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J. Clin. Microbiol. doi:10.1128/JCM.01243-07
Copyright (c) 2007, American Society for Microbiology and/or the Listed Authors/Institutions. All Rights Reserved.

A revised culture based identification system for Malassezia

Kanto Chemical Co., Inc., Marusan Bldg. 11-5, Nihonbashi Honcho, 3-Chome, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0023, Japan; Teikyo University Institute of Medical Mycology, 359 Otsuka, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0395, Japan; Department of Medical Technology, Kitasato University, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 228-8555, Japan; Department of Microbiology, Takinomiya General Hospital, 486 Takinomiya, Ryonan, Ayaka, Kagawa 761-2393, Japan; Kyoritsu Seiyaku Co. 1-12-4 Kudankita, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0073, Japan; Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Nihon University, 1866, Kameino, Fujisawa Kanagawa 252-8510, Japan; Meiji Pharmaceutical University, 2-522-1 Noshio, Kiyose, Tokyo 204-8588, Japan; Department of Dermatology, Teikyo University School of Medicine, 2-11-1 Kaga, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 173-8605, Japan; Laboratory of Microbiology and Immunology, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8519, Japan

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: makimura{at}main.teikyo-u.ac.jp.

	Abstract

Forty-six strains of Malassezia with atypical biochemical features were isolated from 366 fresh clinical isolates from human subjects and dogs. Two (4.7%) lipid-dependent isolates of M. pachydermatis, 1 (2.4%) precipitate-producing and 6 (14.6%) non-Cremophor EL-assimilating isolates of M. furfur, 37 (34.3%) esculin-hydrolyzing, 17 (15.7%) non-tolerant of 40°C, and 2 (1.9%) Cremophor EL-assimilating isolates of M. slooffiae were obtained in this study. Although their colony morphology or size were characteristic on CHROMagar Malassezia medium (CHROM), all strains of M. furfur developed large pale pink and wrinkled colonies, and all strains of M. slooffiae developed small pale pink colonies (<1 mm) on CHROM. Those atypical strains were distinguished by their colony appearance on CHROM. Three clinically important Malassezia species—M. globosa, M. restricta, and M. furfur—were correctly identified by their biochemical characteristics and colony morphology. The results presented here indicate that our proposed identification system will be useful as a routine tool for the identification of clinically important Malassezia species in clinical laboratories.