PCR melting profile (PCR MP)--a new tool for differentiation of Candida albicans strains.
BACKGROUND
We have previously reported the use of PCR Melting Profile (PCR MP) technique based on using low denaturation temperatures during ligation mediated PCR (LM PCR) for bacterial strain differentiation. The aim of the current study was to evaluate this method for intra-species differentiation of Candida albicans strains.


METHODS
In total 123 Candida albicans strains (including 7 reference, 11 clinical unrelated, and 105 isolates from patients of two hospitals in Poland) were examined using three genotyping methods: PCR MP, macrorestriction analysis of the chromosomal DNA by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (REA-PFGE) and RAPD techniques.


RESULTS
The genotyping results of the PCR MP were compared with results from REA-PFGE and RAPD techniques giving 27, 26 and 25 unique types, respectively. The results showed that the PCR MP technique has at least the same discriminatory power as REA-PFGE and RAPD.


CONCLUSIONS
Data presented here show for the first time the evaluation of PCR MP technique for candidial strains differentiation and we propose that this can be used as a relatively simple and cheap technique for epidemiological studies in short period of time in hospital.
Krawczyk
Beata
B
Gdańsk University of Technology, Chemical Faculty, Department of Microbiology, ul, Narutowicza 11/12, 80-952 Gdańsk, Poland. beatak@chem.pg.gda.pl
Leibner-Ciszak
Justyna
J
Mielech
Anna
A
Nowak
Magdalena
M
Kur
Józef
J
D002176:Candida albicans / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000235:genetics; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology / Q000379:methods; D016533:Mycological Typing Techniques; D011044:Poland; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D000091402:Prohibitins; D019105:Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D015183:Restriction Mapping / Q000379:methods
D004271:DNA, Fungal; C000717331:PHB2 protein, human; D000091402:Prohibitins