Macrorestriction Analysis of Clinical and Environmental Isolates of Sporothrix schenckii

Abstract

Sporothrix schenckii causes sporotrichosis, a disease that most commonly presents as a subacute or chronic skin infection. An unusually high incidence of clinical cases of sporotrichosis occurred in the southwest of Western Australia over the last 5 years. Anecdotal accounts from patients implicated contact with hay prior to infection. Isolates of S. schenckii from hay and clinical cases were investigated by traditional phenotypic methods and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). The phenotypic evaluation separated S. schenckii from Ophiostoma spp. A DNA macrorestriction method using SfiI and NotI macrorestriction digestion by PFGE was developed to investigate the epidemiological connections. BioNumerics software was used to analyze the results. DNA macrorestriction digestion patterns for the recent Western Australian clinical isolates and four hay isolates were indistinguishable. Eastern state clinical isolates, national Quality Assurance Program isolates, and other environmental isolates gave different macrorestriction patterns. Clinical isolates from the southwest of Western Australia collected in the 1980s and 1990s were also characterized using PFGE. The patterns generated were indistinguishable from those of the recent clinical isolates. PFGE showed that the dominant strain of S. schenckii causing sporotrichosis in Western Australia is present in hay, has caused sporotrichosis for at least 15 years, and is a different strain from the strains found in other parts of Australia.

Molecular characterisation of Sporothrix schenckii isolates from humans and cats involved in the sporotrichosis epidemic in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

“…At present, no teleomorph is known for S. schenckii (de Beer et al 2003); however, we found, as with previous studies (Mesa-Arango et al 2002, O'Reilly & Altman 2006, Gutierrez-Galhardo et al 2008, some genetic variability in S. schenckii, especially when analysing strains from different countries. The band pattern of the US strain was totally different from those of Brazil, which is in accordance with results from other studies of S. schenckii, as well as with other pathogenic fungi, such as Paracoccidioides brasiliensis and Histoplasma capsulatum (Muniz et al 2001, Mesa-Arango et al 2002, Hahn et al 2003.…”

“…from the 1988 sporotrichosis epidemic in the United States (Cooper et al 1992). Recent molecular studies have assessed the genetic diversity of S. schenckii, demonstrating that different clusters of S. schenckii strains are related to different geographical origins (Marimon et al 2006, O'Reilly & Altman 2006, Gutierrez-Galhardo et al 2008. Moreover, Marimon et al (2007) proposed the existence of three new Sporothrix species through physiological and molecular studies.…”

“…Hajjeh et al (1997) reported an outbreak of sporotrichosis among tree nursery workers handling sphagnum moss. An outbreak in Australia involved individuals in contact with hay prior to infection (O'Reilly & Altman 2006).…”

Sporothrix brasiliensis,S. globosa, andS. mexicana, Three NewSporothrixSpecies of Clinical Interest

“…The microscopic features were determined primarily from slide cultures made on CMA after 10 to 12 days of incubation at 30°C. Coverslips were mounted in lactic (20,25,30,35,37, and 40°C) of all the isolates included in the study was determined on PDA. The petri dishes were centrally inoculated with pieces of the fungus that were approximately 1 mm in diameter, placed upside down.…”

“…Contrary to previously reported suggestions, Ophiostoma stenoceras appears (5) not to be the teleomorph (4,8,27,30). In recent years, numerous molecular studies involving S. schenckii have been carried out (13,15,22,23,25,32,34) and have clearly demonstrated the existence of several groups that are genetically different. In a recent multilocus study, we investigated the population structure of S. schenckii and showed the existence of at least six putative phylogenetic species prevalent in different geographical regions (20).…”