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Application of SSU rRNA Methods |
Application of SSU rRNA Methods
Mainly two tools are used in the application
of SSU rRNA (Small subunit ribosomal ribonucleic acid) methods - Phylogenetic probes
and FISH.
Phylogenetic probes
A probe is a strand of nucleic acids that can
be labelled and used to hybridize a complementary nucleic acid.
Probes can be general or specific.
Universal SSU rRNA probes are complementary
to conserved sequences in the rRNA of all organisms. Specific probes react only
with the ribosomes of species in a single domain.
Such phylogenetic probes can also be designed
to target lineages within a domain, such as, members of particular families,
genera or even species.
FISH (Fluorescent In Situ
Hybridization)
FISH is a phylogenetic stain.
When cells are treated with the appropriate
reagents, their membranes become permeable and allow
penetration of the probe dye mixture.
After hybridization of the probe directly to
rRNA in ribosomes, the cells become uniformly fluorescent and can be observed under a
fluorescent microscope. This method is
called FISH.
This technique can be applied to cells in
culture or in a natural environment.
FISH technology mostly used in microbial
ecology and clinical diagnostics.
In microbial ecology, FISH can be used for
the microscopic identification and tracking of organisms, those organisms are
present directly in the environment.
FISH also offers a method for assessing the
composition of microbial communities, directly by microscopy.
Application of SSU rRNA Methods
Written BySadia Akhtar
Student of Department of Microbiology
Jagannath University.
Email- sadiabd810@yahoo.com
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