Compared with anthropophilic dermatophytes, zoophilic species have been studied less extensively. Species identification in many of these studies was based on morphology. Molecular approaches covering the biodiversity of dermatophytes colonizing or infecting animals have the potential to reveal novel species and enable to evaluate the intraspecific variation of known species. In view of this, the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) of dermatophytes strains isolated from samples submitted to the Mycology Laboratory of the Veterinary Faculty of Turin (Italy) was sequenced. Species identification was done morphologically and by entering the obtained ITS barcodes into a Dermatophytes ITS DNA barcode database (http://www.cbs.knaw.nl/dermatophytes/defaultpage.aspx). Among 26 strains analyzed, 13 belonged to Microsporum canis (4 dogs, 7 cats, 1 dwarf rabbit, 1 chamois), 9 to Trichophyton interdigitale (3 dogs, 2 cats, 1 dwarf rabbit, 2 rabbits, 1 chamois), 1 to Microsporum gypseum (dog) and 1 to the Trichophyton anamorph of Arthroderma benhamiae (guinea pig). This last strain represents the first report of A. benhamiae in guinea pigs in Italy. The 2 remaining strains showed unique ITS sequences and might represent new species. One of these strains causing dermatological lesions in a dog was morphologically identified as Trichophyton erinacei but its ITS sequence differed from the type strain of this species by 8 basepairs while the intraspecific variation of all strains included in the database thus far represented only 2 basepairs. The other strain, isolated from wild chamois with no evidence of dermatological lesions, showed 89% similarity with its nearest neighbor, Microsporum cookei. This large molecular distance to its next akin suggested the detection of a hitherto undescribed species. Detailed morphological studies are needed to support these results. In conclusion, isolates from animals are still a rich source for detecting new species and ITS DNA barcoding provides an effective tool for this search.
Biodiversity of dermatophytes isolated from animals in Italy
PEANO, Andrea;
2009-01-01
Abstract
Compared with anthropophilic dermatophytes, zoophilic species have been studied less extensively. Species identification in many of these studies was based on morphology. Molecular approaches covering the biodiversity of dermatophytes colonizing or infecting animals have the potential to reveal novel species and enable to evaluate the intraspecific variation of known species. In view of this, the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) of dermatophytes strains isolated from samples submitted to the Mycology Laboratory of the Veterinary Faculty of Turin (Italy) was sequenced. Species identification was done morphologically and by entering the obtained ITS barcodes into a Dermatophytes ITS DNA barcode database (http://www.cbs.knaw.nl/dermatophytes/defaultpage.aspx). Among 26 strains analyzed, 13 belonged to Microsporum canis (4 dogs, 7 cats, 1 dwarf rabbit, 1 chamois), 9 to Trichophyton interdigitale (3 dogs, 2 cats, 1 dwarf rabbit, 2 rabbits, 1 chamois), 1 to Microsporum gypseum (dog) and 1 to the Trichophyton anamorph of Arthroderma benhamiae (guinea pig). This last strain represents the first report of A. benhamiae in guinea pigs in Italy. The 2 remaining strains showed unique ITS sequences and might represent new species. One of these strains causing dermatological lesions in a dog was morphologically identified as Trichophyton erinacei but its ITS sequence differed from the type strain of this species by 8 basepairs while the intraspecific variation of all strains included in the database thus far represented only 2 basepairs. The other strain, isolated from wild chamois with no evidence of dermatological lesions, showed 89% similarity with its nearest neighbor, Microsporum cookei. This large molecular distance to its next akin suggested the detection of a hitherto undescribed species. Detailed morphological studies are needed to support these results. In conclusion, isolates from animals are still a rich source for detecting new species and ITS DNA barcoding provides an effective tool for this search.
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