Global ITS diversity in the Sporothrix schenckii complex

Molecular phylogeny has revealed that sporotrichosis is caused by several Sporothrix species which differ in clinical behavior. The complex is embedded within Ophiostoma, a genus mainly comprising fungi that live in association with bark beetles, but differs by a high virulence towards humans and other mammals. The different ecology is corroborated by phylogenetic separation. The aim of the present study was to determine the validity of the rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region as a marker for diagnostics of species in the clinical group, using beta-tubulin sequences to calibrate species delimitations. The topology of the two gene trees was concordant, and all clinically relevant Sporothrix species could easily be recognized by means of the ITS region. An increased geographic sampling did not affected delimitation success in the clinical clade of the S. schenckii complex.