High-affinity iron permease (FTR1) gene sequence-based molecular identification of clinically important Zygomycetes

The clinical importance of zygomycosis, an emerging and frequently fatal mycotic disease, has increased during recent years. This report describes an identification method based on PCR amplification and sequencing of the high-affinity iron permease 1 gene (FTR1). Primers and amplification protocols were established and tested for the identification of Rhizopus oryzae, Rhizopus microsporus var. rhizopodiformis, R. microsporus var. oligosporus, Rhizopus schipperae, Rhizopus niveus and Rhizopus stolonifer. Rhizomucor and Syncephalastrum could be identified at the genus level. PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of the amplified gene fragment using AluI digestion distinguished three subgroups among the R. oryzae isolates.