ISHAM Internal Transcribed Spacer Database

The currently used identification methods of agents causing human mycoses have serious limitations, are time consuming and require special trained personal. However to enable an informed choice for proper anti-fungal treatment an adequate identification at the specific level is necessary. DNA sequencing is an alternative to classical fungal identification. The Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) regions of the ribosomal DNA gene cluster is now widely used in clinical laboratories for fungal species identification. We have generated quality controlled ITS sequence data representing the actual sequence variation found in a species.

Thanks to eleven contributing research groups from all around the world the database currently contains more than 3200 sequences representing 524 human/animal pathogenic fungal species. Users are encouraged to submit their full dataset to the curators of the database, to enable the build up of comprehensive global ITS database of clinically important fungal pathogens.

Diagnosis – research resources