A SPECIES-SPECIFIC DNA-PROBE FOR THE DETECTION OF MYCOPLASMA-AGALACTIAE

A 4.5 kb M. agalactiae DNA fragment present in strains from different areas of Sardinia was cloned and used to detect M. agalactiae DNA in s heep milk samples by dot blot hybridization. The probe recognized only M. agalactiae strains and did not cross-hybridize with other mycoplas mas (M. capricolum, M. mycoides subsp. capri, M. mycoides subsp. mycoi des, M. putrefaciens and M. arginini) or bacteria (E. coli, P. hemolyt ica, S. aureus, S. epidermis, L. casei, S. durans, S. lactis and S. th ermophilus) which may also be found in sheep milk.