Enzymatic characterization of Malassezia pachydermatis isolates from dogs

The yeast Malassezia pachydermatis is part of the normal cutaneous microflora of most homoeothermic vertebrates. However, under certain conditions as high humidity, seborrheic skin, corticotherapy and immunodeficiency, it can become pathogenic and cause dermatopathies. The pathogenic role of the genus Malassezia seems to be related to physical, chemical and immunological disturbances and to the production of enzymes, including lipases, phospholipases and hydrolases. The Api-Zym (R) system is a semi quantitative method designed for the study of 19 enzymatic activities of tissues, cell suspensions, biological fluids, microorganisms, soil and others. Herein, the use of the Api-Zym system in 30 M. pachydermatis isolates detected the presence of the phosphohydrolases: acid phosphatase and naphtol-AS-BI-phosphohydrolase among all isolates, independently of the clinical sign associated to the animal. The knowledge of the enzymatic profile of M. pachydermatis aims to contribute to the comprehension of the role of each enzyme in the pathogeny of this yeast.