[Species-specific detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex]

The routine polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used for the species-specific detection of related Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC) strains characterized by a high level of nucleotide sequence homology. Nucleotide sequences for the 16S rRNA, rpoB, gyrB genes of MTC strains, which were potential markers for their genotyping, were analyzed. The constructed phylogenetic trees confirmed the accuracy of the current taxonomic classification of MTC. Five sets of primers were developed for the species-specific detection of the mycobacteria M. tuberculosis, M. canettii, M. microti, M. bovis, and M. caprae. It has been shown that PCR by means of the primers having oscillating 3'-terminal nucleotides (complementary DNA of only a certain mycobacterial type) may be used to genotype MTC in the correct choice of the temperature of primer annealing.