title: An atypical, pigment-producing Metschnikowia strain from a leukaemia patient.
abstract: A yeast strain was isolated from the sputum sample of a leukaemia patient in the Spirito Santo Hospital of Pescara, Italy. The fungus produced a pigment that formed a reddish halo around colonies, and was identified and deposited as a Metschnikowia spp. (accession number IHEM 25107-GenBank accession number JQ921016) in the BCCM/IHEM collection of biomedical fungi and yeasts (Bruxelles, Belgium). Although the physiology of the strain was close to that of Metschnikowia sinensis, the D1/D2 sequence did not correspond to any previously described Metschnikowia species. Phylogeny of the genus Metschnikowia is complex and requires far more analysis. We present the first non-M. pulcherrima Metschnikowia spp. isolate recovered from a human, and emphasize the role of man as a transient carrier of environmental yeasts, the pathogenicity of which still needs to be defined.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Microbiology and Virology, Spirito Santo Hospital, Pescara, PE, Italy. vincenzo_savini@libero.it
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Savini
authors.forename: Marijke
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hendrickx
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sisti
authors.forename: Gioviana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Masciarelli
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Favaro
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fontana
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pitzurra
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Arzeni
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Astolfi
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Catavitello
authors.forename: Ennio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Polilli
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Farina
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fazii
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: D'Antonio
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stubbe
mesh_terms: D000666:Amphotericin B / Q000494:pharmacology; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D015725:Fluconazole / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D007938:Leukemia / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D055163:Metschnikowia / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009181:Mycoses / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D010860:Pigments, Biological / Q000378:metabolism; D011719:Pyrazines / Q000378:metabolism*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology; D065819:Voriconazole / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D004271:DNA, Fungal; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D010860:Pigments, Biological; D011719:Pyrazines; D000666:Amphotericin B; D015725:Fluconazole; C009108:pulcherriminic acid; D065819:Voriconazole