Abstract
We previously reported a primer design for the identification of oral Rothia dentocariosa and Rothia mucilaginosa, using multiplex polymerase chain reaction（PCR）. There is only one report of Rothia aeria, which is capable of causing serious systemic infections, being detected in the mouths of healthy individuals. Thus, if R. aeria is part of the normal flora in the oral cavity, a suitable identification method is necessary to assess the veritable prevalence of Rothia species, including R. aeria, in the oral cavity.
In this study, five PCR primers were designed based on partial sequences of the 16S rDNA genes of the above-mentioned known oral rothia and R. aeria. These primers react to R. dentocariosa, R. mucilaginosa and R. aeria, respectively, and did not react to other nonoral rothia. Moreover, representative non-Rothia oral bacteria displayed negative reactions to these primers. These results indicate that these primers are useful for identifying R. dentocariosa, R. mucilaginosa and R. aeria. We also developed a simple multiplex PCR procedure using the five PCR primers designed in the present study as a rapid and reliable method of identifying known oral rothia and R. aeria.
