Diagnostic probes for pneumocystis carini

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a method for diagnosing for Pneumocystis carinii by detecting the presence of a nucleic acid sequence containing the 26S rRNA gene specific for Pneumocystis carinii.
More particularly, this invention relates to a method for diagnosing for Pneumocystis carinii which comprises amplifying a sample of DNA from Pneumocystis carinii by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using species specific primers and detecting the PCR products with species specific radioactive or non-radioactive oligonucleotide probes.
This invention also relates to a method for diagnosing for various species of Pneumocystis carinii by detecting the presence of a nucleic acid sequence containing the particular 16S or 26S rRNA gene sequence specific for that species of Pneumocystis carinii.
The term "oligonucleotide" as used herein refers to primers, probes, oligomer fragments to be detected, oligomer controls, and unlabeled blocking oligomers.
Oligonucleotide are molecules comprised of two or more deoxyribonucleotides or ribonucleotides.
The term "primer" as used herein refers to an oligonucleotide, preferably an oligodeoxyribonucleotide, either naturally occurring such as a purified restriction digest or synthetically produced, which is capable of acting as a point of initiation of synthesis when subjected to conditions in which synthesis of a primer extension product, which is complementary to a nucleic acid strand, is induced, i.
e.
, in the presence of nucleotides, an agent for polymerization such as a DNA polymerase, and a suitable temperature and pH.
The primer must be sufficiently long to prime the synthesis of extension products in the presence of the polymerization agent.
In accord with the method of the present invention, the sequence of the portion of the major rRNA-encoding operon (encoding the 16S, 5.
8S and 26S rRNA molecules specific for P.
carinii) from organisms derived from the lungs of immunosuppressed rats, including the genes for 5.
8S and 26S rRNAs, has been determined