyster-to-oyster variation) contributed to the reduction in correlation between the methods that was observed when testing natural V. parahaemolyticus populations. The V. parahaemolyticus–specific real-time PCR assay used for this study could estimate elevated V. parahaemolyticus levels in oyster mantle fluid within 1 h from sampling time.

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