SPECIFIC DETECTION OF LEGIONELLA-PNEUMOPHILA - CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW 16S RIBOSOMAL-RNA-TARGETED OLIGONUCLEOTIDE PROBE

Based on comparative sequence analysis, we have designed an oligonucle otide probe complementary to a region of 16S rRNA of Legionella pneumo phila which allows the differentiation of L. pneumophila from other Le gionella species without cultivation. The specificity of the new probe , LEGPNE1, was tested by in situ hybridization to a total of four sero groups of six strains of L. pneumophila, five different Legionella spp , and three non-legionella species as reference strains. Furthermore, L. pneumophila cells could be easily distinguished from Legionella mic dadei and Pseudomonas aeruginosa cells by using in situ hybridization with probes LEGPNE1, LEG705, and EUB338 after infection of the protozo an Acanthamoeba castellanii.