title: Isolation, characterization, and antifungal susceptibility of melanin-deficient mutants of Scedosporium prolificans.
abstract: Scedosporium prolificans mutants lacking the ability to synthesize melanin were selected after ultraviolet light (UV) irradiation. UV exposure of S. prolificans conidia resulted in a high frequency of melanin-deficient (mel-) mutants. Stable and non-stable morphological variants were found in the population: reversion of the mutant phenotype was always to the wild-type phenotype. Based on their morphological differences, these variants were classified into five different groups that were phenotypically characterized. The mel- mutants plus the wild-type strain were examined for in vitro susceptibility to antifungal agents with different and/or the same mechanism of action. There was no apparent difference in minimum inhibitory concentrations when comparing the wild-type and the mel- mutants. Therefore, melanin does not appear to confer protection against the more important antifungal agents in S. prolificans.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Unidad de Micología, Ctra. Majadahonda-Pozuelo km 2, 28220 Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain. beatriz.ruiz@ccma.csic.es
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Díez
authors.forename: Joaquín V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Martínez-Suárez
mesh_terms: D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D025141:Drug Resistance, Fungal; D008543:Melanins / Q000235:genetics*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009154:Mutation; D010641:Phenotype; D021681:Scedosporium / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000528:radiation effects; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D008543:Melanins