Rapid Mini-Preparation of Fungal DNA for PCR

Nucleic acid detection methods such as PCR have become a common tool for microbial identification and diagnosis. Although PCR amplification can be performed directly for various microbial cultures, for filamentous fungi and yeasts, prior isolation of DNA is often preferred. As the DNA extraction process eliminates many unknown interfering substances present in the biological material, it plays an important role in ensuring consistent test results. Toward this end, considerable efforts have been made to enable improved DNA preparation from fungi (1-3). Many of these methods rely on using a grinder (with or without liquid nitrogen) for initial breaking up of the mycelia. This is a significant handicap when dealing with a large number of samples.