Currently I’m doing assessment of bacterial community diversity profile of oil palm plantation soils in Malaysia for my master research. I’m using MOTHUR software for all statistical diversity work.
But I’m confuse with one thing:
I’ve used term 16S rRNA gene clone library approach throughout my thesis.But, during my viva voce last week, my examiner said it is wrong to use 16S rRNA term as I actually used 16S rDNA to determine the bacteria phylum for profile. She want me to change all the term to 16S rDNA gene clone library and 16S rDNA gene sequences in my thesis.
Please help me to understand is it wrong to put it as 16S rRNA gene clone library and 16S rRNA gene sequences? As I’m following previous studies that used this term for the assessment of bacterial community diversity that they did in their respective soil samples.
Hi!
my opinion is that “16S rRNA gene” means “the gene coding for 16S rRNA” so, being a gene, it is made of DNA.
Thus, “16S rRNA gene” = “the gene coding for 16S rRNA” = “16S rDNA”
BUT
if you say only “16S rRNA” (without the “gene” word), this means actual RNA, and so it is not correct in your case.
This is the way I use it, but I am not sure if there is accordance in the scientific community about that.
I hope it helps anyway!
Cheers
Erica
Thank you Erica for your explanation . Yes in my thesis I wrote it as 16S rRNA gene.
Oh! Thank you, Pat! So, the 16S rRNA gene clone library and 16S rRNA gene term are correct and I can use it for my thesis and paper, right?
Just to ask, why is that I found a few papers that put 16S rDNA gene clone library although the methodology are the same with 16S rRNA gene clone library?
Thank you and I feel more confident to defend this term in thesis correction.
. Yes in my thesis I wrote it as 16S rRNA gene.
