Practical method for detection and identification of Candida, Aspergillus, and Scedosporium spp. by use of rolling-circle amplification.

A sensitive rolling-circle amplification (RCA)-based method utilizing species-specific padlock probes targeted to the internal transcribed spacer 2 region of the fungal ribosomal DNA gene complex was developed. The assay was rapid (2 hours) and specific. Of 28 fungal isolates (16 of Candida, six of Aspergillus, and six of Scedosporium spp.), all were all identified correctly.