[Ribosomal RNA-specific DNA probes used in microbiology]

Recent advances in molecular biology and gene technology made it possible to identify microorganisms on the basis of most stable characters directly linked to the molecular structure of the genome. One of the most basic technics in this field is reassociation between two complementary strands of nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) isolates from different microorganisms. A probe is a specific fragment of single stranded nucleic acid (DNA or RNA) that binds to the complementary, target nucleic acid. Several aspects of probes designation and diagnostic application are presented and discussed.