%0 Journal Article %A Hartskeerl, Rudy A. %A De Wit, Madeleine Y. L. %A Klatser, Paul R. %T Polymerase Chain Reaction for the Detection of Mycobacterium leprae %D 1989 %J Microbiology, %V 135 %N 9 %P 2357-2364 %@ 1465-2080 %R https://doi.org/10.1099/00221287-135-9-2357 %I Microbiology Society, %X A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using heat-stable Taq polymerase is described for the specific detection of Mycobacterium leprae, the causative agent of leprosy. A set of primers was selected on the basis of the nucleotide sequence of a gene encoding the 36 kDa antigen of M. leprae. With this set of primers in the PCR, M. leprae could be detected specifically with a detection limit approximating one bacterium. This PCR appears to meet the criteria of specificity and sensitivity required for a useful tool in epidemiology and eventually for the control of leprosy. %U https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/micro/10.1099/00221287-135-9-2357