SPATIAL-DISTRIBUTION OF ESCHERICHIA-COLI IN THE MOUSE LARGE-INTESTINEINFERRED FROM RIBOSOMAL-RNA IN-SITU HYBRIDIZATION

Fluorescent oligonucleotide probes targeting rRNA were used to develop an in situ hybridization technique by which the spatial distribution of Escherichia coli in the large intestines of streptomycin-treated mi ce was determined. Single E. coli cells were identified ih thin frozen sections from the large intestines by the use bf a probe specific for E. coli 23S rRNA. Furthermore, the total bacterial population was vis ualized with an rRNA probe targeting the domain Bacteria. By this tech nique, all E. coli cells were seen embedded in the mucosal material ov erlying the epithelial cells of the large intestine, and no direct att achment to the epithelium was observed.