J Med Microbiol Track the topics, authors and articles important to you
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Yazdanparast, S. A.
Right arrow Articles by Barton, R. C.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Yazdanparast, S. A.
Right arrow Articles by Barton, R. C.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by Yazdanparast, S. A.
Right arrow Articles by Barton, R. C.
J Med Microbiol 55 (2006), 1577-1581; DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.46474-0
© 2006 Society for General Microbiology
ISSN 1473-5644

Arthroconidia production in Trichophyton rubrum and a new ex vivo model of onychomycosis

S. Amir Yazdanparast1,{dagger} and Richard C. Barton2

1 Department of Microbiology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK

2 Mycology Reference Centre, Department of Microbiology, Leeds General Infirmary, Leeds LS1 3EX, UK

Correspondence
Richard C. Barton
Richard.Barton{at}leedsth.nhs.uk

Received 14 December 2005
Accepted 13 July 2006

The dermatophyte fungus Trichophyton rubrum often produces arthroconidia in vivo, and these cells are thought to be involved in pathogenesis, and, in shed skin scales, to act as a source of infection. The purpose of this study was (i) to examine the environmental and iatrogenic factors which affect arthroconidiation in T. rubrum in vitro, (ii) to look at arthroconidia formation in a large number of clinical isolates of T. rubrum and (iii) to develop a new model for the study of arthroconidia formation in nail tissue. Arthroconidia production was studied in T. rubrum grown on a number of media and under conditions of varying pH, temperature and CO2 concentration. The effect of the presence of antifungals and steroids on arthroconidia formation was also examined. Nail powder from the healthy toenails of volunteers was used as a substrate for arthroconidial production. On Sabouraud dextrose agar in the presence of 10 % CO2 plus air, arthroconidial formation occurred optimally at 37 °C and pH 7.5, and was maximal at 10 days. Most isolates of T. rubrum showed a similar level of arthroconidial production, and only two out of 50 strains were unable to produce arthroconidia. Subinhibitory levels of some antifungals and betamethasone resulted in the stimulation of arthroconidia formation. Arthroconidial production in ground nail material also occurred under the same optimal conditions, but took longer to reach maximal levels (14 days). These in vitro and ex vivo results provide a useful basis for the understanding of arthroconidium formation in vivo in infected tissues such as nails.

{dagger}Present address: Department of Mycology, Iran University of Medical Sciences, PO Box 15875-6171, Tehran, Iran.




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 J Antimicrob ChemotherHome page
L. M. Coelho, R. Aquino-Ferreira, C. M. L. Maffei, and N. M. Martinez-Rossi
In vitro antifungal drug susceptibilities of dermatophytes microconidia and arthroconidia
J. Antimicrob. Chemother., June 13, 2008; (2008) dkn245v1.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
INT J SYST EVOL MICROBIOL J MED MICROBIOL MICROBIOLOGY J GEN VIROL ALL SGM JOURNALS
Copyright © 2006 Society for General Microbiology.