Sensitive Detection of Mycoplasma pulmonis by Using the Polymerase Chain Reaction

Abstract

Detection of Mycoplasma pulmonis was examined by using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for amplifying a specific DNA sequence. In gel electrophoresis which was conducted to detect the amplified products, only 1 pg ofM. pulmonisDNA could be detected following 30 cycles of amplification, while no amplified product was detected even from 1 g ofM. arthritidisorM. neurolyticumDNA. Furthermore, 10 colony-forming units ofM. pulmoniscould be detected by direct amplification from the mycoplasma suspension. These results suggest the usefulness of the PCR as a highly sensitive, specific, and rapid method for direct detection ofM. pulmonis.