Compositions and methods for differentiating among shigella species and shigella from E. coli species

An isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:

• 3, SEQ ID NO:
• 4, SEQ ID NO:
• 5, or SEQ ID NO:
• 6,
• or an RNA equivalent thereof,
• or a nucleic acid complementary to said isolated molecule, capable of base-pairing according to the standard Watson-Crick complementarity rules.

A probe which

• a) targets Shigella flexneri comprising a fragment greater than 10 to 40 bases in length of a nucleotide sequence SEQ ID NO:
• 3, an RNA equivalent thereof, or a nucleic acid complementary to said molecule, capable of base-pairing according to the standard Watson-Crick complementarity rules,
• b) targets Shigella sonnei comprising a fragment greater than 10 to 40 bases in length of a nucleotide sequence SEQ ID NO:
• 4, an RNA equivalent thereof, or a nucleic acid complement try to said molecule, capable of base-pairing according to the standard Watson-Crick complementarity rules,
• c) targets Shigella dysenteriae comprising a fragment greater than 10 to 40 bases in length of a nucleotide sequence SEQ ID NO:
• 5, an RNA equivalent thereof, or a nucleic acid complementary to said molecule, capable of base-pairing according to the standard Watson-Crick complementarity rules,
• or
• d) targets Shigella boydii comprising a fragment greater than 10 to 40 bases in length of a nucleotide sequence SEQ ID NO:
• 6, an RNA equivalent thereof, or a nucleic acid complement try to said molecule, capable of base-pairing according to the standard Watson-Crick complementarity rules.

A probe which

• a) targets Shigella flexneri consisting of a fragment greater than 10 to 40 bases in length of a nucleotide sequence SEQ ID NO:
• 3, an RNA equivalent thereof, or a nucleic acid complement try to said molecule, capable of base-pairing according to the standard Watson-Crick complementarity rules,
• b) targets Shigella sonnei consisting of a fragment greater than 10 to 40 bases in length of a nucleotide sequence SEQ ED NO:
• 4, an RNA equivalent thereof, or a nucleic acid complementary to said molecule, capable of base-pairing according to the standard Watson-Crick complementarity rules,
• c) targets Shigella dysenteriae consisting of a fragment greater than 10 to 40 bases in length of a nucleotide sequence SEQ ID NO:
• 5, an RNA equivalent thereof, or a nucleic acid complementary to said molecule, capable of base-pairing according to the standard Watson-Crick complementarity rules,
• or
• d) targets Shigella boydii consisting of a fragment greater than 10 to 40 bases in length of a nucleotide sequence SEQ ID NO:
• 6, an RNA equivalent thereof, or a nucleic acid complementary to said molecule, capable of base-pairing according to the standard Watson-Crick complementarity rules.