Amino acid- or protein-dependent growth of Trichophyton mentagrophytes and Trichophyton rubrum

Culture conditions were examined for Trichophyton mentagrophytes and Trichophyton rubrum, which are major pathogens involved in dermatophytosis. They grew well in Sabouraud's dextrose broth or RPMI 1640. Growth in phosphate-buffered yeast nitrogen base supplemented with glucose was very slow, although growth improved significantly with the addition of amino acids or proteins to the medium. The fungi could also grow using human nail fragments as the only source of nutrition. Examination of proteases by substrate gel electrophoresis indicated that distinct sets of proteases are secreted from the dermatophytes in two different media, Sabouraud's dextrose broth and nail fragments. A protease inhibitor, phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride, inhibited the growth of the fungi on nail fragments, but it did not inhibit their growth in Sabouraud's dextrose broth.     

The detection of contamination in Trichophyton rubrum and trichophyton mentagrophytes

This report concerns the usefulness of two media, brain heart infusion agar (BHIA) and BCP milk dextrose agar in the detection of contamination inT. rubrum andT. mentagrophytes and provides cultural information in the identification of these species.Department of Microbiology, Public Health Laboratory, Ontario Department of Health, Box 9000, Postal Terminal A, Toronto 1, Ontario, Canada.Head, Medical Mycology Section.Mycologist, Medical Mycology Section.     

In vitro characterization of Trichophyton rubrum and T. mentagrophytes biofilms

Dermatophytes are fungi responsible for a disease known as dermatophytosis. Biofilms are sessile microbial communities surrounded by extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) with increased resistance to antimicrobial agents and host defenses. This paper describes, for the first time, the characteristics of Trichophyton rubrum and T. mentagrophytes biofilms. Biofilm formation was analyzed by light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) as well as by staining with crystal violet and safranin. Metabolic activity was determined using the XTT reduction assay. Both species were able to form mature biofilms in 72?h. T. rubrum biofilm produced more biomass and EPS and was denser than T. mentagrophytes biofilm. The SEM results demonstrated a coordinated network of hyphae in all directions, embedded within EPS in some areas. Research and characterization of biofilms formed by dermatophytes may contribute to the search of new drugs for the treatment of these mycoses and might inform future revisions with respect to the dose and duration of treatment of currently available antifungals.     

Comparative Evaluation of Borelli’s Lactritmel Agar and Lowenstein-Jensen Agar for Conidiation in the Trichophyton mentagrophytes and Trichophyton rubrum Complexes

The characteristics of macroconidia are the key to the identification of dermatophytic fungi. In this study, we compared Lowenstein-Jensen agar (LJA) with Borelli’s lactritmel agar (BLA) for the ability to induce macroconidia production in a collection of Trichophyton mentagrophytes (12) and Trichophyton rubrum (12) complexes and in Arthroderma isolates (4). We evaluated 28 strains from across the world, which were mainly obtained from the culture collection of the Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures, Fungal Biodiversity Centre, The Netherlands. All cultures were incubated at 26 °C on the bench, and conidia formation was investigated every 5 days, over a period of 30 days after inoculation. At 15 days, strains grown on BLA demonstrated better macroconidia production than those grown on LJA, 23 (82.1 %) versus 16 (57.1 %) isolates, respectively. Thus, the use of BLA, an inexpensive medium that can be prepared in the laboratory, should facilitate conidiation and the presumptive identification of dermatophytic fungi in mycology and clinical microbiology laboratories.     

Enzymes of Trichophyton rubrum

Jensen, Altschuler &Bard (1957) have surveyed the respiratory enzymes ofTrichophyton mentagrophytes. Enzymes of the hexosediphosphate, hexosemonophosphate, and tricarboxylic acid pathways were found plus a group of miscellaneous enzymes. In view of the close morphological, immunological, and nutritional similarities ofT. mentagrophytes toTrichophyton rubrum, we felt that a study of the enzymology of the latter organism had potential value in forming a basis for the comparison of the two dermatophytes. Our results showed that cell-free extracts ofT. rubrum contain glucokinase, TPN-dependent glucose and fructose dehydrogenases and separate TPN- and DPN-linked glycerol dehydrogenases. These results are in accord with findings of other investigators. ATPase activity was minimal, and shikimic acid kinase, and shikimic and quinic acid dehydrohydrogenases were not detected.     

Dermatophytosis of pigs by Trichophyton mentagrophytes

We describe the isolation of Trichophyton mentagrophytes in two family-operated farms where the animals were suffering skin ailments characterized by a swelling and a reddening of the back and flanks.This condition affected 2 and 5% respectively of the animals on the farms, the younger ones being more frequently affected.     

