pulcherriminic-acid and Leukemia

A yeast strain was isolated from the sputum sample of a leukaemia patient in the Spirito Santo Hospital of Pescara, Italy. The fungus produced a pigment that formed a reddish halo around colonies, and was identified and deposited as a Metschnikowia spp. (accession number IHEM 25107-GenBank accession number JQ921016) in the BCCM/IHEM collection of biomedical fungi and yeasts (Bruxelles, Belgium). Although the physiology of the strain was close to that of Metschnikowia sinensis, the D1/D2 sequence did not correspond to any previously described Metschnikowia species. Phylogeny of the genus Metschnikowia is complex and requires far more analysis. We present the first non-M. pulcherrima Metschnikowia spp. isolate recovered from a human, and emphasize the role of man as a transient carrier of environmental yeasts, the pathogenicity of which still needs to be defined.

Topics: Amphotericin B; Antifungal Agents; Base Sequence; DNA, Fungal; DNA, Ribosomal; Fluconazole; Humans; Italy; Leukemia; Male; Metschnikowia; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Molecular Sequence Data; Mycoses; Phylogeny; Pigments, Biological; Pyrazines; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Sputum; Voriconazole