Abstract
Dermatophytes are keratinophilic fungi and the causative agent of dermatophytosis in animals and people. In the pathogenesis of this disease, enzymes such as DNase, gelatinase, lipase, keratinase, elastase, and collagenase are highlighted. This work aimed to verify the production of these enzymes by clinical and environmental isolates of dermatophytes. Environmental strains were obtained by the Vanbreuseghem technique (1952), using soil samples from different Brazilian locations. The clinical samples were obtained from animal hair and crust sent to the Veterinary Microbiological Diagnostic Service/UFRRJ. The enzymatic evaluation of the dermatophytes was made by spectrophotometer absorbance readings (collagenase, elastase, and keratinase), degradation halo formation in Petri dishes (DNase and lipase) and tube liquefaction (gelatinase). The clinical isolates were Microsporum canis (11), Nannizzia gypsea (7), N. nana (2), Trichophyton mentagrophytes (4) and Trichophyton sp. (6). The environmental isolates were N. gypsea (25), N. nana (1) and Trichophyton sp. (4). There was no statistically significant difference in keratinase, elastase, lipase and gelatinase production between the clinical and environmental isolates groups. There was a statistically significant difference in collagenase and DNase production. It is concluded that both clinical and soil samples are capable of producing enzymes related to dermatophyte infection.
Highlights
Dermatophytes are keratinophilic fungi widely distributed in the environment and keratinized structures of living beings
Gypsea and N. nana are the main causative agents related to animal cases
The present research was approved by the Ethics Committee on the Use of Animals (CEUA) of the Veterinary Institute of UFRRJ under the protocol no 1395270617
Summary
Dermatophytes are keratinophilic fungi widely distributed in the environment and keratinized structures of living beings. Due to these characteristics, they are apt for the development of dermatophytosis, a highly contagious zoonosis of great occurrence in the veterinary and human medical clinic (Koneman & Allen, 2008; Pontes et al, 2013; Taghipour et al, 2021). The species Microsporum canis, Trichophyton mentagrophytes var. Gypsea and N. nana are the main causative agents related to animal cases. The latter two are classified as geophilic and isolated from soil samples. The acquisition can occur by contact with another animal, or infected person (Markey et al, 2013; Long et al, 2020)
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