Abstract

Bacterial Identification by 16S Ribotyping: A Review

Author(s): Aqsa Qurban* and Ayesha Ameen

PCR ribotyping is considered as a rapid method for the identification of bacteria. . In this technique, the intergenic regions from 16S23S are amplified through PCR. The obtained PCR product is then digested using restriction endonuclease. This technique provides information about the length variability, useful in identifying the microorganisms. Ribotyping has been proved important in determining to prescribe treatment with antibiotics or not and in the recognition of Campylobacter fetus, a thermotolerant strain which has been found in causing bacteremia. The identification of rare and phenotypically abnormal strains is often met by multiple mistakes in clinical microbial laboratories and sometimes it is also difficult to know that the recognition of bacterial species that have been made in incorrect. Whereas ribotyping can identify rare and aberrant bacterial isolates or strains with high accuracy. The results of ribotyping in giving correct identifications fall in the range of sixty-two to ninety-two percent, depending upon the strains of bacteria and standard that is used for definition of species. All of these identifications have been helpful and important in a wide range of aspects in which the most important thing is the identification of disease causing or infectious strains and discovery of appropriate treatment against them.