16S rRNA-Targeted identification of cyanobacterial genera using oligonucleotide-probes immobilized on bacterial magnetic particles

16S rRNA-targeted identification of cyanobacterial genera, Anabaena,Microcystis, Nostoc, Oscillatoria, Synechococcus wasdeveloped using bacterial magnetic particles (BMPs). 16S rRNA-targetedcapture probes designed from the genus specific region of the 16S rRNAsequence were immobilized on BMPs. Identification of cyanobacteria wasperformed by a sandwich hybridization using the capture probes – BMPconjugates and a digoxigenin (DIG)-labeled detector probe complementaryto the highly conserved 16S rRNA sequence for cyanobacteria. Theluminescence intensity of the probe/target-BMP hybrids was measured afterreaction with alkaline phosphatase conjugated anti-DIG antibody. Fivespecies of cyanobacteria from five different genera were successfullydiscriminated using this magnetic capture system.