Table 1.
Routine phenotypic characterization of 14 Malassezia species based on their identifiable physiological and biochemical propertiesa
| Malassezia species | Presence of growth on: |
Test result |
Reference | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SDA at 32°C | mDA |
Tween utilization |
Cremophor EL utilization | β-Glucosidase | Catalase | |||||||
| 32°C | 37°C | 40°C | Tween 20 | Tween 40 | Tween 60 | Tween 80 | ||||||
| M. furfur | − | + | + | + | +/IGP | +/IGP | +/IGP | +/IGP | +/− IGP | +/− IGP | +/− IGP | 129 |
| M. sympodialis | − | + | + | + | −/± | + | + | + | −/± | + | + | 129 |
| M. globosa | − | + | −/± | − | − | −/IGP | −/IGP | − | − | − | + | 129 |
| M. restricta | − | + | v | − | − | −/IGP | −/IGP | − | − | − | − | 129 |
| M. obtusa | − | + | −/± | − | − | − | − | − | − | + | + | 129 |
| M. slooffiae | − | + | + | + | +/± | + | + | −/± | − | − | + | 129 |
| M. dermatis | − | + | + | + | + | + | + | +/± | +/± | NE | + | 288 |
| M. japonica | − | + | + | − | − | ± | + | − | NE | NE | + | 287 |
| M. nana | − | + | + | v | v | + | + | ± | − | − | + | 147 |
| M. yamatoensis | − | + | + | − | + | + | + | + | NE | NE | + | 285 |
| M. equina | − | + | ± | − | ± | + | +/IGP | +/IGP | − | − | + | 38 |
| M. caprae | − | + | −/± | − | −/IGP | +/IGP | +/IGP | +/− IGP | − | +/− IGP | + | 38 |
| M. cuniculi | − | +/± | + | + | − | − | − | − | − | + | + | 39 |
| M. pachydermatis | +/± | + | + | + | +/IGP | + | + | + | +/IGP | +/− IGP | +/± | 129 |
a
SDA, Sabouraud dextrose agar (also referred to as glucose peptone agar [GPA] by several authors; mDA, modified Dixon's agar; SDA, Dixon's agar supplemented with water-soluble lipids, such as Tweens and Cremophor EL, to identify lipophilic and lipid-dependent Malassezia species; ±, weak growth; v, variable; IGP, inconsistent growth pattern (rarely observed); NE, not evaluated (in the description of this species).