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Appl. Environ. Microbiol., Nov 1995, 3960-3966, Vol 61, No. 11
FC Hsu, YS Shieh, J van Duin, MJ Beekwilder and MD Sobsey
F-specific (F+) RNA coliphages are prevalent in sewage and other fecal
wastes of humans and animals. There are four antigenically distinct
serogroups of F+ RNA coliphages, and those predominating in humans (groups
II and III) differ from those predominating in animals (groups I and IV).
Hence, it may be possible to distinguish between human and animal wastes by
serotyping F+ RNA coliphage isolates. Because serotyping is laborious and
requires scarce antiserum reagents, we investigated genotyping using
synthetic oligonucleotide probes as an alternative approach to
distinguishing the four groups of F+ RNA coliphages. Oligoprobes I, II,
III, IV, A, and B were selected to detect group I, II, III, IV, I plus II,
and III plus IV phages, respectively. Methods for phage transfer from zones
of lysis on a host cell lawn to candidate membrane filters and fixation of
genomic nucleic acid on the membranes were optimized. The oligoprobes,
which were end labeled with digoxigenin, were applied in DNA-RNA
hybridization, and hybrids were observed by colorimetric, immunoenzymatic
detection. Of 203 isolates of F+ RNA coliphages from environmental samples
of water, wastes, and shellfish, 99.5 and 96.6% could be classified into
each group by serotyping and genotyping, respectively. Probes A and B
correctly identified 100% of the isolates. On the basis of these results,
this method for genotyping F+ RNA coliphages appears to be practical and
reliable for typing isolates in field samples.
Copyright © 1995, American Society for Microbiology
Genotyping male-specific RNA coliphages by hybridization with oligonucleotide probes
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 27599, USA.
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