Misidentification of Saprochaete clavata as Magnusiomyces capitatus in clinical isolates: utility of internal transcribed spacer sequencing and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry and importance of reliable databases.

Saprochaete clavata and Magnusiomyces capitatus are human pathogens that are frequently mistaken for each other due to their similar phenotypes and erroneous or limited databases. Based on internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences, we propose species-specific carbon assimilation patterns and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) fingerprints that enable the identification of S. clavata, M. capitatus, and Galactomyces candidus to the species level.