Rapid PCR-single-strand conformation polymorphism method to differentiate and estimate relative abundance of Pneumocystis carinii special forms infecting rats.

A rapid method that uses PCR-single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis of the intron of the nuclear 26S rRNA gene was shown to differentiate the two Pneumocystis carinii special forms that infect rats, P. carinii f. sp. carinii and P. carinii f. sp. ratti. The method also provides a means for estimation of the relative abundance of the two special forms in the case of a coinfected rat. The results suggest that the method described will help to further standardize the immunosuppressed rat model of P. carinii infection and, thus, contribute to a better understanding of P. carinii infection in humans.