Purification of bacterial genomic DNA in less than 20 min using chelex-100 microwave: examples from strains of lactic acid bacteria isolated from soil samples

We established a Chelex 100-Microwave method for the purification of bacterial genomic DNA (gDNA) in less than 20 min with high yield and good quality, useful for multiple purposes. It combines Chelex 100, proteinase K, RNase A and heating in a microwave oven. The resulting gDNA was used directly to identify bacterial species of the Order Lactobacillales by means of PCR amplification of their 16S rDNA gene, isolated from sediments on the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. This method produced gDNA free of phenolic and protein residual contaminants from 100 of these isolated bacteria. 16S rDNA amplification and sequencing showed Pediococcus acidilactici to prevail in inland lagoons, and Pediococcus pentosaceus, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus sp., and Lactobacillus fermentum to be most abundant in the soils of livestock farms. The combination of Chelex 100, enzymes and microwave heating used in the Chelex 100-Microwave method produced large amounts of highly pure gDNA from Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, in less than 20 min.