[Cloning a species-specific DNA probe from Fusarium oxysporum fungus]

A method to obtain genus-specific DNA probes is suggested. It consists of specific amplification of the intergenic spacer between the 18S and 5.8S ribosomal RNA genes, using primers deduced from conservative ribosomal DNA sequences. The utility of the method is demonstrated on isolation of the 209 b.p. spacer fragment from the genomic DNA of a plant pathogenic fungus Fusarium oxysporum.