biostudies-literatureLi XChina Scholarship CouncilDanish AgriFish Agency, Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries99https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC6004268biostudies-literatureUnknown8(1)Olsenella scatoligenes is the only skatole-producing bacterium isolated from the pig gut. Skatole, produced from microbial degradation of l-tryptophan, is the main contributor to boar taint, an off-odor and off-flavor taint, released upon heating meat from some entire male pigs. An appropriate method for quantifying O. scatoligenes would help investigating the relationship between O. scatoligenes abundance and skatole concentration in the pig gut. Thus, the present study aimed at developing a TaqMan-MGB probe-based, species-specific qPCR assay for rapid quantification of O. scatoligenes. The use of a MGB probe allowed discriminating O. scatoligenes from other closely related species. Moreover, the assay allowed quantifying down to three target gene copies per PCR reaction using genomic DNAAMB ExpressDevelopment of a species-specific TaqMan-MGB real-time PCR assay to quantify Olsenella scatoligenes in pigs offered a chicory root-based diet.PMC6004268Project 3405-10-OP-00134Li XJensen BBHojberg ONoel SJCanibe NfalseDevelopment of a species-specific TaqMan-MGB real-time PCR assay to quantify Olsenella scatoligenes in pigs offered a chicory root-based diet.Olsenella scatoligenes is the only skatole-producing bacterium isolated from the pig gut. Skatole, produced from microbial degradation of l-tryptophan, is the main contributor to boar taint, an off-odor and off-flavor taint, released upon heating meat from some entire male pigs. An appropriate method for quantifying O. scatoligenes would help investigating the relationship between O. scatoligenes abundance and skatole concentration in the pig gut. Thus, the present study aimed at developing a TaqMan-MGB probe-based, species-specific qPCR assay for rapid quantification of O. scatoligenes. The use of a MGB probe allowed discriminating O. scatoligenes from other closely related species. Moreover, the assay allowed quantifying down to three target gene copies per PCR reaction using genomic DNA2018-01-01T00:00:00Z2018 Jun2025-04-18T14:09:37.854Z2019-03-26T23:43:35ZS-EPMC60042682990953910.1186/s13568-018-0627-y