Polyphasic Discrimination of Trichophyton tonsurans and T. equinum from Humans and Horses.

The anthropophilic dermatophyte Trichophyton tonsurans and its zoophilic counterpart T. equinum are phylogenetically closely related. The barcoding marker rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) shows limited variation between these two species.

Molecular and Phenotypic Characterization of Nannizzia (Arthrodermataceae).

Phylogenetic studies of the family Arthrodermataceae have revealed seven monophyletic dermatophyte clades representing the genera Trichophyton, Epidermophyton, Nannizzia, Lophophyton, Paraphyton, Microsporum, and Arthroderma. Members of the genus Nannizzia are geo- or zoophiles that occasionally infect humans. With the newly proposed taxonomy, the genus Nannizzia comprises thirteen species, i.

Ultra-High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry for Identification of Closely Related Dermatophytes with Different Clinical Predilections.

In the present study, an innovative top-down liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for the identification of clinically relevant fungi is tested using a model set of dermatophyte strains. The methodology characterizes intact proteins derived from species, which are used as parameters of differentiation. To test its resolving power compared to that of traditional Sanger sequencing and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF), 24 strains of closely related dermatophytes, , , , , and , were subjected to this new approach.

New insights in dermatophyte research.

Dermatophyte research has renewed interest because of changing human floras with changing socioeconomic conditions, and because of severe chronic infections in patients with congenital immune disorders. Main taxonomic traits at the generic level have changed considerably, and now fine-tuning at the species level with state-of-the-art technology has become urgent. Research on virulence factors focuses on secreted proteases now has support in genome data.

Antifungal Susceptibility of Emerging Dimorphic Pathogens in the Family Ajellomycetaceae.

The susceptibilities of 24 molecularly identified dimorphic fungi belonging to the genera , , and within the family were tested against 8 standard antifungal agents using CLSI document M38-A2. Amphotericin B and posaconazole had the lowest geometric mean MICs (<0.05 μg/ml) followed by itraconazole (<0.

Novel taxa of thermally dimorphic systemic pathogens in the Ajellomycetaceae (Onygenales).

Recent discoveries of novel systemic fungal pathogens with thermally dimorphic yeast-like phases have challenged the current taxonomy of the Ajellomycetaceae, a family currently comprising the genera Blastomyces, Emmonsia, Emmonsiellopsis, Helicocarpus, Histoplasma, Lacazia and Paracoccidioides. Our morphological, phylogenetic and phylogenomic analyses demonstrated species relationships and their specific phenotypes, clarified generic boundaries and provided the first annotated genome assemblies to support the description of two new species. A new genus, Emergomyces, accommodates Emmonsia pasteuriana as type species, and the new species Emergomyces africanus, the aetiological agent of case series of disseminated infections in South Africa.

Toward a Novel Multilocus Phylogenetic Taxonomy for the Dermatophytes.

Type and reference strains of members of the onygenalean family Arthrodermataceae have been sequenced for rDNA ITS and partial LSU, the ribosomal 60S protein, and fragments of β-tubulin and translation elongation factor 3. The resulting phylogenetic trees showed a large degree of correspondence, and topologies matched those of earlier published phylogenies demonstrating that the phylogenetic representation of dermatophytes and dermatophyte-like fungi has reached an acceptable level of stability. All trees showed Trichophyton to be polyphyletic.