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. 1991 Aug;57(8):2429–2432. doi: 10.1128/aem.57.8.2429-2432.1991

Detection of coliform bacteria and Escherichia coli by multiplex polymerase chain reaction: comparison with defined substrate and plating methods for water quality monitoring.

A K Bej 1, S C McCarty 1, R M Atlas 1
PMCID: PMC183591  PMID: 1768116

Abstract

Multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and gene probe detection of target lacZ and uidA genes were used to detect total coliform bacteria and Escherichia coli, respectively, for determining water quality. In tests of environmental water samples, the lacZ PCR method gave results statistically equivalent to those of the plate count and defined substrate methods accepted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for water quality monitoring and the uidA PCR method was more sensitive than 4-methylumbelliferyl-beta-D-glucuronide-based defined substrate tests for specific detection of E. coli.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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