Molecular Characterization of Malassezia Species Isolated from Dog with and Without Otitis and Seborrhoeic Dermatitis

The lipophilic yeasts of the genus Malassezia are opportunistic microorganisms of the skin microflora, but they can be agents of various dermatomycoses. In this study, random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD)-PCR technique was applied to the genetic typing of Malassezia species isolated from dog with otitis and seborrhoeic dermatitis and healthy dog. The analysis of electrophoretic profiles on 1/5% agarose gel showed a total 890 clearly amplified PCR band in 176 different positions. The phenogram constructed from the pairwise similarity among all Malassezia isolates demonstrated that the tested isolates of Malassezia are grouped into 22 distinct groups. This study was able to assess some DNA polymorphism of different Malassezia isolates in dogs. The detection of these differences between the RAPD band patterns from dogs observed could facilitate the monitoring of spread and pathogenicity of Malassezia infections in these animals.