[Identification of the agents of coccidioidomycosis using polymerase chain reaction]

Two pairs of primers for diagnosis of coccidioidomycosis using the method of PCR were constructed. One pair was used for identification of the two species of Coccidioides (C. immitis and C. posadasil) on the basis of MBP-1 gene. The other pair was chosen on the basis of SOWgp82 gene, which encodes an immunodominant, spherule outer wall glycoprotein for detecting only C. posadasii. The used primers allowed the agents of coccidioidomycosis to be detected using PCR with high sensitivity and specificity. The effective method of isolation of fungus DNA from soil contaminated with arthroconidia of Coccidioides spp. was developed. It includes guanidinthiocyanate-phenol-chloroform deproteinization followed by DNA purification using nuclear sorption.