ABSTRACT
Two pairs of primer targeting to the genes encoding the major outer membrane protein (MOMP) and the polymorphic membrane protein (PMP) of Chlamydophila psittaci (Cps) designed and used in the fluorescent quantitative PCR assay in the detection of this microorganism were compared in the their sensitivity and specificity.It was demonstrated that both pairs of primer could be used successfully to detect the presence of Cps of the epidemic strains isolated in China.The specificity of PMP primer used was higher than that of MOMP primer. In case of high target concentration in samples, the sensitivity of the former was also superior to that of the latter, but the amplification efficiency of the former was lower than that of the latter. The MOMP primer seemed to be more suitable to detect Cps by using the real-time quantitative assay.As demonstrated by the real-time quantitative PCR assay, great difference in the genomic copy numbers of the PMP gene existed in the epidemic strains of Cps isolated in China.