Prevotella intermedia-specific quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) primers were previously designed based on the nucleotide sequences of RNA polymerase β-subunit gene (rpoB). However, the several clinical strains isolated from Korean populations are not detectable by the qPCR primers. The purpose of this study was to develop new P. intermedia-specific qPCR primers based on the rpoB. The specificity of the primers was determined by conventional PCR with 12 strains of P. intermedia and 52 strains (52 species) of non-P. intermedia bacteria. The sensitivity of primers was determined by qPCR with serial dilutions of the purified genomic DNAs (40 ng to 4 fg) of P. intermedia ATCC 25611T. The data indicated that only P. intermedia strains were detected by the P intermedia-specific qPCR primers (RTPiF2/RTPiR2); in addition, as little as 40 fg of P. intermedia genomic DNA could be detected. These results suggest that these qPCR primers are useful in detecting P. intermedia from the bacterial infectious lesions including dental plaque and oral tissue lesions.

• Joong-Ki Kook(Korean Collection for Oral Microbiology, Department of Oral Biochemistry, and Oral Biology Research Institute, School of Dentistry, Chosun University)
• Soon-Nang Park(Korean Collection for Oral Microbiology, Department of Oral Biochemistry, and Oral Biology Research Institute, School of Dentistry, Chosun University)