Evaluation of proteolytic activity to differentiate some dematiaceous fungi.

A total of 123 isolates of Cladosporium spp., Exophiala spp., Fonsecaea spp., Lecythophora hoffmannii, Phaeoannellomyces werneckii, Phialophora spp., Wangiella dermatitidis, and Xylohypha bantiana were tested for proteolytic activity by using 26 different formulations of gelatin, milk, casein, and Loeffler media. Other physiological properties examined included hydrolysis of tyrosine and xanthine, sodium nitrate utilization in Czapek Dox agar, and thermotolerance. Isolates of Exophiala jeanselmei, Fonsecaea compacta, Fonsecaea pedrosoi, W. dermatitidis, and X. bantiana lacked proteolytic activity. Proteolytic activity was variable among the remaining species, depending on the type of medium used. Thermotolerance had value in distinguishing some taxa.