MITOCHONDRIAL-DNA ANALYSIS OF EXOPHIALA-SPINIFERA

Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) of mitochondrial DNA ( mtDNA) was examined in 36 isolates of Exophiala spinifera (8 isolates from Brazil, 9 from China? 15 from Columbia, 1 from the United States and 2 from Venezuela). E, spinifera isolates displayed a high degree o f mtDNA diversity in RFLP patterns and were clustered into six genetic ally heterogeneous groups (Group 1 through Group 6). Isolates of Group 2 including the type strain seemed to have a worldwide distribution. RFLP patterns of E. spinifera were also distinct from those of other d ematiaceous fungi, such as E. jeanselmei, E. moniliae, E. dermatitidis , Fonsecaea pedrosoi, Cladosporium carrionii and Phialophora verrucosa . These results indicate that E. spinifera a may be a taxonomic comple x and that RFLP patterns will be useful in the identification, typing and epidemiology of the E. spinifera variants.