Molecular characterization of Malassezia nana isolates from cats.
Malassezia nana (M. nana) is a lipid-dependent yeast that has been isolated from cats and cows. Some sequence variability has been observed in the large subunit (LSU) and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions between strains isolated from cats and cows though these regions in M. nana isolates from cats alone have proven to be relatively conserved. In the present study, microsatellite PCR fingerprinting and β-tubulin gene sequence analysis were carried out on M. nana isolates from cats to investigate the genetic diversity of this species. Although a relatively small number of isolates were available, the similarity in the sequences of the β-tubulin and the microsatellite profiles indicate that a particular M. nana genotype colonizes cats. Moreover, all isolates obtained from animals with otitis externa had the same microsatellite fingerprinting pattern. Further studies of a wider population of M. nana isolates from other hosts and status disease are needed to establish that M. nana is a genetically homogeneous species. This is the first report of the characterization of the β-tubulin gene in Malassezia spp.
Castellá
Gemma
G
Veterinary Mycology Group, Department of Animal Health and Anatomy, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain. Gemma.Castella@uab.es
De Bellis
Filippo
F
Bond
Ross
R
Cabañes
F Javier
FJ
D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats / Q000382:microbiology*; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000235:genetics; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D008290:Malassezia / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014404:Tubulin / Q000235:genetics*
D004271:DNA, Fungal; D014404:Tubulin