Use of the 6-methylsalicylic-acid-synthase gene as a discriminating marker betweenaspergillus terreus andAspergillus flavipes

In nineteen pathogenic and saprophytic isolates denoted asAspergillus terreus the presence and restriction pattern of the genepksM (6-methylsalicylic acid synthase) was determined. Five patterns (A−E) were found and in three isolates the gene was missing. The RAPD (random amplified polymorphic DNA) patterns with three primers were analyzed. The strains withpksM pattern possibly derived from the most common pattern A by single mutation (patterns B−D) were also related by RAPD. Among them, three clades were found. The first one contained saprophytes from Asia, the other two clades contained both European and American pathogens and each of them one saprophyte. The sequences of rDNA region containing 5.8S rDNA and spacers ITS1 and ITS2 were established for representatives of each group and the strains missing thepksM gene. The isolates possessingpksM (although with different restriction patterns) grouped asA. terreus group, whereas the isolates lacking this gene were close toFennellia flavipes.