Leptospira: Molecular Detection of Pathogenic Species in Natural Sources

Curr Protoc Microbiol. 2017 Nov 9:47:12E.6.1-12E.6.8. doi: 10.1002/cpmc.43.

Abstract

This protocol describes a method for the rapid detection of leptospiral DNA in environmental water. In summary, the DNA is extracted from water samples and tested in a TaqMan-based real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) for the presence of lipl32, a gene that is present only in pathogenic Leptospira spp. The gene target used in this assay is important in that it only detects pathogenic leptospires and not the saprophytic leptospires that may be present in environmental samples. © 2017 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Keywords: Leptospira spp; environmental water; leptospirosis; molecular detection; qPCR.

MeSH terms

  • Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / genetics*
  • Bacteriological Techniques / methods*
  • DNA, Bacterial / analysis*
  • DNA, Bacterial / genetics
  • Leptospira / genetics
  • Leptospira / isolation & purification*
  • Lipoproteins / genetics*
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods*
  • Water Microbiology*

Substances

  • Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins
  • DNA, Bacterial
  • LipL32 protein, Leptospira
  • Lipoproteins