Jpn. J. Infect. Dis., 58 (4), 235-237, 2005
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Short Communication
Differentiation of Candida albicans and Candida dubliniensis Using a Single-Enzyme PCR-RFLP Method
Hossein Mirhendi*, Koichi Makimura1, Kamiar Zomorodian, Nobuko Maeda2, Tomoko Ohshima2 and Hideyo Yamaguchi1
Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, 1Department of Molecular Biology and Gene Diagnosis, Teikyo University Institute of Medical Mycology and Genome Research Center, Tokyo 192-0395 and 2Department of Oral Microbiology, School of Dental Medicine, Tsurumi University, Yokohama 230-8501, Japan
(Received November 30, 2004. Accepted April 20, 2005)
*Corresponding author: Mailing address: Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, P. O. Box: 14155-6446, Iran. Tel: +98-21-895-1583, Fax: +98-21-646-2267, E-mail: mirhendi@yahoo.com
SUMMARY: Candida dubliniensis is a novel Candida
spp. that is similar to Candida albicans with respect
to several phenotypic characteristics. However, they differ from
each other with respect to epidemiology, pathogenesis, and the
rapid development of resistance to fluconazole. In the present
study, we used a single-enzyme PCR-restriction fragment length
polymorphism (RFLP) technique to differentiate C. dubliniensis
from C. albicans. The amplified ITS region of C. dubliniensis
was digested once using the enzyme B1nI, whereas that of
C. albicans remained intact. All standard strains tested
were identified successfully by this method. None of 140 clinical
isolates identified morphologically as C. albicans were
recognized as C. dubliniensis based on their PCR-RFLP pattern.
Our PCR-RFLP method easily differentiated C. dubliniensis
from C. albicans, and this result was also demonstrated
with standard strains.