Open AccessMolecular epidemiology, in vitro susceptibility and exoenzyme screening of Malassezia clinical isolates
Author(s) -
Wei Li,
Ziwei Zhang,
Yun Luo,
Ning Liang,
Xiao-Xue Pi,
YiMing Fan
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of medical microbiology/journal of medical microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.91
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1473-5644
pISSN - 0022-2615
DOI - 10.1099/jmm.0.001161
Subject(s) - exoenzyme , malassezia , microbiology and biotechnology , molecular epidemiology , biology , in vitro , epidemiology , medicine , bacteria , genetics , pathology , gene , genotype
. Malassezia folliculitis (MF) and pityriasis versicolor (PV) are common dermatoses caused by Malassezia species. Their molecular epidemiology, drug susceptibility and exoenzymes are rarely reported in China. Aim. To investigate the molecular epidemiology, drug susceptibility and enzymatic profile of Malassezia clinical isolates. Methodology. Malassezia strains were recovered from MF and PV patients and healthy subjects (HS) and identified by sequencing analysis. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of nine antifungals (posaconazole, voriconazole, itraconazole, fluconazole, ketoconazole, miconazole, bifonazole, terbinafine and caspofungin) and tacrolimus, the interactions between three antifungals (itraconazole, ketoconazole and terbinafine) and tacrolimus, and the extracellular enzyme profile were evaluated using broth and checkerboard microdilution and the Api-Zym system, respectively. Results. Among 392 Malassezia isolates from 729 subjects (289 MF, 218 PV and 222 HS), Malassezia furfur and Malassezia globosa accounted for 67.86 and 18.88 %, respectively. M. furfur was the major species in MF and PV patients and HS. Among 60 M . furfur and 50 M . globosa strains, the MICs for itraconazole, posaconazole, voriconazole and ketoconazole were <1 μg ml −1 . M. furfur was more susceptible to itraconazole, terbinafine and bifonazole but tolerant to miconazole compared with M. globosa ( P <0.05). Synergistic effects between terbinafine and itraconazole or between tacrolimus and itraconazole, ketoconazole or terbinafine occurred in 6, 7, 6 and 9 out of 37 strains, respectively. Phosphatases, lipases and proteases were mainly secreted in 51 isolates. Conclusions. Itraconazole, posaconazole, voriconazole and ketoconazole are theagents against which there is greatest susceptibility. Synergistic effects between terbinafine and itraconazole or tacrolimas and antifungals may be irrelevant to clinical application. Overproduction of lipases could enhance the skin inhabitation of M. furfur .