Physiological and molecular characterization of atypical lipid-dependent Malassezia yeasts from a dog with skin lesions: adaptation to a new host?

C. Cafarchia, M.S. Latrofa, L.A. Figueredo, M.L. da Silva Machado, L. Ferreiro, J. Guillot, T. Boekhout, D. Otranto

    Research output: Contribution to journal/periodicalArticleScientificpeer-review

    20 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Three lipid-dependent Malassezia isolates (here named 114A, 114B and 114C) recovered from a dog with skin lesions were phenotypically and genotypically characterized. All presented ovoid cells and buds formed on a narrow base. Most of the results from physiological tests were consistent with those of Malassezia furfur. The phylogenetic analysis of ITS-1 and LSU nucleotide sequences was concordant in placing all three clinical Malassezia isolates close to M. furfur. However, the phylogenetic data on the chs-2 sequence revealed that clinical isolate 114A is distinct from M. furfur and was closely affiliated to the sequence of M. pachydermatis with high nodal support. In particular, lipid-dependent isolates 114A displayed chs-2 sequences similar (100%) to that of the non-lipid dependent species Malassezia pachydermatis. The presence of the genetic and physiological polymorphisms detected in these three isolates of M. furfur could have resulted from a process of adaptation of this anthropophilic species to a new host. [KEYWORDS: Adaptation, Biological ,Amino Acid Sequence ,Animals ,Cell Nucleus ,Chitin Synthase/*genetics ,DNA, Fungal/genetics ,DNA, Ribosomal Spacer/genetics ,Dermatomycoses/microbiology/*veterinary ,Dog Diseases/*microbiology ,Dogs ,Female ,Genes, Fungal ,Glycerol/analogs & derivatives ,Malassezia/classification/genetics/*isolation & purification ,Molecular Sequence Data ,Phylogeny]
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)365-374
    JournalMedical Mycology
    Volume49
    Issue number4
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2011

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