Susceptibility to antifungal agents and enzymatic activity of Candida haemulonii and Cutaneotrichosporon dermatis isolated from soft corals on the Brazilian reefs.
Candida is a common fungus with the capacity to cause infections in humans. However, most studies have concentrated on clinical isolates and little is known about the identity, ecology and drug resistance of free living species/strains. Here, we isolate eight strains of Candida haemulonii and four strains of Cutaneotrichosporon dermatis from three marine cnidarian zoanthids species (Palythoa caribaeorum, Palythoa variabilis and Zoanthus sociatus) collected from Brazilian coral reefs. Strains were identified by sequencing of the D1/D2 domain LSU rDNA and ITS region. We tested these environmental isolates for their capacity to grow in media with increasing concentration of NaCl, capacity to grow in different temperatures, enzymatic activity and antifungal susceptibility. For C. haemulonii, all strains strongly produced gelatinase, esterase and albuminase and were either able to express lipase, phospholipase and keratinase, but not express urease and DNase. The strains were able to grow at 37 °C, but not at 39 °C, and except for LMS 40, all of them could grow in a 10 % NaCl medium. All isolates were resistant to all antifungals tested, with exception for ketoconazole and tioconazole (MIC = 2 µg/mL). For C. dermatis, all strains could grow at 39 °C and could not express phospholipase, keratinase or gelatinase. However, all were capable of expressing urease, lipase and esterase. Three out of four strains could grow in a 10 % NaCl medium, but none grew in a 30 % NaCl medium. The strains showed high values of minimal inhibitory concentration. LMPV 90 was resistant to tioconazole, terbinafine, fluconazole and posaconazole, and LMS 38 was resistant to all antifungal agents tested. We discuss the characterization of C. haemulonii and C. dermatis as a possible emerging pathogen due to its animal-related enzymatic arsenal and antifungal resistance.
Setor de Genética, ICBS, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Campus A. C. Simões, Av. Lourival Melo Mota, s/n, Tabuleiro dos Martins, Maceió, AL, CEP 57072-900, Brazil.|Programa de Pós-graduação em Diversidade Biológica e Conservação nos Trópicos, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Campus A. C. Simões, Av. Lourival Melo Mota, s/n, Maceió, AL, CEP 57072-900, Brazil.
Danielle M
DM
Pagani
Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, ICBS, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Sarmento Leite, 500, Porto Alegre, RS, CEP 90050-170, Brazil.|Programa de Pós-graduação em Medicina: Ciências Médicas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2400, Porto Alegre, RS, CEP 90035-003, Brazil.
Daiane
D
Heidrich
Setor de Genética, ICBS, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Campus A. C. Simões, Av. Lourival Melo Mota, s/n, Tabuleiro dos Martins, Maceió, AL, CEP 57072-900, Brazil.|Programa de Pós-graduação em Diversidade Biológica e Conservação nos Trópicos, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Campus A. C. Simões, Av. Lourival Melo Mota, s/n, Maceió, AL, CEP 57072-900, Brazil.
Gustavo V B
GV
Paulino
Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, ICBS, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Sarmento Leite, 500, Porto Alegre, RS, CEP 90050-170, Brazil.
Karine
K
de Oliveira Alves
Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, ICBS, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Sarmento Leite, 500, Porto Alegre, RS, CEP 90050-170, Brazil.
Paula T
PT
Dalbem
Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, ICBS, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Sarmento Leite, 500, Porto Alegre, RS, CEP 90050-170, Brazil.
Caroline F
CF
de Oliveira
Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, ICBS, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Sarmento Leite, 500, Porto Alegre, RS, CEP 90050-170, Brazil.
Zélia M M
ZM
Andrade
Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, ICBS, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Sarmento Leite, 500, Porto Alegre, RS, CEP 90050-170, Brazil.
Carolini
C
Silva
Setor de Comunidades Bentonicas, ICBS/LABMAR, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Rua Aristeu de Andrade, 452 - 2º andar, Farol, Maceió, AL, CEP 57051.090, Brazil.
Monica D
MD
Correia
Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, ICBS, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Sarmento Leite, 500, Porto Alegre, RS, CEP 90050-170, Brazil.|Programa de Pós-graduação em Medicina: Ciências Médicas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2400, Porto Alegre, RS, CEP 90035-003, Brazil.
Maria Lúcia
ML
Scroferneker
Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, ICBS, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Sarmento Leite, 500, Porto Alegre, RS, CEP 90050-170, Brazil.
Patricia
P
Valente
Setor de Genética, ICBS, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Campus A. C. Simões, Av. Lourival Melo Mota, s/n, Tabuleiro dos Martins, Maceió, AL, CEP 57072-900, Brazil. melissa.landell@gmail.com.
Melissa Fontes
MF
Landell
D000818:Animals; D037421:Anthozoa / Q000382:microbiology*; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001487:Basidiomycota / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001938:Brazil; D002175:Candida / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D026141:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Fungal; D004950:Esterases / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015725:Fluconazole / Q000494:pharmacology; D018093:Gelatinases / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006801:Humans; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009281:Naphthalenes / Q000494:pharmacology; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D000077291:Terbinafine; D014230:Triazoles / Q000494:pharmacology
D000935:Antifungal Agents; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D007093:Imidazoles; D009281:Naphthalenes; D014230:Triazoles; C101425:posaconazole; D015725:Fluconazole; D004950:Esterases; D018093:Gelatinases; D000077291:Terbinafine; C020527:tioconazole
Antifungal susceptibility; Candida haemulonii; Cutaneotrichosporon dermatis; Emerging pathogens; Enzyme production; Invertebrates