HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) PowerPoint presentation Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Cook, A. E. Articles by Meyers, P. R. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Cook, A. E. Articles by Meyers, P. R. Agricola Articles by Cook, A. E. Articles by Meyers, P. R.

Rapid identification of filamentous actinomycetes to the genus level using genus-specific 16S rRNA gene restriction fragment patterns

Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Cape Town, Private Bag 1, Rondebosch, 7701, Cape Town, South Africa

Correspondence
Paul R. Meyers
pmeyers{at}science.uct.ac.za

A rapid method for identifying filamentous actinomycete genera was developed based on 16S rRNA gene restriction fragment patterns. The patterns were generated by using specific restriction endonucleases to perform in silico digestions on the 16S rRNA gene sequences of all validly published filamentous actinomycete species. The method was applied to identifying actinomycete isolates from soil. Amplified 16S rDNA of soil actinomycetes was restricted with selected endonucleases and electrophoresed on agarose gels. The restriction fragment patterns of the unknown isolates were easily compared to the established patterns. Significantly, the genus Streptomyces could be differentiated from all other actinomycete genera by using only four restriction endonucleases, Sau3AI, AsnI, KpnI and SphI. This could be achieved in a time period of as little as a week, following PCR-template DNA isolation by a simple method. The identification method allowed unknown, non-Streptomyces soil isolates to be identified to a genus or small subgroup of genera. The genera in these subgroups could, in some cases, be distinguished by virtue of colony-morphology differences.

Published online ahead of print on 16 May 2003 as DOI 10.1099/ijs.0.02680-0.

An interactive Microsoft PowerPoint (version 5.0) presentation of the in silico procedure described in this article is available in IJSEM Online.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. Le Roes-Hill, J. Rohland, P. R. Meyers, D. A. Cowan, and S. G. Burton Streptomyces hypolithicus sp. nov., isolated from an Antarctic hypolith community Int J Syst Evol Microbiol, August 1, 2009; 59(8): 2032 - 2035. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. le Roes-Hill and P. R. Meyers Streptomyces polyantibioticus sp. nov., isolated from the banks of a river Int J Syst Evol Microbiol, June 1, 2009; 59(6): 1302 - 1309. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. J. Everest and P. R. Meyers Kribbella hippodromi sp. nov., isolated from soil from a racecourse in South Africa Int J Syst Evol Microbiol, February 1, 2008; 58(2): 443 - 446. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. le Roes and P. R. Meyers Actinomadura rudentiformis sp. nov., isolated from soil Int J Syst Evol Microbiol, January 1, 2007; 57(1): 45 - 50. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. M. Kirby, M. L. Roes, and P. R. Meyers Kribbella karoonensis sp. nov. and Kribbella swartbergensis sp. nov., isolated from soil from the Western Cape, South Africa. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol, May 1, 2006; 56(Pt 5): 1097 - 1101. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. E. Cook, M. l. Roes, and P. R. Meyers Actinomadura napierensis sp. nov., isolated from soil in South Africa Int J Syst Evol Microbiol, March 1, 2005; 55(2): 703 - 706. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]