Single primer pair for PCR identification of Candida parapsilosis group I isolates

A DNA fragment, isolated from a genomic DNA mini-library of Candida par par apsilosis group I reference strain ATCC 22019, was sequenced and characteri sed, The fragment was first probed by Southern blotting against a pool of D NA from several yeasts. The hybridisation tests revealed that the probe was specific for strain ATCC 22019 and 49 (90.74%) of 54 C, parapsilosis clini cal and soil isolates that were attributed to C, parapsilosis group I by th e electrophoretic images of their restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) and electrophoretic karyotype (EK), The remaining five negative is olates, according to the same criteria, were attributed to group II (one is olate) and III (four isolates). Two primers were selected from the probe DN A sequence and a PCR-based test was developed for specifically detecting C, parapsilosis group I isolates,which represent the majority of the common c linical isolates. The PCR assay confirmed the Southern hybridisation result s. This PCR assay could be a simple and reproducible tool for the rapid, se nsitive and species-specific identification of C, parapsilosis major group I isolates.