NOVEL INSERTION SEQUENCE FROM A VIRULENT ISOLATE OF BURKHOLDERIA CEPACIA, AND DIAGNOSTIC AND IDENTIFICATION PROCEDURES BASED THEREON

摘要

The invention relates to a novel IS (insertion sequence) elementcharacteristic of a virulent isolate (ET12/cb1A isolate) of Burkholderiacepacia. The IS element is a hybrid of two other IS elements commonly found inisolates of B. cepacia, namely IS402 [SEQ ID NO:2] and IS1356 [SEQ ID NO:3].The IS hybrid IS element has the sequence shown in the Figure [SEQ ID NO:1].The fact that the hybrid IS element is characteristic of the virulent isolatemeans that it can be used as an indicator of that isolate. Thus, the inventionincludes a method of testing for an ET12/cb1A isolate of B. cepacia by testinga sample for the presence of the hybrid IS element, e.g. by amplification ofthe IS element by PCR and identification of the amplified sequence.