DNA translocations contribute to chromosome length polymorphisms in Candida albicans

Abstract

Rotating-gel electrophoresis and DNA hybridization were used to compare the electrophoretic karyotype of six Candida albicans isolates. The hybridization pattern for 22 cloned sequences, including eight previously unmapped genes, indicates that there are eight pair of homologous chromosomes in each strain. However, since homologous chromosomes can differ in length, it is possible to resolve more than eight bands in some strains. The mapping data demonstrate that linkage groups are generally conserved suggesting that, in spite of gross karyotype differences, there is an underlying similarity in the genome organization of different isolates. The hybridization data also provide direct evidence that DNA translocations and reciprocal translocations contribute to chromosome length polymorphisms in C. albicans.

High-Frequency Genetic Contents Variations in Clinical Candida albicans Isolates

“…[6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15] Recently, array technology opened a new dimension in the study of genome instability. Array comparative genomic hybridization (array CGH) allows the detection of genomic variations across a whole genome.…”

“…The instability of the chromosome copy number of entire chromosomes, as well as the large portions of chromosomes was extensively studied with laboratory and freshly isolated strains using pulse-field gene electrophoresis (PFGE) as reviewed by Rustchenko, 3) Rustchenko and Sherman, 4) and Selmecki et al 5) Combined with Southern blot analysis, PFGE allowed limited analysis of gene copy number, and also could be extended to the analysis of chromosome deletions and other rearrangements. [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15] Recently, array technology opened a new dimension in the study of genome instability. Array comparative genomic hybridization (array CGH) allows the detection of genomic variations across a whole genome.…”

Aneuploid Chromosomes Are Highly Unstable during DNA Transformation of Candida albicans

“…Classic studies followed cosegregation of multiple mutant alleles (79). Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis by contour-clamped homogeneous electric field (CHEF) of the C. albicans karyotype can detect chromosome sizes and the relative intensity of different chromosome bands, but because of genome rearrangements, including translocations (68,90), it requires Southern hybridization to verify assumptions about which gel bands correspond to which genome segments. Quantitative Southern blotting, although laborious, also can reveal alterations in relative copy number of different chromosomes (16).…”

Diversity of tandemly repetitive sequences due to short periodic repetitions in the chromosomes of Candida albicans

“…The variations in size of the genome of the pathogenic yeast Candida albicans have been studied extensively by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), and eight pairs of homologs have been distinguished in diploid strains (10,14,29,33). The PFGE profile also revealed that the size of each chromosome varies from strain to strain (10, 17-19, 23, 27).…”