Figure 1: Probe localization for the MALDI-TOF MS MTB and NTM identification and specificity tests.

(A) Illustration of the MTB-specific detection probe located on the mce3B gene locus (Forward). (B) Illustration of the common NTM detection probe located on the gyrA gene locus (Forward). (C) MALDI-TOF MS specificity test. Mass spectra for the negative control, MTB, NTM (Mycobacterium fortuitum) and K. pneumoniae. A positive signal was identified as a peak shift from UEP to an additional nucleotide mass (represented as TB or NTM). Nucleotides in lower case in (A) represented additional mismatch nucleotides for mass adjustment in the following analysis. UEP, unextended probe.