L. Ranjard et al., Monitoring complex bacterial communities using culture-independent molecular techniques: application to soil environment, RES MICROB, 151(3), 2000, pp. 167-177
Over the last decade, important advances in molecular biology led to the de
velopment of culture-independent approaches to describing bacterial communi
ties. These new strategies, based on the analysis of DNA directly extracted
from environmental samples, circumvent the steps of isolation and culturin
g of bacteria, which are known for their selectivity leading to a non-repre
sentative view of the extent of bacterial diversity. This review provides a
n overview of the potentials and limitations of some molecular approaches c
urrently used in microbial ecology. Examples of applications to the study o
f indigenous soil microbial community illustrate the feasibility and the po
wer of such approaches. (C) 2000 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevi
er SAS.