Species-specific recombinant DNA probes for Mycoplasma meleagridis

Evaluation of polymerase chain reaction for detection of Mycoplasma meleagridis infection in turkeys

Different methods were compared for the detection of the turkey pathogen Mycoplasma meleagridis in a turkey field flock before and after antibiotic (oxytetracycline) treatment. They included culture, serology (detection of antibodies by ELISA) and a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based assay developed by Boyle et al. [Boyle, J.S., Good, R., Morrow, C.J., 1995. Detection of the turkey pathogens Mycoplasma meleagridis and M. iowae by amplification of genes coding for rRNA. J. Clin. Microbiol. 33, 1335-1338]. Culture and PCR assay with tracheal swab samples were much more sensitive than ELISA with serum samples. Percentages of infected birds detected by culture or PCR for samples collected prior to antibiotic treatment were almost identical but the percentage of positive samples detected after antibiotic treatment was much higher with the PCR test.

Detection of the turkey pathogens Mycoplasma meleagridis and M. iowae by amplification of genes coding for rRNA

PCR-based diagnostic tests using oligonucleotides specific to 16S rRNA were designed for the specific detection of the turkey pathogens Mycoplasma meleagridis and M. iowae. This method of detection was shown to be rapid, species specific, and unaffected by strain variation or the presence of other organisms. Detection of M. meleagridis in clinical samples by PCR was achieved and later confirmed by culture and growth inhibition. Definitive identification by culture and growth inhibition required up to 3 weeks, whereas positive results from PCR testing were obtained within a day and negative samples were confirmed within 4 days.

Detection of Mycoplasma meleagridis by polymerase chain reaction

A pair of 32 base primers was synthesized based on the DNA sequence data of a Mycoplasma meleagridis (MM) species-specific recombinant, pMM-2. The primers were used in a MM-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify a target DNA of approximately 850 bp. Annealing temperatures ranging from 58 degrees C to 61 degrees C could be used for the MM-PCR without loss of specificity. The primers amplified 1 ng of DNA from 17 strains of MM, but not 10 ng of DNA from 16 heterologous species of avian mycoplasma, pUC8 plasmid, lambda phage or calf thymus DNA. The minimum amount of target DNA detected by MM-PCR was 10 fg, which indicated that this procedure was 100000 times more sensitive than dot blot methodology using an MM recombinant DNA probe.