Secreted Metalloprotease Gene Family of Microsporum canis

Brouta, Frédéric; Descamps, Frédéric; Monod, Michel; Vermout, Sandy; Losson, Bertrand; Mignon, Bernard

doi:10.1128/iai.70.10.5676-5683.2002

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Journal article

Secreted Metalloprotease Gene Family of Microsporum canis

Brouta, Frédéric Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
Descamps, Frédéric Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
Monod, Michel Service de Dermatologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland
Vermout, Sandy Service de Dermatologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland
Losson, Bertrand Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
Mignon, Bernard Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium

Published in:

Infection and Immunity. - American Society for Microbiology. - 2002, vol. 70, no. 10, p. 5676-5683

English ABSTRACT
Keratinolytic proteases secreted by dermatophytes are likely to be virulence-related factors. Microsporum canis, the main agent of dermatophytosis in dogs and cats, causes a zoonosis that is frequently reported. Using Aspergillus fumigatus metalloprotease genomic sequence (MEP) as a probe, three genes (MEP1, MEP2, and MEP3) were isolated from an M. canis genomic library. They presented a quite-high percentage of identity with both A. fumigatus MEP and Aspergillus oryzae neutral protease I genes. At the amino acid level, they all contained an HEXXH consensus sequence, confirming that these M. canis genes (MEP genes) encode a zinc-containing metalloprotease gene family. Furthermore, MEP3 was found to be the gene encoding a previously isolated M. canis 43.5-kDa keratinolytic metalloprotease, and was successfully expressed as an active recombinant enzyme in Pichia pastoris. Reverse transcriptase nested PCR performed on total RNA extracted from the hair of M. canis-infected guinea pigs showed that at least MEP2 and MEP3 are produced during the infection process. This is the first report describing the isolation of a gene family encoding potential virulence-related factors in dermatophytes.

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