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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, July 1999, p. 2255-2261, Vol. 37, No. 7
0095-1137/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Development of Amplified 16S Ribosomal DNA Restriction Analysis
for Identification of Actinomyces Species and Comparison
with Pyrolysis-Mass Spectrometry and Conventional
Biochemical Tests
Val
Hall,*
G. L.
O'Neill,
J. T.
Magee, and
B. I.
Duerden
Anaerobe Reference Unit, Department of
Medical Microbiology and Public Health Laboratory, University
Hospital of Wales, Cardiff CF4 4XW, United Kingdom
Received 19 January 1999/Returned for modification 4 March
1999/Accepted 8 April 1999
Identification of Actinomyces spp. by conventional
phenotypic methods is notoriously difficult and unreliable. Recently,
the application of chemotaxonomic and molecular methods has clarified the taxonomy of the group and has led to the recognition of several new
species. A practical and discriminatory identification method is now
needed for routine identification of clinical isolates. Amplified 16S
ribosomal DNA restriction analysis (ARDRA) was applied to reference
strains (n = 27) and clinical isolates
(n = 36) of Actinomyces spp. and other
gram-positive rods. Clinical strains were identified initially to the
species level by conventional biochemical tests. However, given the low
degree of confidence in conventional methods, the findings obtained by
ARDRA were also compared with those obtained by pyrolysis-mass
spectrometry. The ARDRA profiles generated by the combination of
HaeIII and HpaII endonuclease digestion
differentiated all reference strains to the species or subspecies
level. The profiles correlated well with the findings obtained by
pyrolysis-mass spectrometry and by conventional tests and enabled the
identification of 31 of 36 clinical isolates to the species level.
ARDRA was shown to be a simple, rapid, cost-effective, and highly
discriminatory method for routine identification of
Actinomyces spp. of clinical origin.
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: Anaerobe
Reference Unit, Department of Medical Microbiology and Public Health
Laboratory, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff CF4 4XW, United
Kingdom. Phone: 44(0)1222 742171. Fax: 44(0)1222 744123. E-mail:
hallv{at}cardiff.ac.uk.

Present address: Laboratory of Hospital Infection, Central Public
Health Laboratory, London NW9 5HT, United
Kingdom.
Journal of Clinical Microbiology, July 1999, p. 2255-2261, Vol. 37, No. 7
0095-1137/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
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