Design of new universal PCR primers for detecting 18S rRNA genes of bacterivorous protozoa in the environment

Abstract

 Universal PCR primers targeting 18S rRNA gene of bacterivorous protozoa were designed and used for quantification of 18S rRNA gene in the environment by qPCR. The primers were designed by using consensus regions of 18S rRNA genes that were analyzed in our past researches. Two primer pairs were designed by using around the 500 base and the 1000 base region of 18S rRNA gene, respectively. Copy numbers of 18S rRNA gene in DNA samples extracted from river water were quantified by using each of these primer pairs. There was no significant difference in 18S rRNA copy number between two different primer pairs, showing the validity of the use of them. Also copy numbers of 18S rRNA gene were proportional to those of 16S rRNA gene at a certain range.