Rapid method for the purification of DNA from subgingival microorganisms

A method is described which facilitates the rapid purification of high molecular weight chromosomal DNA from gram positive and gram negative bacteria grown on solid media. A total of 32 reference strains and fresh isolates were examined in this study. The purification procedure involved lysis of cells with SDS in the presence of proteinase K, followed by removal of cellular polysaccharides and proteins with hexadecyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) and phenol:chloroform:isoamyl alcohol. Preparations were incubated with RNase and, after removal of the enzyme, DNA was precipitated with ethanol. Several hundred micrograms of DNA could be prepared within 5 h from cells grown on 1-2 agar plates. None of the final preparations contained RNA; protein was detected in 12/32 preparations. The resultant DNA proved suitable for restriction enzyme digestion and biotin-labelling by a random primer technique. DNA probes constructed from these preparations were capable of detecting 100 pg of homologous target DNA fixed to nitrocellulose. Cross reactions between closely related species displayed weaker signal intensities than, and, thus, were easily distinguished from, true positive reactions between homologous species. DNA obtained by this procedure may also be suitable for DNA-DNA homology studies, recombinant DNA experiments and molecular fingerprinting.