Development of an oligonucleotide array for direct detection of fungi in sputum samples from patients with cystic fibrosis.

ABSTRACT: Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common inherited genetic disease in Caucasian populations. Besides bacteria, many species of fungi may colonize the respiratory tract of these patients, sometimes leading to true respiratory infections. In this study, an oligonucleotide array capable of identifying 20 fungal species was developed to directly detect fungi in the sputum samples of CF patients. Species-specific oligonucleotide probes were designed from the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of the rRNA operon and immobilized on a nylon membrane. The fungal ITS regions were amplified by PCR and hybridized to the array for species identification. The array was validated by testing 182 target strains (strains which we aimed to identify) and 141 nontarget strains (135 species), and a sensit

SUBMITTER: Bouchara JP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2620838 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature