Microbial assay

1. A method of sequence-specific detection of a nucleic acid sequence from natural Chlamydia trachomatis chromosome in a clinical sample, the method comprising a) amplifying a target nucleic acid sequence contained within SEQ ID NO: 1 in the clinical sample to obtain a nucleic acid product consisting of a sequence contained within SEQ ID NO: 1 and/or its complement and comprising at least 15 contiguous nucleotide residues contained within SEQ ID NO: 1 and/or its complement; and b) performing sequence-specific detection of the nucleic acid product in step a) comprising a step of nucleic acid hybridization of the nucleic acid product to a nucleic acid probe to generate a detectable nucleic acid, and a step of electrochemically detecting the detectable nucleic acid, thereby detecting the nucleic acid sequence from natural Chlamydia trachomatis chromosome.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the nucleic acid probe comprises a nucleic acid sequence comprising at least 15 contiguous nucleotide residues contained in SEQ ID NO: 4

SEQ ID NO: 4:

ccgtcctgtc cgctggttct tccttacttt ttt

or its complement; wherein the probe hybridizes within SEQ ID NO: 1.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the nucleic acid probe comprises a nucleic acid sequence comprising the sequence in SEQ ID NO: 5

SEQ ID NO: 5:

ctgtccgctg gttcttcctt act

or its complement; wherein the probe hybridizes within SEQ ID NO: 1.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the nucleic acid probe comprises at least 10 contiguous nucleotide residues contained in SEQ ID NO: 4

SEQ ID NO: 4:

ccgtcctgtc cgctggttct tccttacttt ttt

or its complement; wherein the probe hybridizes within SEQ ID NO: 1.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said sequence specific detection follows amplification of the target nucleic acid sequence using the polymerase chain reaction, transcription mediated amplification, nucleic acid sequence based amplification (NASBA), helicase-dependent amplification, recombinase polymerase amplification, strand displacement amplification, or loop-mediated isothermal amplification.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said amplifying is by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and comprises the use of a forward PCR primer and a reverse PCR primer, wherein said forward PCR primer comprises a nucleic acid having the sequence given in SEQ ID NO: 18 or SEQ ID NO: 6

SEQ ID NO: 6:

cactagtcag catcaagcta gg;

SEQ ID NO: 18:

gtttggacac tagtcagcat caagctagg

and wherein said reverse PCR primer comprises a nucleic acid having the sequence given in SEQ ID NO: 19 or SEQ ID NO: 7

SEQ ID NO: 7:

t tccagaggc a a tgccaaag;

SEQ ID NO: 19:

agattccaga ggcaatgcca aagaaa,

and wherein the forward and reverse PCR primer hybridize within SEQ ID NO: 1.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein said polymerase chain reaction comprises the use of a nucleic acid probe comprising a nucleic acid sequence, said nucleic acid sequence comprising between 18 and 28 nucleic acid residues given in SEQ NO: 4

SEQ ID N0: 4:

ccgtcctgtccgctggttct tccttacttt ttt

or its complement; wherein the probe hybridizes within SEQ ID NO: 1.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein said nucleic acid probe comprises a nucleic acid sequence given in SEQ ID NO: 5

SEQ ID NO: 5:

ctgtccgctg gttcttcctt act.

wherein the probe hybridizes within SEQ ID NO: 1.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a step of adding genomic DNA derived from Pectobacterium atrosepticum to the sample and detecting genomic DNA derived from Pectobacterium atrosepticum in the sample, to provide an internal positive control.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein said Pectobacterium atrosepticum is of the strain ATCC BAA-672.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising performing a polymerase chain reaction using a control forward PCR primer and a control reverse PCR primer which hybridize to a target nucleic acid sequence found within the nucleic acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 8

SEQ ID NO: 8:

ctaccgtgta gggtcatagg cattgacctc

atggctccac ggaatcgtgc gatcgtcaac tgcgacgtgc

cattcacagt gcgtaagagc accgcgaatc tcggataaac

actggcacca gtgctgtacg ccaatccaga ttgcttcttc

ctcgctgtcg ggaagtttgg ttgaaccgga gagcacgatc

cctttcctaa agacgttacc gattttcaca ttgagggcga

aatcaaagga ttcccagttc aggcctgtac ccgtcgtcag

atatttctca atttggtcat taacagaatg gcgttggacg

atctccttca cggcagatat ctctttctgg ctcagggatt

ttttacgtcg agcggtgtaa tagagcgaaa ttgccac;

or its complement.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein:

a) said control forward PCR primer comprises a nucleic acid sequence comprising between 13 and 23 contiguous nucleotide residues selected from SEQ ID NO: 9;

SEQ ID NO: 9:

ctcgctgtcg ggaagtttgg ttgaaccg;

 and

b) said control reverse PCR primer comprises a nucleic acid sequence comprising between 15 and 25 contiguous nucleotide residues selected from SEQ ID NO: 10

SEQ ID NO: 10:

acaggcctga actgggaatc ctttgatttc;

 or wherein said control forward PCR primer comprises a nucleic acid sequence that is the complement of the reverse primer as defined in part b) above and said control reverse PCR primer comprises a nucleic acid sequence that is the complement of the forward primer as defined in part a) above.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12 , wherein said control forward PCR primer comprises a nucleic acid having the sequence given in SEQ ID NO: 11

SEQ ID NO: 11:

tgtcgggaag tttggttg

and wherein said control reverse PCR primer comprises a nucleic acid having the sequence given in SEQ ID NO: 12

SEQ ID NO: 12:

cctgaactgg gaatcctttg.

14. the method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein

a) the control forward PCR primer according to claim 11 comprises a nucleic acid sequence comprising between 8 and 18 contiguous nucleotide residues selected from SEQ ID NO: 9;

SEQ ID NO: 9:

ctcgctgtcg ggaagtttgg ttgaaccg;

 and

b) the control reverse PCR primer according to claim 11 comprises a nucleic acid sequence comprising between 10 and 20 contiguous nucleotide residues selected from SEQ ID NO: 10,

SEQ ID NO: 10:

acaggcctga actgggaatc ctttgatttc.

15. The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein

a) the control forward PCR primer according to claim 11 comprises a nucleic acid sequence comprising between 8 and 18 contiguous nucleotide residues selected from SEQ ID NO: 9;

SEQ ID NO: 9:

ctcgctgtcg ggaagtttgg ttgaaccg;

 and

b) the control reverse PCR primer is according to claim 11 .

16. The method as claimed in claim 11 wherein

a) the control forward PCR primer is according to claim 11 ; and

b) the control reverse PCR primer according to claim 11 comprises a nucleic acid sequence comprising between 10 and 20 contiguous nucleotide residues selected from SEQ ID NO: 10,

SEQ ID NO: 10:

acaggcctga actgggaatc ctttgatttc.

17. The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein said polymerase chain reaction comprises the use of a control nucleic acid probe comprising a nucleic acid sequence, said nucleic acid sequence comprising between 18 and 28 nucleic acid residues given in SEQ ID NO: 13

SEQ ID NO: 13:

ggagagcacg atccctttcc taaagacgtt acc

or its complement.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17 , wherein said nucleic acid probe comprises a nucleic acid sequence given in SEQ ID NO: 14

SEQ ID NO: 14:

gcacgatccc tttcctaaag acg.

19. The method according to claim 9 , wherein said polymerase chain reaction comprises the use of a control nucleic acid probe comprising a nucleic acid sequence, said nucleic acid sequence comprising between 13 and 23 nucleic acid residues given in SEQ ID NO: 13

SEQ ID NO: 13:

ggagagcacg atccctttcc taaagacgtt ace

or its complement.