Specific amplification of a DNA sequence common to all Chlamydia trachomatis serovars using the polymerase chain reaction.

Enzymatic DNA amplification was applied to DNA and elementary bodies of C. trachomatis. Oligonucleotide primers were chosen in a sequence of a conserved domain of the major outer membrane protein to generate the amplification of a 129-base pair fragment. This sequence was amplified in the 15 serovars of C. trachomatis; however, serovar J gave a weaker signal than the others. The specificity was controlled by EcoRI restriction enzyme digestion and Southern analysis using an internal probe of the amplified sequence. No cross-reaction was shown with DNA of 11 other bacteria. Thus, enzymatic DNA amplification by the polymerase chain reaction appears to be a potential tool for the specific detection of C. trachomatis.