RAPD techniques is a useful tool to distinguish Penicillium species

Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis was used to evaluate genetic diversity among 13 soil Pénicillium strains originating from widely dispersed areas. Twenty one of the 34 synthetic random primers were found to identify polymorphism in amplification products. The results show a high level of diversity of RAPD markers among the strains. All the strains could be identified by their characteristic amplification profile, using selected random primers. This suggests that RAPD analysis is a useful and reliable assay for characterizing the species of Pénicillium genus.