SGM Journals
Research Article

Grouping oral Candida species by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis

Rosa, EAR, Pereira, CV, Rosa, RT, Hofling, JF

International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology 2000; 50(3):1343

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Summary auto-generated

This study evaluated multilocus enzyme electrophoresis (MLEE) as a method for distinguishing five oral Candida species: C. albicans, C. tropicalis, C. krusei, C. parapsilosis, and C. guilliermondii. Researchers analyzed 20 enzymic systems from strains isolated from healthy individuals' oral cavities. Five enzymes showed no activity, while the remaining 15 generated electrophoretic band patterns analyzed using numerical taxonomy methods. Individual enzyme systems showed varying discrimination capabilities, with isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) performing best at grouping species-specific strains. However, when all enzyme patterns were combined, the overall dendrogram revealed inconsistent clustering, with some strains from different species grouping together and some intra-species strains separating. The atypical C. albicans strain 17b clustered separately from other C. albicans isolates despite confirmed species identification. The authors conclude that MLEE combined with numerical taxonomy is insufficient for multi-species Candida classification when analyzing limited isolates, though it may be useful for epidemiological studies within single species.

Key findings

  • Of 20 enzymic systems tested, five showed no activity (aspartate dehydrogenase, mannitol dehydrogenase, sorbitol dehydrogenase, glucosyl transferase, and α-amylase)
  • Isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) was the most effective single enzyme for grouping strains within their respective species
  • MLEE combined with numerical taxonomy produced inconsistent species-specific clustering, with composite clusters containing strains from different species
  • Individual enzyme systems varied substantially in their discrimination capabilities, with systems like glucose dehydrogenase, α-esterase, and β-esterase performing poorly
  • MLEE is better suited for epidemiological surveys of single Candida species rather than multi-species identification and classification

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Abstract

Multilocus enzyme electrophoresis (MLEE) and numerical taxonomic methods were used to establish the degrees of relatedness among five Candida species commonly isolated from humans oral cavities. Of twenty enzymic systems assayed, five showed no enzymic activity (aspartate dehydrogenase, mannitol dehydrogenase, sorbitol dehydrogenase, glucosyl transferase and alpha-amylase). The obtained data revealed that some of these enzymes are capable of distinguishing strains of different species, but most of them could not organize all strains in their respective species-specific clusters. Numerical classification based on MLEE polymorphism must be regarded for surveys involving just one Candida species.