Enzymatic and Non-Enzymatic Virulence Activities of Dermatophytes on Solid Media.

INTRODUCTION: Dermatophytes are keratinophilic fungi causing superficial cutaneous infections that account 20-25% of the global population. As per literature search, there is a dearth in the study on virulence factors of dermatophytes from the Indian sub-continent and moreover the association of the virulence factors and the host tissue in vitro helps in understanding the host-pathogen interaction.

AIM: To analyse the enzymatic and non-enzymatic virulence activities of dermatophytes on solid media.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 11 isolates, three standard American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) strains- Trichophyton rubrum- 28188, Trichophyton mentagrophytes- 9533, Trichophyton tonsurans- 28942, one CBS KNAW Fungal Biodiversity Centre strain- Arthroderma grubyi- 243.66, five clinical isolates- T. rubrum, T. mentagrophytes, Trichophyton rubrum var. raubitschekii, Trichophyton interdigitale, Epidermophyton floccosum, and two laboratory isolates - Microsporum gypseum and Microsporum canis were screened for the production of virulence enzymes such as phospholipase, lipase, protease, gelatinase and non-enzyme virulence factors (haemolytic activity) of dermatophytes. The clinical isolates were identified from a tertiary care hospital, Chennai. These dermatophytes were tested upon specific substrates on solid media such as egg yolk, tween 80, bovine serum albumin, gelatin powder and sheep blood respectively.

RESULTS: The virulence activity of phospholipase, lipase, protease and gelatinase was observed from all the dermatophyte species. T. rubrum, T. rubrum ATCC strain, T. rubrum var. raubitschekii, T. mentagrophytes, T. mentagrophytes ATCC strain, T. interdigitale and A. grubyi CBS strain produced complete haemolysis, whereas other dermatophytes showed no haemolytic activity.

CONCLUSION: Phospholipase, lipase, protease and gelatinase act as enzymatic virulence marker and the T. rubrum complex, T. mentagrophytes complex and A. grubyi showed complete haemolysis and hence they may also act as a non-enzymatic virulence marker for dermatophytes.