title: Advances in the identification of Malassezia.
abstract: Members of the genus Malassezia are lypophilic and/or lipid-dependent, unipolar budding yeasts that can become pathogenic under the influence of particular predisposing factors (e.g., changes in the cutaneous microenvironment and/or alterations in host defences). This genus comprises at least 14 species, which have been identified traditionally based on their morphology and biochemical features. However, phenetic characteristics often do not allow the identification or delineation of closely related Malassezia spp., such that molecular tools need to be used to assist in fundamental studies of the epidemiology and ecology of Malassezia as well as aspects of the pathogenesis and disease caused by members of this genus. This article briefly reviews the morphological and biochemical methods commonly used for the identification of Malassezia as well as DNA technological methods that have been established for the specific identification of members of this genus and the diagnosis of their infections. New avenues for the development of improved molecular-diagnostic methods to overcome diagnostic limitations and to underpin fundamental investigations of this interesting group of yeasts are proposed.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica e Zootecnia, Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria, Università di Bari, Str. prov. le per Casamassima Km 3, 70010 Valenzano, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cafarchia
authors.forename: Robin B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Gasser
authors.forename: Luciana A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Figueredo
authors.forename: Maria Stefania
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Latrofa
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Otranto
mesh_terms: D003470:Culture Media; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D003881:Dermatomycoses / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D005819:Genetic Markers; D014644:Genetic Variation; D016681:Genome, Fungal; D006801:Humans; D008290:Malassezia / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D004271:DNA, Fungal; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D005819:Genetic Markers