红色毛癣菌菌株的特异性PCR鉴定方法研究

目的建立一种快速的红色毛癣菌分子生物学鉴定方法。方法根据红色毛癣菌保守区域-真菌核糖体DNA（rDNA）的转录间隔区（ITS）设计特异性引物,采用上游：ITS19865＇GAC ACC AAG AAA AAA TTC TCT GAA GA3＇,下游：ITS24415＇GTC CTG AGG GCG CTG AA3＇为引物对45株红色毛癣菌、5株须癣毛癣菌和1株紫色毛癣菌菌株的DNA进行PCR扩增,观察产物电泳带型的差异。结果 45株红色毛癣菌均能扩增出目的片段,5株须癣毛癣菌和1株紫色毛癣菌均无目的片段扩增出。结论红色毛癣菌可用特异引物PCR方法快速鉴定。     

Mating Genes of the Trichophyton mentagrophytes Complex

The mating type (-)-specific gene of the alpha-box and the mating type (+)-specific gene of the high-mobility group (HMG) DNA-binding domain were confirmed in zoophilic dematophytes of Arthroderma simii and A. vanbreuseghemii. The sequence of the alpha-box gene was 1,375 bp, containing 2 exons (from 172 to 463 bp and from 513 to 1,375 bp) in the A. simii (-) mating type strain and 1,380 bp, containing 2 exons (from 177 to 468 bp and from 518 to 1,380 bp) in the A. vanbreuseghemii (-) mating type strain. The sequence of the HMG gene was 1,871 bp, containing 2 exons (from 181 to 362 bp and from 426 to 1,440 bp, coding a protein of 398 amino acids) in the A. simii (+) mating type strain and 1,811 bp containing 2 exons (from 158 to 339 bp and from 403 to 1,381 bp, coding a protein of 386 amino acids) in the A. vanbreuseghemii (+) mating type strain. Of 15 animal isolates and 72 human isolates examined, the alpha-box gene was detected in five of the animal isolates and in none of the human isolates, while the HMG gene was detected in the other 10 of the animal isolates and in all of the human isolates. Phylogenetic analysis of the alpha-box and HMG genes of Trichophyton mentagrophytes complex strains and the Microsporum gypseum strain revealed that these strains were divided into 4 clusters; the first cluster consisting of A. vanbreuseghemii and the isolates from animals and humans, the second cluster consisting of A. simii, the third cluster consisting of A. benhamiae and the fourth cluster consisting of M. gypseum. These results indicate that anthropophilic T. mentagrophytes evolved from the A. vanbreuseghemii (+) mating strain.     

Characterization of the cyclophilin of Trichophyton mentagrophytes

A genetic approach to cyclophilins in a dermatophyte, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, was carried out. The nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences of the cyclophilin of T. mentagrophytes shared about 70% sequence similarity with those of Schizosaccharomyces pombe, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida albicans. However, the first 21 amino acid and the C-terminal amino acid regions of 188 to 226 of the T. mentagrophytes cyclophilin were distinct from those of the other fungal cyclophilins. The recombinant glutathione S-transferase (GST)-T. mentagrophytes cyclophilin fusion protein produced by Escherichia coli was purified. The protease digest of the fusion protein had a molecular weight of about 13 kDa and peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase (PPI) activity. This digest protein from T. mentagrophytes was confirmed to be cyclophilin by proving PPI activity.     

须癣毛癣菌的形态学及分子生物学鉴定

目的对临床上分离自人(36株)及狐狸(5株)的须癣毛癣菌菌株进行新的分类系统鉴定,并检测传统的分类方法是否能满足临床鉴定需要。方法①观察原鉴定为须癣毛癣菌菌株在沙氏培养基、1%蛋白胨培养基、溴甲酚紫乳固体葡萄糖琼脂培养基(BCP-MSG)和显微镜下形态学及尿素酶、毛发穿孔等生理学试验表现。②通过ITS区段和LSU区段分子生物学序列分析进行新的分类系统的菌种分型,并对传统形态学和生理学鉴定方法进行检测。结果①41株须癣毛癣菌形态学及生理学试验符合须癣毛癣菌(38株)和红色毛癣菌(3株)菌落的特点。②ITS区段序列分析发现ITS区段能将须癣毛癣菌和红色毛癣菌准确的鉴定到种,但无法明确其种内分型;而LSU区段序列分析可对36株(36/38)须癣毛癣菌有性型做出明确的鉴定。结论传统实验室鉴定方法仍具有其有效性及可靠性。通过分子生物学鉴定,临床分离的须癣毛癣菌皆为指(趾)间毛癣菌(38/38),而LSU区段的序列分析鉴定狐狸源性菌株皆属于本海姆节皮菌,有别于大多数人源性菌株有性型为万博节皮菌,对于须癣毛癣菌的菌种鉴定更优于ITS区段,但分子生物学试验还需结合形态学的观察,才能够对菌种做出正确的鉴定。