SIGNIFICANCE OF DNA BASE COMPOSITION IN THE CLASSIFICATION OF YEAST GENUS CANDIDA
1971 Volume 17 Issue 3 Pages 259-279
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1971 Volume 17 Issue 3 Pages 259-279
The DNA base composition (GC content) of 119 strains of Candida was investigated. The strains employed showed a GC content from 30.0 to 63.2%. The intrageneric variation of GC content (about 33%) was the largest among the genera of yeasts hitherto investigated and it clearly suggested highly
heterogeneous nature of this genus. From the viewpoint of GC content, the genus Candida seemed to be bimodal. One group had a GC content below 50%, and imperfect forms of ascosporogenous yeasts were included in this group. The other group had a GC content above 50%. All the urease-positive species and species supposedly related to heterobasidiomycetes were included in this group.
Classification of Candida proposed by several investigators were evaluated on the basis of GC content. Serological characteristics and proton magnetic resonance spectra of polysaccharides were considered to be good taxonomic criteria as the conventional methods are.
