Specificity and sensitivity evaluation of novel and existing Bacteroidales and Bifidobacteria-specific PCR assays on feces and sewage samples and their application for microbial source tracking in Ireland

WATER RESEARCH

卷:43

Article

Dorai-Raj, Siobhan¹  O'Grady, Justin²  Colleran, Emer¹ 

[1] Natl Univ Ireland, Sch Nat Sci, Environm Microbiol Res Unit, Galway, Ireland

[2] Natl Univ Ireland, Mol Diagnost Res Grp, Natl Ctr Biomed Sci, Galway, Ireland

关键词: Bacteroidales;    Bifidobacteria;    Microbial source tracking;    Fecal pollution;    PCR;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.watres.2009.08.050

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

Three novel ruminant-specific PCR assays, an existing ruminant-specific PCR assay and five existing human-specific PCR assays, which target 16S rDNA from Bacteroidales or Bifidobacteria, were evaluated. The assays were tested on DNA extracted from ruminant (n = 74), human (n = 59) and non-ruminant animal (n = 44) sewage/fecal samples collected in Ireland. The three novel PCR assays compared favourably to the existing ruminant-specific assay, exhibiting sensitivities of 91-100% and specificities of 95-100% as compared to a sensitivity of 95% and specificity of 94%, for the existing ruminant-specific assay. of the five human-specific PCR assays, the assay targeting the Bifidobacterium catenulatum group was the most promising, exhibiting a sensitivity of 100% (with human sewage samples) and a specificity of 87%. When tested on rural water samples that: were naturally contaminated by ruminant feces, the three novel PCR assays tested positive with a much greater percentage (52-87%) of samples than the existing ruminant-specific assay (17%). These novel ruminant-specific assays show promise for microbial source tracking and merit further field testing and specificity evaluation. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

【 授权许可】

Free