Discriminative potential of some PCR-based and biochemical methods at Scedosporium strains

• Fluorescent-ITS, –CBH and ITS-DGGE were used to classify Scedosporium.
• Scedosporium aurantiacum species showed a high degree of similarity by the f-ITS and f-CBH.
• The genotyping analysis proved intraspecies variability in Scedosporium boydii strains.
• Clinical isolates of Scedosporium were strong proteolytic and lipolytic.

Three innovative PCR-based methods (fluorescent-ITS, fluorescent-CBH and ITS–PCR DGGE) were tested using a reference set of nine strains of Scedosporium from the CBS fungal collection. Cellulolytic, lipolytic and proteolytic potential and the ability to dissolve CaCO3 of the strains were evaluated in vitro by means of agar assays. f-ITS profiles almost recognized main species, although included “Pseudallescheria” ellipsoidea and the Scedosporium boydii CBS 117432 and CBS 120157 in the same cluster. All strains successfully produced DNA polymorphisms by f-CBH amplification which divided them into three different groups. The DGGE approach separated the strains studied into other five clusters which in some case were not matching with species. Strains tested were monomorphic in possessing strong proteolytic and lipolytic activities. The comparison of the three PCR-based genotyping approaches, together with biodegradation ability screening, displayed an intraspecies variability in S. boydii, interfering with unambiguous species delimitation.