RESTRICTION-FRAGMENT-LENGTH-POLYMORPHISMS OF 16S RIBOSOMAL-RNA GENES IN THE DIFFERENTIATION OF FAST-GROWING MYCOBACTERIAL SPECIES

DNA from several species of fast growing mycobacteria displayed a char acteristic restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) pattern whe n hybridizated to a Mycobacterium fortuitum 16S rRNA gene fragment. Th e resulting patterns were identical when comparing different strains b elonging to the same species. The RFLP results were consistent with th ose obtained by DNA-DNA hybridization studies. Using this approach, we have been able to identify the number of copies for 16S rRNA genes in several fast-growing mycobacteria.