Development of an oligonucleotide probe targeting 16S rRNA and its application for detection and quantitation of the ruminal bacterium Synergistes jonesii in a mixed-population chemostat.

Radiolabelled and fluorescent-dye-conjugated oligonucleotide probes which targeted rRNA sequences were developed for the enumeration of the ruminal bacterium Synergistes jonesii 78-1 in mixed culture. Two probes were tested, and both were highly specific for the respective complementary sequences of the target organism. Individual cells of S. jonesii in pure and mixed cultures were clearly visualized in situ by hybridization with the fluorescent-dye-conjugated probe but could not be detected in natural samples. Therefore the radiolabelled probe was used to monitor the population of S. jonesii introduced into a chemostat which simulated the rumen ecosystem. The S. jonesii probe did not hybridize to RNA extracted from the culture prior to inoculation with the target organism. After inoculation, S. jonesii rRNA represented 4.5% of the total bacterial rRNA and then rapidly declined to < 0.2% before increasing to about 1% of the total bacterial rRNA during the following 3 weeks. This study demonstrates that rRNA-targeted probes could be used for tracking organisms introduced into the rumen ecosystem.