Article

Genetic variability of astaxanthin-producing yeasts: random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis of Phaffia rhodozyma and Xanthopyllomyces dendrorhous

Zsuzsanna Palágyi¹, Tamás Papp¹, Miklós Takó², Ágnes Nagy², Miklós Pesti², Csaba Vágvölgyi¹*

¹Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary, and ²Department of General and Environmental Microbiology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary

Astaxanthin (3,3'-dihydroxy-b,b-carotene-4,4'-dione)-accumulating yeasts are of great biotechnological interest. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis involving 5 primers and 13 astaxanthin-producing yeast strains was performed. Cluster analysis based on RAPD markers differentiated isolates of Xanthopyllomyces dendrorhous (self-sporulating) and Phaffia rhodozyma (asexual) at an intraspecific level. Strains considered to be derived from the same isolate, but which had had different strain histories, revealed significant differences in their RAPD patterns. The applicability of RAPD analysis for the species-level differentiation of these yeasts is discussed.

Acta Biol Szeged 48(1-4):35-38 (2004) PDF

Key Words: astaxanthin, genetic variability, Phaffia rhodozyma, RAPD, Xanthopyllomyces dendrorhous

*Corresponding author. E-mail: csaba@bio.u-szeged.hu