Identification of Clinical Trichosporon asteroides Strains by MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry: Evaluation of the Bruker Daltonics Commercial System and an In-House Developed Library

Author(s)

Francisco, Elaine Cristina ; Ebbing, Mexx ; Colombo, Arnaldo Lopes ; Hagen, Ferry ; Trichosporon Brazilian Network

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Mycopathologia; v. 188, n. 3, p. 7-pg., 2023-04-15.

Abstract

Trichosporon asteroides is an emerging yeast-like pathogen commonly misidentified by commercial biochemical identification systems. We evaluated the performance of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry for the identification of 21 clinical T. asteroides strains using the Bruker Daltonics database (BDAL) and an in-house developed library. Mass spectra were obtained by the FlexControl system v.3.4, and characterizations were performed in the Biotyper BDAL database v.4.1 and the developed in-house library. Species identification for T. asteroides failed as all 21 strains were misidentified as T. japonicum (log-scores 1.89-2.19). Extending the existing database was crucial to achieving 100% correct species-level identification and accurate distinction between species. Our results indicate that the commercial BDAL database has no discriminatory power to distinguish between T. japonicum and T. asteroides. Whereas improvement of the current BDAL database is pending, we strongly advise system users not to exclude the possibility of the failure to report T. asteroides. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 19/24960-0 - International partnership for the evaluation of genetic heterogeneity of Trichosporon sp. clinical isolates and impact on taxonomy, biology and species identification
• Grantee: Elaine Cristina Francisco Del Ciello
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• FAPESP's process: 20/14097-0 - International partnership for the assessment of the genetic heterogeneity of Trichosporon spp. clinical isolates and their impact on taxonomy, biology and species identification
• Grantee: Elaine Cristina Francisco Del Ciello
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor