[Use of polymerase chain reaction for detecting the RBPC gene in natural samples]

A method was developed allowing detection of the ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase (RuBisCo)-encoding gene in natural samples. The method is based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the presence of oligonucleotide primers complementary to the conserved fragments of the rbcL gene from oxy- and anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria and some chemoautotrophic bacteria. Use of this method made it possible to detect the rbcL gene in samples of natural water and sediments from Antarctic lakes of the Bunger Hills oasis and in samples of Antarctic ground. A correlation was revealed between the results obtained by the PCR-based method and the data on the incorporation of 14CO2 via RuBisCo in natural samples.