Rapid Identification and Differentiation of Mycobacterium avium Subspecies paratuberculosis Types by Use of Real-Time PCR and High-Resolution Melt Analysis of the MAP1506 Locus

High-resolution melt (HRM) analysis can identify sequence polymorphisms by comparing the melting curves of amplicons generated by real-time PCR amplification. We describe the application of this technique to identify Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis types I, II, and III. The HRM approach was based on type-specific nucleotide sequences in MAP1506, a member of the PPE (proline-proline-glutamic acid) gene family.