PHENOTYPIC CHARACTERISTICS OF MEDICALLY IMPORTANT TRICHOSPORON ISOLATED FROM DIFFERENT CLINICAL SAMPLES

Trichosporon is basidiomycete yeast typically related to supercial infections to invasive infections, in immunocompromised patients. Treating patients with trichosporonosis remains a mission because they do not respond to typically used antifungals. In this study, 82 IGS-1 sequence conrmed clinical isolates of Trichosporon spp. were characterized using phenotypic methods. The isolates were studied for macro, micromorphology, biochemical and physical tests along with growth on two different concentrations of cycloheximide. Colony morphologies were seen in seven different types: 84 percent T. asahii isolates were mostly white to off white, powdery, ceribriform with irregular folds colonies, whereas 10% of isolates were dry, wrinkled, and fringed. Other colony forms found were mucoid, smooth, umbonate, and convex belonged to T. inkin, Cu. dermatis, T. asteroides & T. loubieri. There were also some unique traits observed, such as media surface cracking, appressoria, and chains of arthroconidia. All the isolates hydrolyzed urea, and none of them fermented carbohydrates, merely assimilated them. Phenotypic approaches were used to identify the Trichosporon isolates up to the species level with 100% condence. However, genotypic characterization must be used for rapid identication.