Escherichia coli FISH probe -ATTO488

Probe for fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), recognizes Escherichia coli cells

Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization technique (FISH) is based on the hybridization of fluorescent labeled oligonucleotide probe to a specific complementary DNA or RNA sequence in whole and intact cells.¹ Microbial FISH allows the visualization, identification and isolation of bacteria due to recognition of ribosomal RNA also in unculturable samples.²

The FISH technique was successfully used to identify E.coli with the probe in various samples such as pure culture (as described in the figure legends and11,13), large and small intestines samples14-16, fecal samples17-21, colonic biopsies18, urine samples, bladder, and kidney sections embedded in paraffin22 and in E.coli biofilm23. It is strongly recommended to include positive and negative controls in FISH assays to ensure specific binding of the probe of interest and appropriate protocol conditions. We offer positive (MBD0032/33) and negative control (MBD0034/35) probes, that accompany the specific probe of interest.

Escherichia coli is a gram negative, facultative aerobic, rod-shaped coliform bacterium. E. coli colonizes the infant gut within hours of birth and establishes itself as the most abundant facultative anaerobe of the human intestinal microflora for the remainder of life, equipped with the abilities to grow in the ever-changing environment in the gut and cope with the mammalian host interaction.^8,9 Nevertheless, E. coli can survive in many different ecological habitats, including abiotic environments, and is considered a highly versatile species. Known habitats of E. coli include soil, water, sediment, and food. Some strains of E. coli have evolved and adapted to a pathogenic lifestyle and can cause different disease pathologies.¹⁰

Escherichia coli probe specifically recognizes Escherichia coli cells. Yet some reports describe the recognition of other bacteria with this probe, such as, Shigella boydii, Citrobacter davisae, Citrobacter lapagei, Citrobacter neteri¹¹ and Klebsiella pneumoniae¹².