Rapid identification of Enterococcus durans and Enterococcus hirae by PCR with primers targeted to the ddl genes

Species-specific PCR assays with primers targeted to D-alanine:D-alanine, l igase (ddl) encoding genes were developed for. C, the identification of Ent erococcus durans and E. hirae. The specificity of the primers was validated in a multiplex PCR on well characterised E. durans (n = 30) and E. hirae ( n = 16) strains, all of which were identified correctly. This PCR procedure offers a reliable and rapid alternative to conventional phenotypic methods for speciation of these enterococci of growing clinical importance, (C) 20 01 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.