Randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) PCR for the identification of yeasts isolated from dairy products

In the present work randomly amplified polymorphic DNA-polymerase chain rea ction (RAPD-PCR) with primers M13 and RF2 was applied to the identification at species level of yeast strains isolated from cheeses. RAPD-PCR analysis of the type strains of different yeast species gave distinctive band profi les that allowed a clear differentiation of all the considered species. For ty-two of the 48 dairy associated yeasts were clearly assigned to the speci es Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Kluyveromyces marxianus (anamorph Candida kefy r), Kluyveromyces lactis (anamorph Candida sphaerica), Debaryomyces hanseni i (anamorph Candida famata), Yarrowia lipolytica and Torulaspora delbruecki i (anamorph Candida colliculosa). The method, which is rapid and easy to pe rform, could be a useful tool for the identification of yeasts present in d airy products.