FIG. 9.

Dermatophyte and dimorphic fungal pathogens are phylogenetically related based on alpha domain and HMG genes. The phylogenetic organization of M. gypseum, M. canis, T. equinum, T. tonsurans, T. rubrum, H. capsulatum, C. immitis, C. posadasii, P. brasiliensis, and closely related species in the Ascomycota based on the amino acid sequences encoded by the alpha domain gene (left) and HMG domain gene (right) was generated by using Mega 4.1 software. The phylogenetic classification of these fungal species based on the protein sequences of alpha domain and HMG domain genes is highly similar but differs from those based on 18S and 25S rDNA sequences in which the dermatophytes were clearly separated from the dimorphic fungi (2, 34).