Among many organisms, also pure yeast cultures may be grouped at the species level using DNA-based fingerprinting techniques. The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) with microsatellite specific primers (e.g. M13, GACA4, GTG5) is more reproducible than randomly primed PCR reactions (RAPD) and therefore the method of choice at BCCM/MUCL. PCR-fingerprinting gathers information from the entire genome and does not make a selection of one or a few marker genes. Strains maybe grouped by the similarity of their PCR-fingerprint profiles and compared with reference strains of known identity or representatives of each fingerprinting group may be identified by DNA sequencing. PCR fingerprinting provides reliable species resolution, although it is not used as routine technique for species identification. Some additional information on strain level may be obtained in certain species in function of the microsatellite primer.
Reporting requirements are to be discussed.
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Literature:
- Lieckfeldt E, Meyer W, Börner T. 1993 Rapid identification and differentiation of yeasts by DNA and PCR fingerprinting. J Basic Microbiol 33: 413-426.
- Fidalgo-Jiménez A, Daniel HM, Evrard P, Decock C, Lachance MA 2008 Metschnikowia cubensis sp. nov., a new yeast species isolated from flowers in Cuba. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 58: 2955-2961.