CONSTRUCTION OF SPECIES-SPECIFIC PRIMERS FOR PSEUDOMONAS-ANDROPOGONISBASED ON 16S RDNA SEQUENCES

Approximately 94% of the total 16S rDNA of Pseudomonas andropogonis st rain ACH 01053A was sequenced and compared with that of strain ATCC 23 061 obtained from the GenBank database. The two sequences were highly homologous with 1.3% difference. Alignment of sequences with those fro m closely related bacteria revealed two possible regions for design of a specific primer suitable for detection of Ps. andropogonis. Using p rimers designed to these variable regions in a PCR test, an amplificat ion product of approximately 410 bp was specifically produced by 40 st rains of Ps. andropogonis. No other bacterial species showed an amplif ication product under optimized PCR conditions. As few as 1000 cells p er reaction were detected.