NUCLEIC ACID PROBES AND BROAD-RANGE PRIMERS FROM REGIONS IN DNA DIRECTED RNA POLYMERASE SUBUNIT B GENES, AND METHODS IN WHICH THEY ARE USED

摘要

The invention relates to nucleic acid probes and to broad-range primers that are useful in the identification of bacte-rial species and the diagnosis of bacterial infections. Es-pecially, the invention relates to specific nucleic acid probes that originate from hyper-variable regions situated near the conserved sequences of the gene for RNA poly-merase beta subunit, rpoB (DNA directed RNA poly-merase subunit B) of infection-causing bacteria. The in- vention also relates to broad-range primers originating from the conserved regions of rpoB genes. In addition, the invention relates to the use of thes e nucleic acid probes and broad-range primers in the diagnosis of bacterial in - fections as well as to diagnostic methods in which these nucleic acid probes and broad-range primers are used.