Abstract
Microsporum canis is considered one of the most common zoophilic dermatophyte species causing infections in animals and humans worldwide. However, molecular epidemiological studies on this dermatophyte are still rare. In this study, we aimed to analyse the population structure and relationships between M. canis strains (n = 66) collected in southern Italy and those isolated from symptomatic and asymptomatic animals (cats, dogs and rabbits) and humans. For subtyping purposes, using multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and multilocus microsatellite typing (MLMT), we first used a limited set of strains to screen for variability. No intraspecies variability was detected in six out of the eight reference genes tested and only the ITS and IGS regions showed two and three sequence genotypes, respectively, resulting in five MLST genotypes. All of eight genes were, however, useful for discrimination among M. canis, M. audouinii and M. ferrugineum. In total, eighteen microsatellite genotypes (A–R) were recognized using MLMT based on six loci, allowing a subdivision of strains into two clusters based on the Bayesian iterative algorithm. Six MLMT genotypes were from multiple host species, while 12 genotypes were found only in one host. There were no statistically significant differences between clusters in terms of host spectrum and the presence or absence of lesions. Our results confirmed that the MLST approach is not useful for detailed subtyping and examining the population structure of M. canis, while microsatellite analysis is a powerful tool for conducting surveillance studies and gaining insight into the epidemiology of infections due to this pathogen.
Highlights
Introduction iationsMicrosporum canis is considered one of the most common zoophilic dermatophytes causing infections in animals and humans worldwide [1,2]
The aims of this study were to evaluate the possibilities of the genotypic characterization of M. canis strains isolated in southern Italy from different hosts by using (i) an multilocus sequence typing (MLST) approach involving a total of eight phylogenetic markers commonly used in fungal taxonomy or population genetic studies and (ii) an multilocus microsatellite typing (MLMT) approach with both novel microsatellite markers and those previously employed [3,4]
The results of this study showed that M. canis had a low level of intraspecies variability based on the DNA markers employed for subtyping
Summary
Microsporum canis is considered one of the most common zoophilic dermatophytes causing infections in animals and humans worldwide [1,2]. The main natural habitat of this species is primarily the furred skin of cats, followed by dogs and horses, where it frequently resides without causing symptoms [3,4]. In Italy, M. canis is the dermatophyte that is most frequently isolated (over 80%) from dogs and cats and is a common cause of tinea capitis and tinea corporis in humans, who might acquire those infections after contact with infected animals [3,5]. The identification of the source of infection is an important step to prevent the spread of M. canis. An important method of evaluating the source of infection is using sensitive molecular markers that can differ among strains [6].
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