Direct colony polymerase chain reaction (DCPCR) is a useful molecular biological technique for application in the field of mycology. In this study, all of the 63 fungal strains examined, including those of the genera Candida and Aspergillus, were amenable to DNA amplification using an Ampdirect(R) Plus kit, which allows direct PCR amplification with no requirement for DNA extraction, following ...

INTRODUCTION Biological particles deposit on air handling system filters as they process air. This study reports and interprets abundance and diversity information regarding biomass accumulation on ordinarily used filters acquired from several locations in a university environment. METHODS DNA-based analysis was applied both to quantify (via DNA fluorometry and qPCR) and to characterize (via ...

BACKGROUND Detection of fungal DNA from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue is challenging due to degradation of DNA and presence of PCR inhibitors in these samples. We analyzed FFPE samples of 26 patients by panfungal PCR and compared the results to the composite diagnosis according to the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) criteria. Additionally we ...

We investigated the application of two different nested PCR methodologies for the diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis, by studying the possible cross-reactions among different fungal species and genera. The sensitivity obtained using both techniques can be considered adequate, although we obtained amplified products from fungal genera other than Aspergillus, showing the presence of cross-reacti...

Cultivation of Genetically Modified (GM) plants has increased significantly over the last decades. GM traits may negatively affect beneficial soil fungi, such as Arbuscular Mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, potentially leading to alterations in soil functioning. Here, we test two Bt-Maize varieties for their effects on soil AM fungal communities, targeting both DNA and RNA as an inclusive way of detectin...

Throughout the world DNA banks are used as storage repositories for genetic diversity of organisms ranging from plants to insects to mammals. Designed to preserve the genetic information for organisms of interest, these banks also indirectly preserve organisms' associated microbiomes, including fungi associated with plant tissues. Studies of fungal biodiversity lag far behind those of macroorga...

rRNA genes are attractive targets for developing PCR assays targeting human fungal pathogens. Most studies have focused on the 18S rRNA gene, internal transcribed spacers, and the 5' end of the 28S rRNA gene. An approximately 2,900-bp region of the 28S rRNA gene remains largely unexplored because sequences of many medically relevant fungi are either unavailable or undefined in genomic databases...