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Updated: Aug 7, 2026
Demonstrating a Multi-drug Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis Amplification Microarray
Published on: April 25, 2014
Differentiation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex by PCR amplification of genomic regions of difference
R M Warren1, N C Gey van Pittius, M Barnard
1Department of Medical Biochemistry, Centre of Excellence in Biomedical Tuberculosis Research/MRC, Centre for Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Desmond Tutu TB Centre, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, South Africa. rw1@sun.ac.za
Abstract:
Differentiation of members of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex by conventional mycobacteriological methods is time consuming, making surveillance of species-specific disease difficult. A two-step, multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method based on genomic regions of difference (RD1, RD1(mic), RD2(seal), RD4, RD9 and RD12) was developed for the differentiation of M. canettii, M. tuberculosis, M. africanum, M. microti, M. pinnipedii, M. caprae, M. bovis and M. bovis BCG. The size of the respective multiplex PCR amplification products corresponded to the presence of the different M. tuberculosis complex members. This method allows for rapid differentiation, making it suitable for routine laboratories and surveillance purposes.
