Characterization of the 16S rRNA gene V2 region and the rrn operons of Gardnerella vaginalis.

摘要

Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene polymorphism was apparent when Gardnerella vaginalis DNA restriction profiles were hybridized with nonradioactively labeled total rRNA isolated from this bacterium. In contrast, use of a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based 16S rRNA gene V2 region resulted in a 118-bp V2-PCR amplicon that was specific and common in all 30 tested G. vaginalis isolates. In addition to providing a G. vaginalis-specific fingerprint, when the V2-PCR amplicon along with total rRNA were utilized as probes, a partial rRNA gene restriction map could be constructed. G. vaginalis contains two rrn operons with an EcoRI fragment of 1.6 kb common to both.