Pyrolysis–gas–liquid chromatography of some dermatophytes

Abstract

Dermatophytes belonging to Nannizzia, Arthroderma, and Microsporum were examined by pyrolysis–gas–liquid chromatography. Replicate samples from the same colony, or samples from another colony of the same strain, yielded closely similar pyrograms, but the curves were not quite superimposable. Effects on the pyrolysis patterns of sample size, age of colony, and type of medium were investigated. Pyrograms of the plus and minus mating types of the species of Nannizzia and Arthroderma were similar to each other, but they did differ in some respects. The patterns of Microsporum audouini and M. canis differed considerably from each other. Quantitative analysis of the pyrochromatographic data, using several procedures, did not yield satisfactory results. It was found that variation between replicates was often as great as between species.