Electrophoretic karyotypes in medically important Candida species.

Suzuki, Takahito; Kobayashi, Issei; Mizuguchi, Ikuyo; Banno, Isao; Tanaka, Kenji

doi:10.2323/jgam.34.409

Cited by 23 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…The relationships between related species and between biotypes of the same species can be evaluated from the results of phenotypic variations of spontaneous mutants derived under defined laboratory conditions. Because the differences in the assimilation patterns are a prominant and distinguishing feature among different Candida species and because the electrophoretic karyotypes of many of them vary within a limited range (16,46), similar to the variability observed among spontaneous mutants (this study and references 36 through 40), we suggest that many so-called Candida species are merely chromosomal and phenotypic variants of the same species. For example, spontaneous mutants losing the ability to form chlamydospores may account for such synonyms of C. albicans as Candida longeronii, a chlamydospore-negative variant (26).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 91%

Chromosomal alterations of Candida albicans are associated with the gain and loss of assimilating functions

1994

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We have demonstrated that a normal laboratory strain of Candida albicans spontaneously produces mutants which acquire the ability to assimilate certain carbon sources that are not utilized by the parental strain. The examination of mutants acquiring the ability to utilize either sorbose or D-arabinose revealed a few additional phenotypic changes, including the gain and loss of the capacity to assimilate other carbon sources. The change of assimilation patterns resembled the polymorphic variation of assimilation patterns found among different wild-type strains of C. albicans. Most importantly, these sorbose-and D-arabinose-positive mutants were associated with chromosomal rearrangements, with each class of positive mutants having alterations of specific chromosomes. These findings demonstrated for the first time that chromosomal alterations in C. albicans are involved in genetic variation of fundamental functions of this asexual microorganism.We previously reported that standard laboratory strains of Candida albicans spontaneously gave rise to various types of single and multiple chromosomal rearrangements at a frequency of about 1.4% (40), and we suggested that this high frequency of chromosomal aberrations provides a means for genetic variation in this asexual microorganism (38,40). Although the chromosomal aberrations were associated with alterations of colonial and cellular morphologies, rates of growth, pseudohyphae, chlamydospore production, germ tube formation, growth at extreme temperatures, and color differences on BiGGY and phloxine B media (38-40), we were unable to discern any specific relationships between the various types of chromosomal rearrangements and phenotypic variability.Recently, Wickes et al. (48) reported that certain Candida stellatoidea strains spontaneously gave rise to sucrose-positive (Suc+) colonies that exhibited chromosomal rearrangements.In addition, we observed that all of a large number of spontaneously derived colony morphology mutants having chromosomal alterations were also associated with different patterns of carbon and nitrogen assimilation (37).Because of the obvious selective importance of carbon and nitrogen sources, these findings prompted us to investigate possible relationships between the assimilation patterns, chromosomal rearrangements, and other phenotypic traits. Furthermore, changes in assimilation provide an opportunity to investigate discrete and easily assayable phenotypes.In this paper, we describe the isolation and characterization of positive mutants, i.e., mutants that have gained the ability to assimilate substrates. In particular, independently derived spontaneous mutants that have acquired the ability to utilize either sorbose or D-arabinose were isolated from the normal strain 3153A. Of considerable importance, and in contrast to the previous report (39), these positive mutants contained altered electrophoretic karyotypes, with each class of positive mutants having alterations of specific chromosomes. This is the

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 91%

Chromosomal alterations of Candida albicans are associated with the gain and loss of assimilating functions

1994

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“…Medically important Candida species have been extensively studied (Asakura et al 1991;Iwaguchi et al 1990;Mahrous et al 1990;Rustchenko-Bulgac 1991;Snell & Wilkins 1986;Suzuki et al 1988). Chromosomal length polymorphisms have been observed in numerous species, and Rustchenko-Bulgac (1991) considers this phenomenon to be an important mechanism for increasing genetic variability of apomictic species.…”

Section: The Use Of Pulsed-field Techniques In the Systematics Of Yeamentioning

confidence: 99%

The use of karyotyping in the systematics of yeasts

Boekhout¹,

Renting

Scheffers

et al. 1993

Antonie van Leeuwenhoek

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The use of electrophoretic karyotyping in systematics of yeasts is discussed. New data are provided on the karyotypes of the medically important fungi Hortaea werneckii, Filobasidiella (= Cryptococcus) neoformans, and Malassezia species. Hortaea werneckii has twelve to eighteen bands of chromosomal DNA, ranging in size between 500 and 2300 kb. The karyotypes of Filobasidiella neoformans consist of seven to fourteen bands of chromosomal DNA. The varieties neoformans and bacillispora cannot be separated by their karyotypes, and no obvious correlation was found with serotypes, geography or habitat. All strains of Malasseziapachydermatis studied have similar karyotypes consisting of five bands, whereas in M. furfur, four different karyotypes are prevalent. However, each of these karyotypes is stable.

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“…Specific chromosomes can be identified using Southern blot hybridization with chromosome-specific DNA probes (e.g., rDNA). In the earliest application of this general method, which we refer to as electrophoretic karyotyping, it was demonstrated that patterns varied among unrelated isolates of C. albicans (see, e.g., references 171,174,198,207,219,349,381, and 407) and therefore provided a potential method for fingerprinting. Using Southern blot hybridization with cloned genes as probes, Thrash-Bingham and Gorman (389) subsequently demonstrated that in spite of karyotypic variability among strains of C. albicans, the general genomic organization was maintained and that translocations contributed to karyotypic variability.…”

Section: Electrophoretic Karyotypingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, Holmberg and Feroze (139) showed technical variability for CHEF due to reagents, sample preparation, and running conditions. Electrophoretic karyotyping has been used extensively to fingerprint C. albicans (10,18,21,22,23,26,38,96,97,98,107,148,174,191,198,204,207,208,209,219,226,229,266,269,274,322,349,381,382,384,399,403,407,410,426), C. stellatoidea (171), C. glabrata (81,107,337,398), C. lusitaniae (163,220,398), C. tropicalis (95,107,399), C. parapsilosis (39,63,…”

Section: Electrophoretic Karyotypingmentioning

confidence: 99%