Malassezia Species Isolated from Avian Carcasses in a Japanese Zoo, and the Description of Malassezia phoenicopteridarum sp. nov.

Studies on the diversity of lipid-dependent Malassezia yeast that colonize avian hosts remain limited. In this study, we investigated Malassezia species diversity by sampling cerumen from 12 carcasses (representing 10 species across eight genera and four families) housed in a Japanese zoo. Using culture-based and molecular phylogenetic methods, four Malassezia strains were isolated from a lesser flamingo and a toco toucan. Molecular phylogenetic analyses based on the nucleotide sequences of the 26S rRNA D1/D2 domain, rRNA internal transcribed spacer region, and β-tubulin gene identified JCM 39679 and JCM 39681 as M. gallinae and M. furfur, respectively, and suggested that JCM 39680 and JCM 39682 represent a putative novel species closely related to M. psittaci, M. yamatoensis, and M. polysorbatinonusa. These novel strains exhibited physiological characteristics distinct from those of closely related species, specifically weak assimilation of Tween 80 and an inability to assimilate Cremophor EL. Accordingly, we propose the designation of the strains isolated from the lesser flamingo as the novel species M. phoenicopteridarum sp. nov.