FLUORESCENT PCR ASSOCIATED WITH CAPILLARY ELECTROPHORESIS AS A DIAGNOSTIC TOOL OF BACTERIA IN SEMEN

Abstract

This study was performed in order to evaluate the detection limit of PCR with fluorescent capillary electrophoresis for Brucella abortus diagnosis in bovine semen. Negative bovine semen samples were artificially contaminated with B. abortus (10⁰ to 10⁷ bacteria/mL) and DNA was extracted by phenol/chloroform protocol. DNA was amplified by PCR with oligonucleotides previously described BF–5’gcgctcaggctgccgacgcaa3’ (6-FAM labeled) and BR–5´accagccattgcggtcggta3’ for B. abortus. Oligonucleotides generated DNA fragments of 193 bp. DNA fragments visualization was done under UV light at silver stained 8% poliacrylamide gel, and fluorescent capillary electrophoresis performed in an automatic DNA fragment analyzer. The detection limit of capillary electrophoresis for B. abortus was 10³ bacteria/mL, while for silver stained 8% poliacrylamide gel it was 10⁵ bacteria/mL. PCR with fluorescent capillary electrophoresis is fast, efficient and highly sensitive test for DNA detection of Brucella in bovine semen, and itcan be an important tool for health evaluation of the herd and semen sanitary control in artificial insemination centers.

KEYWORDS: bovine semen; Brucella abortus; capillary electrophoresis; diagnostic fluorescent PCR.