Open AccessAmino acid‐ or protein‐dependent growth of Trichophyton mentagrophytes and Trichophyton rubrum
Author(s) -
Takasuka Tsuyoshi
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
fems immunology & medical microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1574-695X
pISSN - 0928-8244
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-695x.2000.tb01529.x
Subject(s) - trichophyton rubrum , microbiology and biotechnology , proteases , trichophyton , biology , phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride , nail (fastener) , fungi imperfecti , protease , diisopropyl fluorophosphate , biochemistry , enzyme , antifungal , materials science , metallurgy
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.