{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,16]],"date-time":"2026-08-16T13:26:02Z","timestamp":1786886762020,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":0,"publisher":"Knowledge E DMCC","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background and Objectives: Malassezia spp. are lipid-dependent yeasts that colonize the skin of humans and animals and may act as opportunistic pathogens. This study aimed to characterize virulence-associated enzymes and their encoding genes in Malassezia spp. isolated from companion animals in northern Iran.\r\nMaterials and Methods: A total of 300 clinical samples were collected from dogs and cats with dermatological or otic lesions. Species identification was performed using ITS-based PCR. Multiplex PCR was used to detect LIP, PLB, and KER genes. Enzymatic activity was evaluated using the Pz index. Statistical analyses included Chi-square and Spearman\u2019s cor- relation tests (p &lt; 0.05).\r\nResults: Eighty isolates were identified as Malassezia pachydermatis (87.5%) and Malassezia nana (12.5%). LIP, PLB, and KER genes were detected in 90%, 62.5%, and 50% of isolates, respectively. Strong enzymatic activity (Pz \u2264 0.69) was observed in 41.2% of isolates. A significant association was found between the presence of the PLB gene and phospholipase activity.\r\nConclusion: Malassezia pachydermatis was the predominant species. Virulence-associated genes were associated with high- er enzymatic activity, supporting their role in pathogenic potential.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.18502\/ijm.v18i4.22203","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,3]],"date-time":"2026-08-03T12:18:06Z","timestamp":1785759486000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Phenotypic and molecular characterization of virulence-associated enzymes in Malassezia spp. isolated from companion animals in northern Iran"],"prefix":"10.18502","author":[{"given":"Nima Niaee","family":"Barmachi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mansour","family":"Bayat","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nakisa Sohrabi","family":"Haghdoost","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Batool","family":"Ghorbaniyekta","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Leila Eini","family":"Farahani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"7770","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,3]]},"container-title":["Iranian Journal of Microbiology"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/publish.kne-publishing.com\/index.php\/IJM\/article\/download\/22203\/20636","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/publish.kne-publishing.com\/index.php\/IJM\/article\/download\/22203\/20636","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,16]],"date-time":"2026-08-16T13:09:25Z","timestamp":1786885765000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/publish.kne-publishing.com\/index.php\/IJM\/article\/view\/22203"},"secondary":[{"URL":"https:\/\/ijm.tums.ac.ir\/index.php\/ijm\/article\/view\/5916","label":"UNIVERSITY"}]},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,3]]},"references-count":0,"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.18502\/ijm.v18i4.22203","relation":{},"ISSN":["2008-4447","2008-3289"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2008-4447","type":"electronic"},{"value":"2008-3289","type":"print"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,3]]}}}