Formation of sulphate,sulphite and s-sulphocysteine by the fungusMicrosporum gypseum during growth on cystine

The dermatophyte Microsporum gypseum was cultivated in media containing 0.5% cystine in suspension, and 0.05% peptone or 1% glucose and 0.05% peptone. During growth on cystine the excess sulphur was oxidized and excreted into the medium not only in the form of sulphate but also in the form of sulphite. Sulphite was produced especially during first phases of growth, where its quantity was higher than that of sulphate and its maximum concentration exceeded 1 mg/ml. S-sulphocysteine, detected chromatographically and determined quantitatively, originated in large quantities by the reaction of sulphite with cystine in the medium. Both sulphite and S-sulphocysteine were further oxidized to sulphate. After exhaustion of cystine 90-93% of the sulphur present was converted to sulphate in the cultivation medium.     

Tinea capitis by Microsporon gypseum

Summary Scalp involvement byM. gypseum was found in 22 children (15 boys and 7 girls), ranging from 1 till 12 years of age, most cases coming from urban areas. Kerion-like manifestation was observed in 9 cases, the rest presenting the superficial form of tinea capitis infection. The main type of hair invasion was ecto-endothrix, but endothrix type was also observed in 4 cases with favus-like aspect. The parasitised hair exhibited no fluorescence. The soil was proved to be the source of contamination in 40 % of the cases, where a trauma had favoured the transmission of the causative agent.     

Ringworm by Microsporon gypseum in a dog

Summary The authors make a review ofM. gypseum infection in animals in Brazil. They relate a case of ringworm in a dog by this dermatophyte. They predict that the finding of animal ringworm by this fungus may be commoner in Brazil.

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Sumário Os autores fazem uma revisão das Tinhas em animais, determinadas peloM. gypseum no Brasil. Relatam um caso de Tinha por êsse fungo em um cão. Comentam que as infecções um animais porM. gypseum devam ser mais frequentes em nosso país.

     

Heterokaryosis in Microsporum gypseum

The basic properties of heterokaryosis have been studied with the use of morphological and biochemical mutants ofMicrosporum gypseum. A direct proof of heterokaryosis was given with the help of the isolation of hyphal tips. Heterokaryons formed from aconidial components conidiate abundantly. The heterokaryotic constitution is preserved only with the transfer of mycelium; by microconidia the transfer is not effected.     

石膏样小孢子菌致婴儿额部体癣1例

报道1例由石膏样小孢子菌引起的婴儿额部体癣。患者男性,出生半月,左额部红斑丘疹水疱7 d。经真菌学检查确诊为石膏样小孢子菌导致的体癣。给予硝酸舍他康唑软膏外用,1周后皮损完全愈合。     

Diploids in Microsporum gypseum

The paper studies diploids in dermatophyteMicrosporum gypseum. They were isolated as the more rapidly growing sectors from heterokaryons on minimal medium. They are characterized by their wild morphology, conidiation and growth rate, and they are prototrophic. In their genome they contain all the markers present in both mutant components.     

Macroconidial Germination in Microsporum gypseum

Biochemical events which occur during macroconidial germination have been studied in the dermatophyte Microsporum gypseum. The specific activity levels of various metabolic enzymes have been assayed during germination time periods. The accumulated levels of several of these enzymes, as a function of exogenous carbohydrate source, have been investigated. M. gypseum was found to possess a constitutive glyoxalate shunt, a constitutive glucokinase, a fructose phosphoenolpyruvate transferase, and a mannitol phosphoenolpyruvate transferase. The integration of endogenous reserve utilization during germination is discussed. The purification and properties of an alkaline phosphatase and its possible relationship to sporulation and spore germination also are described.     

Canine onychomycosis produced by Microsporum gypseum. A case report

One case of severe canine onychomycosis is described. The aetiological agent was identified as Microsporum gypseum. The incidence of this fungus in this kind of pathology is discussed, with special attention to the successful treatment with topic enilconazole and systemic griseofulvin.     

Kerion-like tinea capitis and barbae caused by microsporum gypseum in Israel

Summary Four cases of hair invasion by Microsporum gypseum are reported. In three the scalp was involved and in one, the beard. All presented a kerion type of invasion. In 3 cases hair penetration was of the ectothrix type, while in one case the kerion of the scalp resembled the type of invasion seen in T. schönleini infection. None of the invaded hairs showed fluorescence in Wood's light. The soil was the source of infection in 3 patients, the fungus having been isolated from soil samples collected in the vicinity of the houses of these patients through the hair bait method. In one case the source of contamination was the family dog, in which scaly, alopecic, follicularlike lesions caused by the same agent were found.

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Résumé Quatres cas avec l'invasion des cheveux par Microsporum gypseum sont ici rapportés. Dans trois cas le cuir chevelu a été afecté, dans un cas la barbe.Tous les cas présentaient l'aspect clinique du Kérion de Celse. Le type ectothrix de l'invasion a été observé dans 3 cas, tandisque le quatrième — un Kérion du cuir chevelu — le type de l'invasion ressemblait de très près celui trouvé dans l'infection par T. schönleini. Les poils invadés n'étaient pas fluorescents dans la lumière de Wood. Le sol a été la source d'infection pour 3 malades, l'agent étant isolé à partir des échantillons de terre collectés en voisinage des maisons des malades. Dans un cas la source de contamination a été le chien de la famille, qui présentait des lésions alopéciques, a type de folliculite, causées par le même organisme.

     

Disseminated dermatophytosis caused by Microsporum gypseum in two patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

Microsporum gypseum is not a common agent of human dermatophytosis. To the best of our knowledge, this fungus has not been described in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients. We report a tinea corporis infection with atypical presentation caused by M. gypseum in two patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) studied at the São Paulo Hospital (São Paulo, Brazil).This revised version was published online in October 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

A significant variant of Microsporon gypseum

Summary Detailed morphological characteristics of a variant ofMicrosporon gypseum, which evolved spontaneously in a pure culture of a soil strain, have been described. The outstanding characteristics of this variant includes the production of macroconidia resembling more closely the macroconidia ofTrichophyton than those ofMicrosporon.     

3例不同临床表现的石膏样小孢子菌感染

报道3例由石膏样小孢子菌感染引起的、临床表现不同的皮肤癣病.例1表现为阴囊红色斑片,上覆白色斑点状痂屑,刮去痂屑后见湿润的基底面,患者父亲有同样病变,父子穿用同一件内裤,其父与家猫有密切接触.例2患儿左面部擦伤后局部出现钱币大小红斑,中央为白色痂皮,边缘有渗出伴痒.例3患儿右面部出现钱币大小、边界清楚的红斑,表面有散在的丘疹及少许鳞屑伴痒,偶有家猫接触.3例患者均平素体健.取皮损表面组织直接镜检均发现大量菌丝;真菌培养及鉴定为石膏样小孢子菌.诊断为石膏样小孢子菌所致皮肤感染.3例患者经抗真菌治疗1～2周后痊愈,取得很好疗效.     

N-demethylation of nicotine and reduction of nicotine-1'-N-oxide by Microsporum gypseum

Several microorganisms were examined for their abilities to convert S-nicotine into nornicotine. Five microorganisms including Microsporum gypseum (ATCC 11395) produced nornicotine and three unknown metabolites. M. gypseum efficiently reduced nicotine-1'-N-oxide to nicotine, but no nornicotine was obtained when the N-oxide was used as substrate.     

Heat-induced Macroconidia Germination in Microsporum gypseum

A method for obtaining purified ungerminated macroconidia is described, and a technique for obtaining 85 to 90% germination of macroconidia under normal nutritional conditions is presented.