[Significance of hybridization methods in microbiological diagnosis: DNA probes and PCR]

Abstract

The authors give an account of hybridization methods, in particular DNA probes and the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and their application in microbiological diagnosis. They deal with the principle of the two methods and their applications in the diagnosis not only of genera and species but also different factors of pathogenicity and virulence. The authors mention the advantages and disadvantages of radioactively and non-radioactively labelled probes such as PCR. They draw attention to the perspective application of these methods in research and diagnostic laboratories.