Molecular identification and pathogenicity confirmation of multi-azole resistant Malassezia species isolated from dandruff infected individuals prevailing in Mysuru, India.

Worldwide distribution of dandruff associated scalp infections is caused by lipophilic Malassezia spp. This rationale lead the study to investigate the prevalence and etiologic species in a cross-sectional study involving 300 subjects who visited dermatology hospitals to seek treatment in K.R. Hospital, JSS Hospital and CSI Holdsworth Memorial Mission Hospital, Mysuru region, Karnataka, India. With the consent of participants, dandruff flakes samples were collected. The presence of Malassezia spp. were assessed by morphological and biochemical characterization, where six major yeast groups M. furfur (36%), M. globosa (21%), M. restricta (18%), M. sympodialis (12%), M. japonica (8%) and M. obtusa (5%) causing dandruff were found to be present in 79.6% of collected test samples. High resistant patterns to antimycotic data of minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC90) to Fluconazole, Ketoconazole and Miconazole indicated the emergence of multi azole resistant Malassezia spp. The isolates being pathogenic was hemolysis positive. The dandruff specific isolates M. furfur, M. restricta and M. globosa exhibited typical phospholipase activity indicating the pan-genome attributes for inducing severe itching along with scalp infections in infected individuals. It was evident from SEM data that Malassezia spp. had characteristics of yeast like structure with collarets appearing during blastospore formation. Further with M13RAPD-PCR, ITS-PCR, epidemiological specificity and genotypic relatedness of isolates to Malassezia spp. was confirmed and 18S rDNA sequences were submitted to NCBI database with the accession numbers PP189840 to PP189845. The data acquired during study can be of prime diagnostic method for timely management and accurate analysis of dandruff caused by Malassezia spp. at global settings.