Specific identification of certain probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus strains with PCR primers based on phage-related sequences

PCR primers derived from Lactobacillus rhamnosus phage Lc-Nu genome were used to screen the presence of phage-related sequences in Lb. rhamnosus strains. Several primer pairs derived from structural and replication gene regions of phage Lc-Nu amplified PCR products of expected sizes from bacterial strains revealing phage-related sequences in 10 of 11 Lb. rhamnosus strains. Strain-specific PCR primers for three probiotic Lb. rhamnosus strains were derived from these phage-related sequences for identification and detection purposes. Specificity of these primers was tested against 11 Lb. rhamnosus strains and over 40 other bacterial strains. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.