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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, August 2000, p. 2962-2965, Vol. 38, No. 8
Departments of
Pediatrics1 and
Microbiology/Immunology,3 University of
Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104, and
Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases,
University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
481092
Received 22 March 2000/Returned for modification 21 April
2000/Accepted 27 May 2000
Definitive identification of the species in the Burkholderia
cepacia complex by routine clinical microbiology methods is
difficult. Phenotypic tests to identify B. multivorans and
B. vietnamiensis have been established; more recent work
indicates B. stabilis may also be identified by growth
characteristics and biochemical tests. However, attempts to identify
genomovars I and III have, thus far, proved unsuccessful. Previously,
we demonstrated the utility of two primer pairs, directed to the rRNA
operon, to specifically identify the B. cepacia complex in
a PCR. One of these primer pairs, G1-G2, only amplified a DNA fragment
from genomovars I and III and B. stabilis in a PCR with
genomic DNA isolated from prototypical strains representing the five
genomovars. Sequence analysis of the rRNA operon for all the genomovars
indicated that this primer pair targeted a region shared by these
isolates. Further analysis revealed a region of heterogeneity between
genomovar III and B. stabilis internal to the amplified
product of G1-G2. Primers designed to target this region were tested
with prototypical strains following an initial amplification with the
G1-G2 primer pair. New primers specific for the prototypical genomovar
III and B. stabilis were designated SPR3 and SPR4,
respectively. Analysis of 93 isolates representing 18 genomovar I, 13 B. multivorans, 36 genomovar III, 11 B. stabilis, and 15 B. vietnamiensis isolates was
performed. DNA from all isolates of genomovars I and III and B. stabilis was amplified by G1-G2. Genomovar III isolates yielded a
product with SPR3/G1 while B. stabilis amplified with
SPR4-G1. Genomovar I isolates were amplified by either SPR3-G1 or
SPR4-G1, but not both. B. multivorans yielded a product
with SPR3-G1 but not G1-G2, and B. vietnamiensis isolates
were negative in all PCRs. Thus using an algorithm with G1-G2, SPR3-G1,
and SPR4-G1 primers in a PCR analysis, genomovar III isolates can be
separated from B. stabilis and the identity of B. multivorans and B. vietnamiensis can be confirmed.
0095-1137/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Identification of Members of the Burkholderia
cepacia Complex by Species-Specific PCR
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of
Pediatrics, CHO 2308, 940 N.E. 13th St., Oklahoma City, OK 73104. Phone: (405) 271-4401. Fax: (405) 271-8710. E-mail:
Terrence-Stull{at}ouhsc.edu.
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