DETECTION OF THE RIBULOSE-BISPHOSPHATE CARBOXYLASE GENE IN NATURAL SAMPLES BY POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION

A method was developed allowing detection of the rbcL gene in natural samples. The method is based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the presence of oligonucleotide primers complementary to the conserved fr agments of the rbcL gene from oxy- and anoxygenic phototrophic bacteri a and some chemoautotrophic bacteria. Use of this method made it possi ble to detect the rbcL gene in samples of natural water and sediments from Antarctic lakes of the Bunger Hills oasis and in samples of Antar ctic ground. A correlation was revealed between the results obtained b y the PCR-based method and the data on the incorporation of (CO2)-C-14 via ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase in natural samples.