Virulence markers of opportunistic black yeast in Exophiala
Date
2016Author
Tumgor, Aysegul
Gumral, Ramazan
DÖĞEN, AYLİN
Ilkit, Macit
de Hoog, G. Sybren
Kiraz, Nuri
Sav, Hafize
Ozakkas, Fatma
Altinbas, Rabiye
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The black yeast genus Exophiala is known to cause a wide variety of diseases in severely ill individuals but can also affect immunocompetent individuals. Virulence markers and other physiological parameters were tested in eight clinical and 218 environmental strains, with a specific focus on human-dominated habitats for the latter. Urease and catalase were consistently present in all samples; four strains expressed proteinase and three strains expressed DNase, whereas none of the strains showed phospholipase, haemolysis, or co-haemolysis activities. Biofilm formation was identified in 30 (13.8%) of the environmental isolates, particularly in strains from dishwashers, and was noted in only two (25%) of the clinical strains. These results indicate that virulence factors are inconsistently present in the investigated Exophiala species, suggesting opportunism rather than pathogenicity.
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