Use of the DNA sequence of the intergenic spacer region between the 16S and 23S rRNA genes for the identification of Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. insidiosus at the molecular level

A study has been performed to identify Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. insidiosus at the molecular level, using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique with oligonucleotide primers based on specific sequence recognition of the intergenic spacer region between the 16S and 23S rRNA genes. The pair of primers was designed on the basis of available DNA sequence data for that region in C. m. insidiosus and other bacteria. Using this pair of primers, a large amount of an amplified DNA fragment of 218 bp in length was obtained from C. m. insidiosus. The specificity of this amplification was proved by PCR analysis, using the above-mentioned pair of primers and templates from different bacteria, some related to C. m. insidiosus. The PCR products were analysed using agarose gel electrophoresis.