ABSTRACT
The optimal conditions for the application of M13 DNA fingerprinting to the genus Lactobacillus were determined. Comparative fingerprint analysis of representative strains of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. delbrueckii, Lact. delbrueckii subsp. lactis, Lact. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, Lact. helveticus and Lact. casei permitted the differentiation of species, subspecies and individual strains and the quantitative determination of their genetic relatedness. The results confirm the high specificity of M13 DNA fingerprinting and indicate that it might be used in the classification of Lactobacillus spp.
Subject(s)
DNA Fingerprinting , Lactobacillus/classification , Lactobacillus/isolation & purification , Blotting, Southern , DNA Fingerprinting/methods , DNA Probes , DNA, Bacterial/isolation & purification , Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel , Lactobacillus/genetics , Nucleic Acid Hybridization , Species SpecificityABSTRACT
Hypervariable nucleotide sequences were detected in Bacillus sphaericus by hybridization with radioactively labelled M13 DNA. Different serotypes could be distinguished by their hybridization profiles. The appearance of bands common for mosquito-pathogenic strains and their absence in an apathogenic strain opens the probability that M13 could hybridize to specific alleles, related to insect toxicity.
