23S rRNA nucleic acid probes to mycobacterium kansasii

摘要

This invention discloses hybridization assay probes for Mycobacterium kansasii comprised of an oligonucleotide of about 18 nucleotides. These probes hybridize to a variable region of the 23S rRNA gene of Mycobacterium kansasii. The oligonucleotide probes are complementary to the rRNA variable region of the rRNA gene. Such probe specificity offers a rapid, non-subjective method of identification and quantitation of a bacterial colony for the presence of selected rRNA sequences capable of distinguishing all strains of Mycobacterium kansasii.