One of the observations in analysing PCR products
from pure bacterial cultures was the presence of more
than one band in the DGGE/TGGE pattern. By using
TGGE N¨ubel et al. (1996) found a pattern of ten different
bands obtained after PCR amplification of the16S rRNA genes from a pure culture of Paenibacillus
polymyxa. A more detailed analysis of this observation
revealed microheterogeneity in the different rRNA
operons present in this species. As indicated by the
authors this finding has important consequences for
the use of 16S rRNA sequence data for biodiversity
estimates, phylogenetic reconstruction and the design
of taxonspecific
oligonucleotide probes