Highly purified DNA-containing cell envelopes from fungi for direct use in PCR

Abstract

Efficient DNA sample preparation from fungi with the rigid cell walls is still critical for successful polymerase chain reaction (PCR), one of the basic platforms in molecular diagnostics of fungi, especially in medical mycology. Common methods that involve different chaotropes to yield DNA samples have found a limited application for fungi. Here we describe a novel procedure for efficient production of permeable fungal cell envelopes with DNA inside as suitable templates for PCR. This procedure is facile, relies on boiling of fungal cells in aqueous solutions of selected chaotropic agents and additives and enables to remove RNA and proteins from PCR template samples. The use of chaotropic solutions containing 7 M urea, 1% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), up to100 mM ammonia and/or 25 mM sodium citrate was the best option to yield highly purified DNA-containing cell envelopes from all fungal strains under study, including clinical Candida and Cryptococcusisolates. After treatment with the selected chaotropic mixtures, the fungal cell walls had undergone loosening and were no longer a barrier to release DNA in PCR as evident from electron microscopy examinations and successful target gene amplifications. Overall, the developed simple, fast, and low-cost approach to produce PCR-suitable templates in the form of DNA encased by permeable cell walls can find application in molecular diagnostics.

Keywords: DNA-Containing cell envelopes; Electron microscopy (TEM); Fungi; Neutral and alkaline chaotropic mixtures; Polymerase chain reaction (PCR).