DNA fingerprinting patterns of Candida species using HinfI endonuclease

Strain delineation was performed by means of restriction endonuclease analysis (REA) of genomic DNA with the restriction enzyme HinfI followed by conventional electrophoresis. A total of 337 yeast isolates representing 21 Candida species and five non-Candida yeast species was evaluated. A survey of isolates showed that Candida albicans and non-albicans species could be divided into mutually exclusive groups, and that subgroups could be created. Individual REA patterns for 111 C. albicans isolates, four Candida krusei isolates and 35 Candida glabrata isolates varied greatly, whereas 11 Candida dubliniensis isolates, 48 Candida tropicalis isolates and 41 Candida guilliermondii isolates could be divided into two, nine and nine groups, respectively. REA of the 49 Candida parapsilosis isolates with HinfI, however, showed that 47 (95 %) of them belonged to one group. REA patterns of the other yeast isolates, representing 19 species, were also quite different at the species level. These results showed that REA with HinfI may be useful for the identification and strain delineation of common and emerging Candida species.