Molecular and phenotypic characterization of Aspergillus japonicus and Aspergillus aculeatus strains with special regard to their mitochondrial DNA polymorphisms

• Published in: Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 1997-11, Vol.72 (4), p.337-347
• Main Authors: HAMARI, Z, KEVEI, F, KOVACS, E, VARGA, J, KOZAKIEWICZ, Z, CROFT, J. H
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aspergillus - enzymology; Aspergillus - genetics; Aspergillus - metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; Carbon - metabolism; Carbon sources; Cell Nucleus - genetics; DNA, Fungal - analysis; DNA, Mitochondrial - analysis; DNA, Ribosomal - analysis; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Growth, nutrition, metabolism, transports, enzymes. Molecular biology; Isoenzymes - analysis; Microbiology; Mitochondrial DNA; Mycology; Phenotype; Polymorphism, Genetic; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique
• ISSN: 0003-6072; 1572-9699
• DOI: 10.1023/A:1000578913759

Forty Aspergillus japonicus and A. aculeatus strains, most of them wild-type isolates, were examined using various molecular and phenotypic techniques. The rDNAs proved to be invariable (even strains of the species A. aculeatus exhibited the same restriction profile), while the strains could be classified into seven different mtDNA RFLP groups. Hybridisation data suggest that six of these mtDNA types have certain common restriction sites, while mtDNA type 7, which was exhibited by some A. aculeatus strains, probably has quite different mtDNA organisation and their size was smallest among the strains studied. The RAPD technique and isoenzyme analysis revealed some variabilities within these RFLP groups and strain specific features could also be recognised. Carbon source assimilation spectra were found to be very distinctive for strains of A. japonicus, A. aculeatus and A. niger, providing a useful tool for pre-characterising new wild-type isolates of black Aspergilli. Only a limited correlation was observed between the dendrograms based on genotypic and phenotypic characters.