Variation in Genotype and Higher Virulence of a Strain of Sporothrix schenckii Causing Disseminated Cutaneous Sporotrichosis

Abstract

Sporotrichosis is usually a localized, lymphocutaneous disease, but its disseminated type was rarely reported. The main objective of this study was to identify specific DNA sequence variation and virulence of a strain of Sporothrix schenckii isolated from the lesion of disseminated cutaneous sporotrichosis. We confirmed this strain to be S. schenckii by(®) tubulin and chitin synthase gene sequence analysis in addition to the routine mycological and partial ITS and NTS sequencing. We found a 10-bp deletion in the ribosomal NTS region of this strain, in reference to the sequence of control strains isolated from fixed cutaneous sporotrichosis. After inoculated into immunosuppressed mice, this strain caused more extensive system involvement and showed stronger virulence than the control strain isolated from a fixed cutaneous sporotrichosis. Our study thus suggests that different clinical manifestation of sporotrichosis may be associated with variation in genotype and virulence of the strain, independent of effects due to the immune status of the host.

Report of 457 sporotrichosis cases from Jilin province, northeast China, a serious endemic region

“…But in many different countries, lymphocutaneous form was the most commonly seen type, 21–26 although some other reports showed equal proportion of the two forms 16–17,27 . Possible causes for the different clinical forms include the size and depth of the inoculums, the genotype of the fungus, 28 and the immune status of the host 18 . Some authors thought 16,29 that the fixed cutaneous form reflects a higher immunity against S. schenckii , which could be acquired by frequent contact of fungal immunogen in a constantly endemic area.…”

Phenotypic and molecular identification of Sporothrix isolates of clinical origin in Northeast China

“…Our previous studies [19] showed that the isolate (Sp98-12-1, i.e. DMU1) from disseminated sporotrichosis presented 10-bp deletion in the ribosomal nontranscribed spacer (NTS) region and higher virulence compared to the isolate (D1, i.e.…”

A population genetics analysis in clinical isolates of Sporothrix schenckii based on calmodulin and calcium/calmodulin‐dependent kinase partial gene sequences

“…Whereas, sequences of S. schenckii s. str. were displayed across four clades: clade 1 showed a general topography in accordance with previous studies; clade 2 was formed mainly of Asian isolates including Malaysian sequences corresponding with Kano's group D, which was associated with cats disease and transmission; clade 3 comprised mostly Mexican sequences associated with transmission from the environment or small mammals; and clade 4 contained haplotypes from Africa, Argentina and Peru, and also associated predominantly with environmental transmission. In relation to S. globosa , two clades were seen.…”

“…These fungi are often introduced into the skin by traumatic injury involving soil, plants, or contaminated organic material or by animal contact . Lymphocutaneous nodules are the leading clinical manifestation, but localised and disseminated lesions have also been reported . In 2006, Sporothrix schenckii was proposed as a complex of cryptic species including medically relevant species such as S. schenckii sensu stricto (s.…”