DNA restriction enzyme fragment polymorphism as a tool for rapid differentiation ofAspergillus flavus fromAspergillus oryzae

Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus oryzae are difficult to differentiate using standard morphologically based characteristics. This survey, using several restriction enzymes, showed that Sma I digestions of total DNA could be used to differentiate these two closely related species of Aspergillus . A different electrophoretic pattern was associated with each of the two species, while within a species the pattern remained constant. CsCl banding of DNA from one isolate of each species indicated the DNA that produced the species-specific pattern was associated with the nuclear DNA fraction.