The Yeast Candida albicans has a Clonal Mode of Reproduction in a Population of Infected Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Positive Patients

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 90; no. 20; pp. 9456 - 9459
• Main Authors: Pujol, Claude, Reynes, Jacques, Renaud, Francois, Raymond, Michel, Tibayrenc, Michel, Ayala, Francisco J., Janbon, Francois, Mallie, Michele, Bastide, Jean-Marie
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 15.10.1993; National Acad Sciences; National Academy of Sciences
• Subjects: AIDS/HIV; Biological and medical sciences; Candida albicans; Candida albicans - enzymology; Candida albicans - genetics; Candida albicans - growth & development; Candidiasis - microbiology; Chromosomes; Clone Cells; Diploidy; Enzymes; Evolution; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genes; Genetic Linkage; Genetic loci; Genetics of eukaryotes. Biological and molecular evolution; Genetics, Population; Genotypes; Heterozygote; HIV; HIV Seropositivity - microbiology; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Isoenzymes - metabolism; Linkage disequilibrium; Medical genetics; Parasitism; Polymorphism, Genetic; Population genetics; Population genetics, reproduction patterns; Population structure; Reproduction; Thallophyta, bryophyta; Vegetals; Yeast; Candida albicans; Human; Yeast; AIDS; Population structure; Linkage equilibrium; Sexual reproduction; Population genetics; Fungi; Infection; Viral disease; Fungi Imperfecti; Clinical isolate; Thallophyta; Polymorphism
• ISSN: 0027-8424; 1091-6490
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.90.20.9456

To ascertain the population structure of Candida albicans, we have carried out a multilocus enzyme electrophoresis study based on the analysis of 21 gene loci. We have thus characterized 55 strains isolated one each from 55 human immunodeficiency virus-positive patients. There is considerable polymorphism among the strains. A population-genetic analysis indicates that the two fundamental consequences of sexual reproduction (i.e., segregation and recombination) are apparently absent in this population of C. albicans. The population structure of C. albicans appears to be clonal, a state of affairs that has important medical and biological consequences.