Serological methods for taxonomic and diagnostic research of yeasts

Yeast species are in general identified by their morphological characteristics and biochemical properties, such as fermentation of certain carbohydrates and the use of carbon or nitrogen compounds for growth. These methods, however, are mostly time-consuming and the results are not always unambiguous. Since a number of decades serological methods are also used for the classification of yeasts and for the diagnosis of mycoses caused by yeasts. Antibodies raised against specific antigenic structures on the surface of yeast and fungal cells or directed against antigens released by the living microorganism were shown to be important tools in classification and diagnostic tests.When yeast extracts are used instead of whole cells, several factors such as time of cultivation, source of material and extraction procedure can influence the composition of the antigenic extract, as will be demonstrated on the basis of work on Aspergillus fumigatus. Different procedures which are used for classification and diagnosis, such as agglutination tests, immunodiffusion tests and electrophoresis tests, will be presented. Additionally, the advantages and limitations of the different tests will be discussed