title: Molecular characterization of Alternaria alternata causing ocular infection: detection of IGS-RFLP intraspecific polymorphism.
abstract: A case of fungal keratitis is presented in which corneal scrapings were obtained for microbiological studies, including morphological identification and molecular characterization of the etiologic agent. Comparative sequence analyses of the Internal Transcribed Spacer domain of 5.8S and 26S regions of nuclear rDNA showed 100% identity with different species of Alternaria and PCR-RFLP analysis of Intergenic Spacer regions revealed intraspecific variation. The combination of morphological and molecular characters resulted in the unambiguous identification of the causal agent as Alternaria alternata. Treatment with antifungals contributed to the improvement in the patient's lesions.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Investigación, Asociada al Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, CSIC, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Federico S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Laich
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alcoba-Flórez
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pérez-Roth
authors.forename: Yasmin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bahaya
authors.forename: José Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Delgado
authors.forename: Sebastián
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Méndez-Alvarez
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000528:Alternaria / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000235:genetics; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer / Q000235:genetics; D015821:Eye Infections, Fungal / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004271:DNA, Fungal; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal