Dermatophyte Morphology: a Scanning Electron Microscopy Study
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Scanning Microscopy Volume 4 Number 2 Article 15 4-5-1990 Dermatophyte Morphology: A Scanning Electron Microscopy Study R. Vazquez University of Salamanca J. M. Riesco University of Salamanca A. Martin Pascual University of Salamanca Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/microscopy Part of the Life Sciences Commons Recommended Citation Vazquez, R.; Riesco, J. M.; and Pascual, A. Martin (1990) "Dermatophyte Morphology: A Scanning Electron Microscopy Study," Scanning Microscopy: Vol. 4 : No. 2 , Article 15. Available at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/microscopy/vol4/iss2/15 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Western Dairy Center at DigitalCommons@USU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Scanning Microscopy by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@USU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Scanning Microscopy, Vol. 4, No. 2, 1990 (Pages 363-374) 0891-7035/90$3.00+.00 Scanning Microscopy International, Chicago (AMF O'Hare), IL 60666 USA DERMATOPHYTE MORPHOLOGY: A SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY STUDY R. Vazquezl,2*, J.M. Riescol, and A. Martin Pascual3 Departments of Morphological Sciences!, Electron Microscopy2, and Dermatology3 University of Salamanca, University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Salamanca, Spain (Received for publication November 28, 1989, and in revised form April 5, 1990) Abstract Introduction The Dermatophytes are a broad group of fungi The Dermatophytes belong to a broad group of belonging to the class Fungii imperfecti that are the fungi with pathogenic capacity in man and diverse causative agents of dermophytos1s (rmgworm infec - animal species. They are keratinophilic agents; that tions). The present work offers an overview of the is, they only parasitize keratin or keratinized struc - morphology of these fungi found in cultures accord tures (the horny layer, skin, and nails) causing der ing to the scanning electron microscope. The fungi matological lesions encompassed within the term der were obtained from cultures left to develop over matophytosis (ringworm infections). Speculations variable periods of time that would be sufficient for have been made about the possibility of Dermato growth. The morphological features of some derma phytes having been derived from a large family of tophytes obtained in artificial cultures are detailed: perfect soil fungi (ascomycetes). With the hair bait M. canis, M. gypseum, M. audouini, M. cookei, T. technique, it has been possible to isolate fungi with mentagrophytes, T. schoulemu, T. verrucosuin, T. morphological features similar to those of the Der aJello1, T. prohferans, and E. floccosum. In all cases matophytes but that do not induce pathological states an analysis of the morphology of the reproductive in man or in animals. mycelium developed in the culture was made: hyphae, Al though they belong to the class Fungii im - macroconidia, microconidia, and chlamydospores; de perfecti (asexual), some species are also able to tails that serve to distinguish one fungus from an develop a perfect state (sexual) when grown on hairs other. In the perfect forms, the morphology of the on the surface of soil . peridial hyphae and of the ascocarps (cleistotethia) Asexual reproduction is achieved through the are described. formation of spores. Upon finding a suitable me dium, a spore germinates and emits one or several tubes that grow distally and branch in the form of filaments known as hyphae. The branchings of the hyphae constitute the mycelium which shows two dif ferentiated portions: the vegetative mycelium, res ponsible for the maintenance and growth of the fun - gus, and the reproductor mycelium that contains spore-bearing hyphae (sporophores). The spores are mainly located on lateral projections of the hyphae and have a bud or finger-like aspect; these are the conidia. When the largest axis of the conidium is less than 5 micrometers and is formed of a single cell it is known as a microconidium. If the evagin ation is larger and is composed of two or more cells, the term macroconidium is used. Morphological varieties within the hyphae are the chlamydospores and the pectinate hyphae. The Key Words: Dermatophytes, Scanning Electron former are globose bulges surrounded by a strong Microscopy, Mycosis, Fungus, Tineas, M. canis, M. wall and localized on the distal portion of the hypha gypseum, M. audouini, M. cookei, T. mentagrophytes, or intercalated on its trajectory. Pectinate hyphae T. schouleinii, T. verrucosum, T. ajelloi, T. have a comb-like morphology. proliferans, E. floccosum. In the perfect state, the reproduction of Der matophytes is sexual and is characterized in that the * Address for correspondence: spores, in this case called ascospores, are the pro Ricardo Vazquez duct of fusion of two gametes of opposite sign (con Hospital Clinico Universitario ventionally gamete + and gamete - ) . Out of this Servicio de Microscopia Electronica union arise more or less spherical formations - the Paseo de San Vicente sin ascocarps (cleistotethia) - surrounded by thick and 37007 Salamanca, Spain claw-like hyphae called peridial. In turn, each as Phone No.: (923) 263450 cocarp is formed by sacs (asci) in whose interior the 363 R. Vazquez, J.M. Riesco, and A. Martin Pascual ascospores are located. Essentially, two genera have Results been described: Mannizzia as the perfect state of the genus Microsporum and Arthroderma as the perfect In artificial cultures, the Dermatophytes de state of the genus Trichophyton. veloped a reproductive mycelium with an enormously The Dermatophytes exhibit different morpholo rich structure; this permitted their differentiation gies according to whether they are viewed: a) as into three genera: Mycrosporum (M); Trichophyton pathogens, obtained directly from lesions (they would (t); and Epidermophyton (E). The former two genera be seen simply as unicellular and sporulated forms), include several species that are pathogenic for man b) in artificial culture media (where they develop a and animals. reproductor mycelium formed of macro- and micro Since a study of all the species would be be conidia, special hyphae, etc., which have served as yond the scope of the present work, we selected the basis for their taxonomic classification), and c) only some of those most commonly present in our when they are grown with the hair bait technique, environment (M. canis, M. gypseum, M. audouini, M. where some of them are able to develop a perfect cookei, T. menTagropfiytes, T. schoulemu, T. verru stage (for more details, see 1, 2, 5, 6, 9-12, 16, 17, cosum, E-:- floccosum) together with those exhibiting 20, 21, 37, 43, 45, 46, 53). strikmgcharacteristics ( M. audouini), new features The present work offers a scanning electron (T. proliferans), or representing the three epidemio microscope (SEM) analysis of the morphological char logical groups. acteristics of some Dermatophytes belonging to the Genus Microsporum three existing epidemiological groups (anthropophilic, M. Canis: This is a zoophilic fungus, mainly zoophilic, and geophilic). The morphology described harbored by the cat and, to a lesser extent, the dog. relates to that found in cultures, not in infected Its perfect or sexual state is unknown. It is the integument and/or its appendices. most important causative agent of tinea capitis in our environment ( Salamanca, Spain). It has been Materials and Methods studied by several authors with light, transmission, and scanning electron microscopes (26, 27, 37, 42, 46, The Dermatophytes analyzed were from three and 50). sources: a) clinical lesions of patients attending the Upon examination with the scanning electron University Hospital ( University of Salamanca, Spain); microscope a mycelium with the following character b) from lesions (ringworm) in several animal species istics was observed: when the colony was young (rabbits, calves, rats, etc.); c) from different soil (after a short period of time, about eight days of samples, according to the techniques proposed by growth), the hyphae were thin (Figs. 1 and 2), with Dwivedi et al. (13) and Vanbreuseghem (44). some swellings, occasionally showing formations re The Dermatophytes were cultured in agar con sembling smooth surfaced buds (Fig. 1). The macro taining glucose and neopeptone (Saboureaud's me conidia were elongate, spindle-shaped, with a sharp dium); in order to prevent contamination and the distal end (Figs. 1, 2, 3); their surface, in the case presence of saprophytic mold, chloramphenicol and of young colonies, was almost smooth (Fig. 1), with a cycloheximide were added (14, 37, and 39). Identification of Trichophyton verrucosum was carried out by the nutritional tests (addmg nutrient substances such as thiamine and inositol) proposed by Fig. 1. Macroconidium (ma) of M. can is belonging to Georg (18). For differentiating Trichophyton menta a young colony of short evoluno~ It is fairly grophytes from '!:..:_ rubrum the perforating hair tests smooth and only exhibits a fine granulation. The re of Ajello and Georg (3) and the urease test of lief of a septum can be seen (arrow). The hyphae Philpot (34) were used. (hy) shows bud formations with a smooth surface Perfect forms were obtained by crossing iso (arrowheads). lated strains with two other strains of different Fig. 2. Macroconidium (ma) belonging to an older signs (37) of the corresponding perfect form, pro colony; note that the whole surface is covered with vided by Doctors Ajello (at Communicable Disease buds. Center, Atlanta,