J Med Microbiol 56 (2007), 971-975; DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.47115-0
© 2007 Society for General Microbiology
ISSN 1473-5644
Reconstructed interfollicular feline epidermis as a model for Microsporum canis dermatophytosis
Jeremy Tabart1,
Aline Baldo1,
Sandy Vermout1,
Betty Nusgens2,
Charles Lapiere2,
Bertrand Losson1 and
Bernard Mignon1
1 Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, B43 Sart Tilman, 4000 Liège, Belgium
2 Laboratory of Connective Tissues Biology, University of Liège, Tour de Pathologie B23/3, 4000 Liège, Belgium
Correspondence
Bernard Mignon
bmignon{at}ulg.ac.be
Received 8 December 2006
Accepted 7 March 2007
Microsporum canis is a pathogenic fungus that causes a superficial cutaneous infection called dermatophytosis. The complexity of mechanisms involved in dermatophytic infections makes relevant in vivo studies particularly difficult to perform. The aim of this study was to develop a new in vitro model of M. canis dermatophytosis using feline fetal keratinocytes in reconstructed interfollicular epidermis, and to investigate its relevance in studying the hostpathogen relationship. Histological analysis of reconstructed interfollicular feline epidermis (RFE) revealed a fully differentiated epidermis. A proliferation assay showed replicating cells only in the basal layer, indicating that RFE is a well-stratified living tissue, leading to the formation of a horny layer. Histopathological analysis of RFE infected by M. canis arthroconidia revealed that the fungus invades the stratum corneum and produces SUB3, a keratinase implicated in the infectious process. In view of these results, an M. canis dermatophytosis model on RFE seems to be a useful tool to investigate mechanisms involved in natural M. canis feline infections.
Abbreviations: BrdU, bromodeoxyuridine; RFE, reconstructed feline epidermis; RHE, reconstructed human epidermis; SUB3, subtilisin-like protease 3.
Copyright © 2007 Society for General Microbiology.