Nucleic acid probes and method for detecting Mycoplasma pneumoniae

A probe comprising an oligonucleotide 15 to 100 nucleotides in length able to hybridize to a Mycoplasma pneumoniae nucleic acid target region to form a detectable target:probe duplex under high stringency hybridization conditions, said target region corresponding to, or fully complementary to and of the same length as a nucleic acid corresponding to, a region selected from the group consisting of:

• bases 65-108 of E. coli 5S rRNA,
• bases 190-230 of E. coli 16S rRNA,
• bases 450-490 of E. coli 16S rRNA,
• bases 820-860 of E. coli 16S rRNA, and
• bases 1255-1290 of E. coli 16S rRNA;
• wherein said oligonucleotide comprises a segment of 15 contiguous bases which is at least 75% complementary to a target sequence of 15 contiguous nucleotides present in said target region and said oligonucleotide does not hybridize to nucleic acid from Mycoplasma gallisepticum to form a detectable non-target:probe duplex under said hybridization conditions.

A method of detecting whether Mycoplasma pneumoniae is present in a sample comprising the steps of:

• (a) contacting said sample with an oligonucleotide probe able to hybridize to a Mycoplasma pneumoniae nucleic acid target region to form a detectable target:probe duplex under high stringency hybridization conditions, said target region corresponding to, or fully complementary to and of the same length as a nucleic acid corresponding to, a region selected from the group consisting of:
• bases 65-108 of E. coli 5S rRNA,
• bases 190-230 of E. coli 16S rRNA,
• bases 450-490 of E. coli 16S rRNA,
• bases 820-860 of E. coli 16S rRNA, and
• bases 1255-1290 of E. coli 16S rRNA;
• wherein said oligonucleotide comprises a segment of 10 contiguous bases which is at least 75% complementary to a target sequence of 10 contiguous nucleotides present in said target region and said oligonucleotide does not hybridize to nucleic acid from Mycoplasma gallisepticum to form a detectable non-target:probe duplex under said hybridization conditions;
• and
• b) detecting whether said probe:target hybrid has formed under said hybridization conditions as an indication that Mycoplasma pneumoniae is present in said sample.

A method of detecting whether Mycoplasma pneumoniae is present in a sample comprising the steps of:

• (a) contacting said sample with an oligonucleotide probe able to hybridize to a Mycoplasma pneumoniae nucleic acid target region to form a detectable target:probe duplex under high stringency hybridization conditions, said target region corresponding to, or fully complementary to and of the same length as a nucleic acid corresponding to, a region selected from the group consisting of:
• bases 65-108 of E. coli 5S rRNA,
• bases 190-230 of E. coli 16S rRNA,
• bases 450-490 of E. coli 16S rRNA,
• bases 820-860 of E. coli 16S rRNA, and
• bases 1255-1290 of E. coli 16S rRNA;
• wherein said oligonucleotide comprises a segment of 15 contiguous bases which is at least 75% complementary to a target sequence of 15 contiguous nucleotides present in said target region and said oligonucleotide does not hybridize to nucleic acid from Mycoplasma gallisepticum to form a detectable non-target:probe duplex under said hybridization conditions;
• and
• b) detecting whether said probe:target hybrid has formed under said hybridization conditions as an indication that Mycoplasma pneumoniae is present in said sample.