01545nas a2200313   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001200055653001800067653001500085653001900100653002100119653001200140653000900152653002800161653002500189653003000214653001900244653002400263100001200287700001500299700001700314700001600331245014800347300001100495490000700506520070400513022001401217       1991                            d  c1991 Nov10aAnimals10aBase Sequence10aDNA Probes10aDNA, Bacterial10aGenes, Bacterial10aleprosy10aMice10aMolecular Sequence Data10aMycobacterium leprae10apolymerase chain reaction10aRNA, Bacterial10aRNA, Ribosomal, 16S1 aCox R A1 aKempsell K1 aFairclough L1 aColston M J00aThe 16S ribosomal RNA of Mycobacterium leprae contains a unique sequence which can be used for identification by the polymerase chain reaction.  a284-900 v353 a<p>Nucleotide sequence data for bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA was used to identify oligodeoxyribonucleotide primers suitable for probing the rRNA gene of mycobacteria and related organisms, with the polymerase chain reaction. The method enabled us to distinguish mycobacteria from other closely related genera, and to differentiate between slow- and fast-growing mycobacteria. Mycobacterium leprae fell within the slow-growing group of mycobacteria but there are significant differences between the sequence of the M. leprae 16S rRNA gene and that of other slow-growing mycobacteria. These differences were used to devise a rapid, non-radioactive method for detecting M. leprae in infected tissue.</p>  a0022-2615