Cloning of cDNA obtained from 16S rRNA (16S rcDNA) selectively retrieves species-specific sequence information useful for analyzing the composition and structure of natural microbial communities. With this technique we obtained recombinant 16S rcDNA libraries from Escherichia coli and from a model hot-spring cyanobacterial-mat community. The recombinant plasmids contained exclusively 16S rRNA-derived inserts. This selective approach is independent of biasing culture techniques and eliminates

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... laborious screening required to locate 16S rRNA gene-bearing recombinants in genomic DNA libraries obtained from natural communities. It is well established that enrichment cultures and other isolation procedures will recover only a minor portion of microbial community members from natural habitats (1, 3;