Differentiation of Malassezia furfur and Malassezia sympodialis by glycine utilization

The genus Malassezia has been revised to include six lipophilic species and one nonlipophilic species. These Malassezia species have been investigated to differentiate their morphological and physiological characteristics. However, assimilation of amino acids as a nitrogen source by these species was not well elucidated. In the present study, isolates of Malassezia species were examined with a glycine medium (containing 7-266 mmol glycine, 7.4 mmol KH₂PO₄, 4.1 mmol MgSO₄7H₂O, 29.6 mmol thiamine, 0.5% Tween-80 and 2% agar) and a modified Dixon glycine medium (0.6% peptone, 3.6% malt extract, 2% ox-bile, 1% Tween-40, 0.2% glycerol, 0.2% oleic acid, 7 mmol glycine and 2% agar). All M. furfur isolates developed on the glycine medium, assimilating glycine at concentrations of at least 7 mmol l^-1. However, the other six Malassezia species were unable to grow on the glycine medium. Also, many colonies of M. furfur grew rapidly, within 2-3 days on the modified Dixon glycine medium, although the other six species showed slow and poor development. From these results, it was suggested that M. furfur might be able to utilize glycine as a single nitrogen source, which the other Malassezia species could not. Therefore, glycine medium was recommended for the differentiation of M. furfur from other species of Malassezia.