title: Rapid PCR test for discriminating between Candida albicans and Candida dubliniensis isolates using primers derived from the pH-regulated PHR1 and PHR2 genes of C. albicans.
abstract: The development of a satisfactory means to reliably distinguish between the two closely related species Candida albicans and Candida dubliniensis in the clinical mycology laboratory has proved difficult because these two species are phenotypically so similar. In this study, we have detected homologues of the pH-regulated C. albicans PHR1 and PHR2 genes in C. dubliniensis. Restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis suggests that there are significant sequence differences between the genes of the two species. In order to exploit this apparent difference, oligonucleotide primers based on the coding sequence of the C. albicans PHR1 structural gene were designed and used in PCR experiments. Use of these primers with C. albicans template DNA from 17 strains yielded a predicted 1.6-kb product, while C. dubliniensis template DNA from 19 strains yielded no product. We therefore propose that PCR using these primers is a rapid and reliable means of distinguishing the two germ tube- and chlamydospore-producing species C. albicans and C. dubliniensis.
authors: Institut für Hygiene und Mikrobiologie, Universität Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany.
authors: O
authors: O
authors: Kurzai
authors: W J
authors: WJ
authors: Heinz
authors: D J
authors: DJ
authors: Sullivan
authors: D C
authors: DC
authors: Coleman
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Frosch
authors: F A
authors: FA
authors: Mühlschlegel
mesh_terms: D001051:Apoenzymes / Q000235:genetics*; D002175:Candida / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D017931:DNA Primers; D004255:Deoxyribodipyrimidine Photo-Lyase / Q000235:genetics*; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D001051:Apoenzymes; D017931:DNA Primers; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; C091515:PHR1 protein, Candida albicans; D004255:Deoxyribodipyrimidine Photo-Lyase