Microsatellite Markers for Typing Aspergillus fumigatus Isolates

The use of microsatellites as highly polymorphic DNA markers for the typing of isolates of Aspergillus fumigatus was investigated. Four CA repeats were selected by screening an A. fumigatus DNA library with a (CA)(10) oligonucleotide. Primers flanking these CA repeats were designed to amplify each locus. One primer of each pair was labeled with a fluorophore, and the PCR products were analyzed with an automatic sequencer and the GeneScan software. For each primer set and for a given isolate, one band was detected and was assigned to an allele because A. fumigatus is haploid. With 50 clinical isolates, 50 environmental isolates, and 2 reference strains we obtained 12, 11, 10, and 23 different alleles for the four CA microsatellites, respectively (discriminatory power, 0.994). The results were identical by whatever DNA extraction technique was used. Interestingly, no clustering between environmental and clinical isolates was observed, suggesting that every isolate is potentially pathogenic. Microsatellite markers appear suitable for use in large epidemiological studies of invasive aspergillosis.