Simple and rapid identification of most medically important Candida species by a PCR-restriction enzyme method

Abstract

Opportunistic fungal infections including candidiasis have increased dramatically in recent years. Most medically important fungi are Candida species. Rapid identification od Candida isolates to the species level in the clinical laboratory is necessary for more rapid and effective antifungal therapy and to facilitate hospital infection control measures. Conventional morphological methods for identification of candida species are often difficult and time consuming. Molecular DNA-based techniques provide useful alternative methods. In this study using universal primers, ITS1-ITS4 region of the fungal rRNA genes were amplified. Digestion by the restriction enzyme Mspl allowed us to identify of C. albicans, C. glabrata, C. krusei, C. tropicali, and C. guilliermondii. C. guilliermondii produces 3 bands whereas the others gave two distinctive bands after digestion. This panel of PCR-restriction enzyme could be rapid, simple and useful in diagnostic studies of candida and candidiasis.