ATYPICAL STRAINS OF CANDIDA-ALBICANS RECOVERED FROM AIDS PATIENTS

By using multilocus enzyme electrophoresis (MLEE) we have analyzed the genetic diversity encountered among chlamydospore-positive Candida al bicans strains. While the type II strains of the former C. stellatoide a were genetically indistinguishable from those of C. albicans, type I strains constituted a distinct subgroup compared with C. albicans str ains. Nevertheless, all these strains remained genetically very closel y related compared with other species of Candida (e.g. C. tropicalis, C. krusei and C. glabrata). These results corroborate the synonymy bet ween C. stellatoidea and C. albicans. Chlamydospore-positive C. albica ns strains with atypical sugar assimilation patterns displayed a great genetic divergence from the cluster constituted by C. albicans and th e strains of the former C. stellatoidea. However, these atypical strai ns were more closely related to C. albicans than they were to C. tropi calis, C. krusei or C. glabrata. These strains represent a genetically entity distinct from the typical C. albicans strains used in this stu dy. The data also support the view that the atypical strains described here belong to the same genetic group as atypical C. albicans strains previously described by others.