Species-specific oligonucleotide probes for five Bifidobacterium species detected in human intestinal microflora

Portions of the 16S rRNA from closely related species of the genus Bifidobacterium that are found in the human intestinal microflora were sequenced in order to design species-specific oligonucleotide probes. Five oligonucleotide probes ranging from 16 to 19 bases in length and complementary to 16S rRNA sequences from Bifidobacterium adolescentis, B. bifidum, B. breve, B. infantis, and B. longum were synthesized. With crude high-molecular-weight RNA preparations as targets, these probes showed the desired species specificity, even down to a 1-nucleotide difference. For the practical evaluation of these probes, their specificity and sensitivity were tested against seven strains of the same species and 54 strains of heterologous bacteria with fixed whole cells as targets. The probes for B. adolescentis, B. breve, and B. longum showed efficient and specific hybridization. Although the probes for B. bifidum and B. infantis cross-reacted with a few bacterial strains not isolated from humans, these probes showed species specificity for human intestinal bacteria. These 16S rRNA probes should prove valuable for the identification and detection of human intestinal Bifidobacterium species.