Identification of clinical isolates of Mycobacterium spp. by sequence analysis of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene. Experience from a clinical laboratory.

Twenty-one mycobacterial type strains and 334 clinical isolates of mycobacteria were identified by standardized sequence analysis using part of the gene encoding 16S rRNA. Apart from two clinical isolates, the resulting sequences corresponded to previously published sequences. The results of the molecular determinations of the type strains completely overlapped the identities obtained using conventional techniques (cultural characteristics, biochemical tests, commercial DNA probes, and gas chromatographic lipid profiles). Of 323 isolates conventionally identified as slow-growing mycobacteria, 318 (98.5%) were identified to the same species or group level by 16S rDNA sequence analysis, while 6 of the 11 strains of rapid growers obtained a corresponding identity with the two approaches. The sequencing protocol combined with a few cultural characteristics (i.e. growth rate, pigmentation and susceptibility testing) offers a rapid, reliable and usually definite identification of mycobacterial isolates.