Distribution and abundance of Gram-positive bacteria in the environment: development of a group-specific probe

• Published in: Journal of microbiological methods 2001-04, Vol.44 (3), p.193-203
• Main Authors: MacGregor, Barbara J., Toze, Simon, Alm, Elizabeth W., Sharp, Richard, Ziemer, Cherie J., Stahl, David A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 16S rRNA; Animals; Bacteriological methods and techniques used in bacteriology; Bacteriology; Biological and medical sciences; Cattle; DNA Probes - chemistry; DNA Probes - genetics; DNA, Bacterial - chemistry; DNA, Bacterial - genetics; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Geologic Sediments - microbiology; Gram variable bacteria; Gram-positive bacteria; Gram-Positive Bacteria - genetics; Gram-Positive Bacteria - growth & development; Gram-Positive Bacteria - isolation & purification; Humic acid; Humic Substances - chemistry; Lake Michigan; Microbiology; Nucleic Acid Hybridization - methods; Oligonucleotide hybridization probe; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S - chemistry; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S - genetics; Rumen; Rumen - microbiology; Sensitivity and Specificity; USA, Michigan L
• ISSN: 0167-7012; 1872-8359
• DOI: 10.1016/S0167-7012(00)00243-8

We developed a 16S rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probe (S-P-GPos-1200-a-A-13) for the Gram-positive bacteria, confirmed its specificity by database searches and hybridization studies, and investigated the effects of humic acids on membrane hybridizations with this probe. S-P-GPos-1200-a-A-13 was used to estimate the abundance of Gram-positive populations in the bovine rumen and Lake Michigan sediments. This probe should be useful for studies of the environmental distribution of Gram-positive bacteria and the detection of uncultured, phylogenetically Gram-positive bacteria with variable or negative Gram staining reactions, and could serve for Gram staining in some diagnostic settings.