A 24-year-old male athlete from Mumbai presents with multiple oval hypopigmented and erythematous macules with fine branny scale over his chest and back that have been present for 3 months. Wood's lamp examination shows yellow-green fluorescence. KOH mount of the scale reveals the classic "spaghetti and meatballs" pattern. The condition marked **D** in the diagram is responsible for this presentation. Which of the following best describes the pathogenic mechanism by which this organism causes hypopigmentation in this patient?