• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.637-644
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• 2021

Malassezia is the most abundant genus in the fungal microflora found on human skin, and it is associated with various skin diseases. Among the 18 different species of Malassezia that have been identified to date, M. restricta and M. globosa are the most predominant fungal species found on human skin. Several studies have suggested a possible link between Malassezia and skin disorders. However, our knowledge on the physiology and pathogenesis of Malassezia in human body is still limited. Malassezia is unable to synthesize fatty acids; hence, it uptakes external fatty acids as a nutrient source for survival, a characteristic compensated by the secretion of lipases and degradation of sebum to produce and uptake external fatty acids. Although it has been reported that the activity of secreted lipases may contribute to pathogenesis of Malassezia, majority of the data were indirect evidences; therefore, enzymes' role in the pathogenesis of Malassezia infections is still largely unknown. This review focuses on the recent advances on Malassezia in the context of an emerging interest for lipases and summarizes the existing knowledge on Malassezia, diseases associated with the fungus, and the role of the reported lipases in its physiology and pathogenesis.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.130-135
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• 2010

Malassezia (M.) is a member of normal mycobiota in warm-blooded vertebrates. Increased humidity is likely to be crucial in this infection. We studied the proportion of the species infected in dog during summer of Korea. Fifty samples were analyzed by PCR-RFLP and direct sequencing from June 2006 to October 2006. The study showed that lipid-dependent species was main pathogen (M. furfur; 86%, M. obtusa; 10%) while M. pachydermatis (4%) has only small portion. This result suggests that Malassezia infection has endemic characters that can be affected by the climate (temperature and humidity) in dogs.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.319-328
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• 2023

Malassezia and Staphylococcus are the most dominant genera in human skin microbiome. To explore the inter-kingdom interactions between the two genera, we examined the transcriptional changes in Malassezia and Staphylococcus species induced upon co-culturing. RNA-seq analyses revealed that genes encoding ribosomal proteins were upregulated, while those encoding aspartyl proteases were downregulated in M. restricta after co-culturing with Staphylococcus species. We identified MRET_3770 as a major secretory aspartyl protease coding gene in M. restricta through pepstatin-A affinity chromatography followed by mass spectrometry and found that the expression of MRET_3770 was significantly repressed upon co-culturing with Staphylococcus species or by incubation in media with reduced pH. Moreover, biofilm formation by Staphylococcus aureus was inhibited in the spent medium of M. restricta, suggesting that biomolecules secreted by M. restricta such as secretory aspartyl proteases may degrade the biofilm structure. We also examined the transcriptional changes in S. aureus co-cultured with M. restricta and found co-cultured S. aureus showed increased expression of genes encoding ribosomal proteins and downregulation of those involved in riboflavin metabolism. These transcriptome data of co-cultured fungal and bacterial species demonstrate a dynamic interplay between the two co-existing genera.

• Journal of Mycology and Infection
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.91-98
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• 2018

Background: Malassezia, a lipophilic yeast, is a causative agent for dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis. Many biological agents have been studied for anti-Malassezia effect but further studies are needed for their clinical application. Objective: The study was conducted to evaluate the inhibitory effect of different natural essential oils and a fruit extract on Malassezia species in an in vitro study and a clinical trial. Methods: The antifungal effects of natural essential oils and a fruit extract on Malassezia species (M. furfur and M. sympodialis) were evaluated by measuring the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) and using the disc diffusion method. Natural essential oils of citron seed, lavender, and rosemary and citrus junos fruit extract were used for the in vitro study. The clinical trial was conducted with a shampoo containing four ingredients. A total of 22 subjects used the shampoo every day for 4 weeks and were evaluated using clinical photography, trichoscopy, and sebumeter at baseline, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks after treatment. Results: Antifungal activity of agents was relatively lower in lavender and rosemary essential oils at MIC and MFC. Disc diffusion method revealed same results. In the clinical trial, the amount of sebum decreased statistically significantly and erythema, dandruff, and lesion extent also improved. Conclusion: The natural essential oils and fruit extract are effective for suppressing Malassezia activity, therefore these might be used as an alternative for treatment of dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.29-34
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• 2009

Fifty seven species of common seaweed from the coast of Korea were screened for antifungal activity against Malassezia species. Seaweeds as a source of bioactive compounds are able to produce a great variety of secondary metabolites with different activities. There are numerous reports on the biological activities of seaweeds against human pathogens, fungi, and yeasts, but only few contain data regarding inhibitory effects against Malassezia sp., a major cause of dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis. To help address this paucity of information, this work was carried out to examine the antifungal effects of seaweed extracts against M. furfur and M. restricta. Of the fifty seven species of marine algae screened for their potential antifungal activity, only 17 species (29.8%) exhibited inhibitory activity. In agar disc diffusion method, the ether extracts of Corallina pilulifera, Enteromorpha linza, Laminaria japonica, Symphyocladia latiuscula and Ulva sp. showed strong antifungal activity. To identify major constituents in seaweed extracts, four selected extracts were analyzed on' a GC-MS equipped with a flame ionization detector, and compared to spectral data from databases WILEY229.LIB and NIST107.LIB. Most constituents in seaweed extracts are fatty acid-related compounds. When we evaluated any acute toxicity, the ether extracts of the selected four species were not toxic in mice. According to these results, it can be suggested that these seaweed extracts are valuable for the development of therapeutic agents in treating dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis. Further investigations to determine its bioactive compound(s) are currently in progress.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.19 no.3 s.31
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• pp.118-133
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• 2006

