Typing of Candida albicans isolates by sequence analysis of the cytochromeb gene and differentiation from Candida stellatoidea

Including type strains, mitochondrial cytochrome b genes of 32 strains of C andida albicans and 6 strains of Candida stellatoidea, presently treated as a synonym For C. albicans, were partially sequenced. Analysis of 396-bp nu cleotide sequences of the strains under investigation divided C. albicans i solates into three types: type I, type II, and type III; however, strains o f C. stellatoidea represented distinct type IV isolates. Deduced amino acid sequences of type I, type II, and type III were identical and differed fro m that of type IV by one amino acid, Genotypes (rDNA type) of the test stra ins were also checked, Cytochrome b typing did not correlate with genotypin g, and different genotypes occurred for one cytochrome b type, This study s hows that cytochrome b gene sequences are useful for analyzing the genetic relatedness of C, albicans isolates and effective for differentiating C, st ellatoidea from C. albicans.