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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Animal Disease Center » Ruminant Diseases and Immunology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #106220
Title: DIRECT QUANTIFICATION OF THE ENTERIC BACTERIUM OXALOBACTER FORMIGENES IN HUMAN FECAL SAMPLES BY QUANTITATIVE COMPETITIVE-TEMPLATE PCR

Author
item SIDHU, H - IXION BIOTECH, FLORIDA
item HOLMES, R - UNIV FLORIDA, GAINESVILLE
item ALLISON, MILTON - FORMER ARS-USDA EMPLOYEE
item PECK, A - BOWMAN GRAY SCH MED, NC

Submitted to: Journal of Clinical Microbiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/26/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: The amount of oxalate in the body is regulated by the bacterium Oxalobacter formigenes. When this bacterium is lost from the gastrointestinal tract, individuals are more susceptible to hyperoxaluria, a condition that can lead to the formation of kidney stones. In order to determine if this bacterium is present in the gastrointestinal tract, a test was developed. This test is based upon the presence of unique DNA sequences from this bacterium. The test is rapid, specific and reproducible. It has proven useful for the detection of this bacterium in the gastrointestinal tract samples. The information gained from this study will greatly benefit the medical field.

Technical Abstract: Homeostasis of oxalic acid appears to be regulated, in part, by the gut-ass ed bacterium Oxalobacter formigenes. The loss of this bacterium from the gut flora is associated with an increased susceptibility to hyperoxaluria, a condition which can lead to the formation of calcium oxalate crystalluria and kidney stones. In order to identify and quantify the presence of O. formigenes in clinical specimens, a quantitative PCR-ba say system utilizing a competitive DNA template as an internal standard was developed. This quantitative competitive-template PCR test allows for the rapid, highly specific, and reproducible quantification of O. formigenes in fecal samples and provides a prototype for development of DNA-based quantitative assays for enteric bacteria.