PCR methods for identification and specific detection of probiotic lactic acid bacteria.

Probiotics are defined as "microbes improving animal feed." Three lactic acid bacteria, previously selected as probiotic for pig feeding, were identified by sequencing the variable V1 region of the 16S rDNA after PCR amplification primed in the flanking constant region. A VR region showing strong nucleotide differences between the three probiotic and the reference strains was delimited. Oligonucleotides specific for each strain were designed. A specific assay for probiotic detection was developed, based on a PCR reaction with three primers.