Methods for rapidly detecting methicillin resistant staphylococci

• Main Authors: Bekkaoui, Faouzi, Cloney, Lynn P
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 07.01.2003

The present invention relates generally to medical diagnostics, and more specifically, to methods, probes and primers for detecting the mecA gene of methicillin resistant staphylococci. Compositions and methods are provided for determining the presence of an antibiotic resistant mecA gene in a biological sample, comprising the general steps of (a) treating cells contained within a biological sample to expose target single-stranded nucleic acid molecules; (b) reacting the target single-stranded nucleic acids with a scissile link-containing nucleic acid which is complementary to a portion of an antibiotic resistant mecA gene, and with an enzyme which cleaves double-stranded target-probe complexes, under conditions which allow the target and probe to hybridize to each other to form a double-stranded target-probe complex, the enzyme molecule being capable of cleaving the scissile link of the target-probe complex such that one or more fragments of the nucleic acid probe released from said complex; and (c) determining whether cleaved portions of the detecting probe fragments released from said nucleic acid probe are produced, and thereby detecting the presence of the antibiotic resistant mecA gene.