Summary of Identification of Dermatophytes Using Molecular Typing by Restriction Enzyme Analysis of PCR-Amplified Internal Transcribed Spacer Regions of Ribosomal RNA Genes in 2003

Abstract

We summarize our 2003 results concerning species and subspecies level identification of fungal isolates from superficial skin lesions. Our identifications were based on RFLP patterns of PCR products of the internal transcribed spacer regions of the ribosomal RNA genes digested with restriction enzymes Mva I and Hin f I. Of 131 isolates, of which 74 had been identified by local mycological laboratories or clinics and 57 remained unidentified, Trichophyton tonsurans type DNA was observed in 98, T. mentagrophytes var. interdigitale in 11, T. rubrum in 8, Arthroderma vanbreuseghemii in 4, A. benhamiae in 2, and Microsporum canis / M. ferrugineum in 3. Sixty-six isolates of T. tonsurans were identified by their morphological features, and all of them showed DNA profiles characteristic of T. tonsurans. Four isolates could not be identified by the PCR-RFLP, but one of them was later identified as Fusarium oxisporum by a DNA sequence analysis of the same region. The PCR-RFLP method requires less time than sequence analysis and is suitable for identifying a large number of isolates.