Dermatophytes can trigger cooperative (CAMP-like) haemolytic reactions

Area of Science:

• Mycology
• Dermatology
• Microbiology

Background:

• Dermatophytes coexist with bacteria on skin, implying potential interactions relevant to pathogenesis.
• Erythrocyte hemolysis serves as a model for studying microbial membrane damage.
• Cooperative (CAMP-like) hemolytic reactions are known in bacteria but not previously documented for dermatophytes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the occurrence of CAMP-like reactions in dermatophytes.
• To explore potential cooperative hemolytic effects between dermatophytes and bacteria.

Main Methods:

• Utilized various dermatophyte species (Microsporum, Trichophyton, Epidermophyton) and erythrocytes from sheep, horses, and cattle.
• Employed cultures of Staphylococcus aureus, S. intermedius, Listeria ivanovii, S. hyicus, S. epidermidis, and their cell-free supernatants.
• Conducted in vitro agar diffusion assays to detect cooperative hemolytic effects.

Main Results:

• All tested dermatophytes demonstrated a cooperative (CAMP-like) hemolytic reaction.
• Dermatophytes induced complete hemolysis on sheep and cattle erythrocytes pretreated with sphingomyelinase from specific bacteria (S. aureus, S. intermedius, L. ivanovii).
• No CAMP reaction was observed with S. hyicus, S. epidermidis, or equine erythrocytes, and distinct lytic factors were identified.

Conclusions:

• This study provides the first evidence of CAMP-like effects in dermatophytes.
• This novel observation has potential implications for understanding the pathogenesis of skin infections.
• Further analysis of membrane-damaging factors released by dermatophytes is warranted.