CLINICAL ISOLATES OF HISTOPLASMA-CAPSULATUM FROM INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, HAVE A RECOMBINING POPULATION-STRUCTURE

A sample of 30 clinical isolates of Histoplasma capsulatum was analyze d to determine (i) whether genetic exchange is important in the life c ycle of this fungus and (ii) whether distinct subpopulations which cor relate with disease severity or host immune status exist. Eleven biall elic molecular markers were developed, with the frequency of the least common allele at each molecular locus ranging from 10 to 50%. Every i solate had a different, unique multilocus genotype, Data analysis indi cated that frequent recombination occurs within the Indianapolis, Ind. , population. There were no associations between isolates from the imm unocompromised population or from those with different clinical manife stations of histoplasmosis.