Seborrheic dermatitis is characterized by the appearance of red, flacking, greasy lesions in regions rich in sebaceous glands. There are various opinions about the relation between seborrheic dermatitis and dandruff. Considering all available data, we consider seborrheic dermatitis and dandruff to be differing severity manifestations of similar origin. The known etiologies of seborrheic dermatitis are the abnormality of lipid and hormnes, Malassezia species, immune response. We recently focus on the relation between seborrheic dermatitis and HIV positive and AIDS patients, seborrheic dermatitis and neurological disease. The treatments of seborrheic dermatitis include topical treatments, oral treatments. There are non-specific agents, antifungal medication, corticosteroids in the topical treatments. Narrow band UVB and oral medications are known as the prophylaxis of seborrheic dermatitis but we need further study. In traditional korean medicine, the literature studies and case reports have been published. But we don't know what herbal medicine has antifungal effect against Malassezia species. So we should discriminate herbal medicines which have antifungal effect against Malassezia specieses. Then we could treat seborreic dermatitis by traditional korean medicine effectively.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.303-305
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• 2009

A 7-month-old, female miniature pig was presented with excessive cerumen and pruritus. Greasy brown cerumen in both exteranal ear canal and sporadic head shaking were observed in the physical examination. Numerous budding yeasts in the cerumen were examined on microscopic examination. For species identification, PCR-RFLP using incubated colony on modified Dixon's medium was performed and finally, causative yeast was identified as M. furfur.

• Journal of Mycology and Infection
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.111-114
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• 2018

A 19-year-old woman presented with an asymptomatic cutaneous discoloration on her nape. Dermatological examination revealed localized dark brown to dark pigmented velvety macules and patches. She denied a past medical history, except for a 7-kg weight gain over a 6-months period. Histopathologically, the specimen showed hyperkeratosis, epidermal hyperplasia, mild acanthosis, and papillomatosis. In addition, keratin material and fungal spore were noted between the papilloma ridges. Periodic acid-Schiff special stain showed a positive result for the fungal spore in the horny layer. She was treated with a daily oral dose of terbinafine and topical flutrimazole. After 12 weeks of treatment, she is currently under observation without pigmentation and adverse effect. We considered the initial diagnosis as acanthosis nigricans because of weight gain, similar clinical features, and histological findings. However, the final diagnosis was hyperkeratotic head and neck Malassezia dermatosis considering the presence of yeast and the dramatic improvement after antifungal treatment. To the best of our knowledge, hyperkeratotic head and neck Malassezia dermatosis is not well characterized in the literature. It is an unusual variant of pityriasis versicolor. The skin lesion appears brown to dark, scaly, and hyperkeratotic macules and patches located on the face and neck. Here, we reported an unusual case of hyperkeratotic head and neck Malassezia dermatosis.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.180-187
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• 2023

The skin is a dynamic ecosystem on which diverse microbes reside. The interkingdom interaction between microbial species in the skin microbiota is thought to influence the health and disease of the skin although the roles of the intra- and interkingdom interactions remain to be elucidated. In this context, the interactions between Malassezia and Staphylococcus, the most dominant microorganisms in the skin microbiota, have gained attention. This study investigated how the interaction between Malassezia and Staphylococcus affected the antifungal susceptibility of the fungus to the azole antifungal drug ketoconazole. The susceptibility was significantly decreased when Malassezia was co-cultured with Staphylococcus. We found that acidification of the environment by organic acids produced by Staphylococcus influenced the decrease of the ketoconazole susceptibility of M. restricta in the co-culturing condition. Furthermore, our data demonstrated that the significant increased ergosterol content and cell membrane and wall thickness of the M. restricta cells grown in the acidic environment may be the main cause of the altered azole susceptibility of the fungus. Overall, our study suggests that the interaction between Malassezia and Staphylococcus influences the antifungal susceptibility of the fungus and that pH has a critical role in the polymicrobial interaction in the skin environment.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.47-52
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• 2010

The Malassezia fungi are responsible for various human skin disorders including dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis. Of the Malassezia fungi, Malassezia globosa (M. globosa) is one of the most common in human scalp. The completed genome sequence of M. globosa contains four putative cytochrome P450 genes. To determine the roles of Malassezia P450 enzymes in the biosynthesis of ergosterol, we isolated MGL3996 gene from M. globosa chromosomal DNA by PCR. The MGL3996 gene encodes an enzyme of 616 amino acids, which shows strong similarity with known CYP52s of other species. MGL3996 gene was cloned and expressed in Pichia pastoris (P. pastoris) heterologous yeast expression system. Using the yeast microsomes expressing MGL3996 protein, a typical P450 CO-difference spectrum was shown with absorption maximum at 448 nm. SDS-PAGE analysis revealed a protein band of apparent molecular weight 69 kDa and Western blot with anti-histidine tag antibody showed that MGL3996 was successfully expressed in P. pastoris. Cloning and expression of a new P450 gene is an important step to study the P450 monooxygenase system of M. globosa and to understand the role of P450 enzymes in pathophysiology of dandruff.