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Expression Profiles of Protease in Onychomycosis-Related Pathogenic Trichophyton rubrum and Tinea Capitis-Related Pathogenic Trichophyton violaceum

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Abstract

The two fungal species Trichophyton rubrum and Trichophyton violaceum are common pathogens on human, infecting keratinized tissue of the outer body parts. Both species are belonging to the “Trichophyton rubrum complex” and share very high similarity in the genome. Secreted proteinases, key factors for keratin degradation, are nearly identical. Contrary, the ecological niches are differing. Trichophyton rubrum preferably infects skin and nails, whereas T. violaceum preferably infects the scalp. We postulate, that differences in the protease expression contribute to differences in ecological preferences. We analyzed the expression profiles of all 22 endoprotease genes, 12 subtilisins (S8A), 5 deuterolysins (M35) and 5 fungalysins (M36), for both species. To compare the influence of the keratin source, we designed experiments with human nail keratin, sheep wool keratin and keratin free cultivation media. Samples were taken at 12 h, 24 h, 48 h and 96 h post incubation in keratin medium. The expression of the proteases is higher in wool-keratin medium compared to human nail medium, with the exception of MEP4 and SUB6. Expression in the keratin-free medium is lowest. The expression profiles of the two species are remarkable different. The expression of MEP1, MEP3, SUB5, SUB11 and SUB12 are higher in T. rubrum compared to T. violaceum. MEP2, NpIIc, NpIIe, SUB1, SUB3, SUB4, SUB7 and SUB8 are higher expressed in T. violaceum compared to T. rubrum. The differences of the protease expression in the two species may expalin the differences in the ecological niches. Further analysis are necessary to verify the hypothesis.Please check and conform the edit made in title.Here I thinke the species of strains shouldnt be capital， and the right expression should be,  "Expression Profiles of Protease in Onychomycosis-Related Pathogenic Trichophyton rubrum and Tinea Capitis-Related Pathogenic Trichophyton violaceum"Author names: Please confirm if the author names are presented accurately and in the correct se-quence (given name, middle name/initial, family name). Author 1 Given name: [Jingjing] Last name [Chen], Author 2 Given name: [Yangmin] Last name [Gao], Author 3 Given name: [Shuzhen] Last name [Xiong], Author 4 Given name: [Ping] Last name [Zhan]. Also, kindly confirm the details in the metadata are correct.YesPlease check and confirm the inserted city and country are correctly identified for affiliation 3.Please change the affiliations, Affiliation 2: ²Jiangxi Provincial Clinical Research Center for Skin Diseases, Dermatology Hospital of Jiangxi Province,The Affiliated Dermatology Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330200, Jiangxi; Affiliation 3: 3Institute of Clinical Medicine, Jiangxi Provincial People's Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang Medical College,Nanchang 330001, Jiangxi. Thanks a lot!

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Acknowledgements

No further acknowledgments.

Funding

This work was supported by the Key Scientific Project of Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Jiangxi Province (2023Z008) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China [81960367], the Key Research and Development Project of Jiangxi Province (20203BBG73040), National Natural Science Foundation of Jiangxi Province [20212BAB206060] and Science and Technology innovation Team of Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine (#CXTD22009).

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Author notes

  1. Chen Jingjing and Gao Yangmin have contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, China

    Jingjing Chen, Shuzhen Xiong & Ping Zhan

  2. Jiangxi Provincial Clinical Research Center for Skin Diseases, Dermatology Hospital of Jiangxi Province, The Affiliated Dermatology Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330200, Jiangxi, China

    Yangmin Gao

  3. Institute of Clinical Medicine, Jiangxi Provincial People’s Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang Medical College, Nanchang, 330001, Jiangxi, China

    Zimei Peng

  4. Affiliated Hospital of Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, 330006, China

    Ping Zhan

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Contributions

CJ and GY perform the experiment and original writing, XS and PZ help with data analysis, and PZ proposed the study and contributed to the writing polishing.

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Correspondence to Ping Zhan.

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Chen, J., Gao, Y., Xiong, S. et al. Expression Profiles of Protease in Onychomycosis-Related Pathogenic Trichophyton rubrum and Tinea Capitis-Related Pathogenic Trichophyton violaceum. Mycopathologia 189, 14 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-024-00828-3

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