Molecular identification and phylogenetical analysis of dermatophyte fungi from Latin America

Dermatophytes constitute a complex group of fungi, comprised of by the genera Trichophyton, Epidermophyton and Microsporum. They have the ability to degrade keratin and cause human and animal infections. Molecular techniques have made their identification faster and more accurate, and allowed important advances in phylogenetic studies. We aim to identify molecularly and to determine the phylogenetic relationships in dermatophyte fungi from Brazil and other Latin American countries, using DNA sequencing of the nuclear ribosome regions ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 and D1/D2. DNA of 45 dermatophytes was extracted and amplified by PCR for identification at the species level by sequencing of those ribosomal regions. The software mega 6.0 was used to establish the phylogenetic relationships via the Maximum Likelihood method. Out of 45 strains, 43 were identified by ITS (95.5%) and 100% by D1/D2 sequencing. Two strains could not be identified by ITS. Phylogenetic analyses separated the genera Trichophyton and Microsporum, which presented an uncertain relationship with Epidermophyton floccosum, depending on the ribosomal marker. Both regions can provide efficient identification of dermatophytes, whereas phylogenetic analysis revealed complex relations among dermatophyte fungi.