STANDARDIZED MOLECULAR TYPING OF CANDIDA-ALBICANS STRAINS

A method is presented for the standardization of Candida albicans DNA fingerprinting, which is based on Southern hybridization of EcoRI-dige sted chromosomal DNA with the moderately repetitive DNA element CARE-2 and the subsequent rehybridization of the blots with a molecular size marker also included in each DNA sample. This method resulted in extr emely precise alignment of all strain-specific CARE-2 hybridization pa tterns, even when analysed on different gels, and will enhance the acc uracy of genetic relationship determinations in epidemiological studie s including large numbers of strains.