Comparative study of potential virulence factors in human pathogenic and saprophytic Trichoderma longibrachiatum strains.
Potential virulence factors of 9 saprophytic and 12 clinical Trichoderma longibrachiatum strains were examined in the present study, in order to compare their capacity to cause infection in humans. All of the strains were able to grow at temperatures up to 40 degrees C and at pH values ranging from 2.0 to 9.0. Carbon and nitrogen source utilization experiments revealed that all of the strains were able to utilize a series of basic amino acids both as sole carbon and nitrogen sources. The MIC values of the tested antifungal drugs were found to be 0.016-8 microg/ml for amphotericin B, 64-256 microg/ml for fluconazole, 0.5-32 microg/ml for itraconazole and 0.008-1 microg/ml for ketoconazole in the case of the examined isolates. Metabolites of the strains inhibited the growth of different bacteria, furthermore, compounds produced by three clinical isolates reduced the motility of boar spermatozoa, indicating their toxicity to mammalian cells as well. On the whole, there were no significant differences in the examined features between strains derived from clinical or soil samples. The question, however, whether all environmental Trichoderma longibrachiatum strains have the capacity to cause infections or not, remains still unanswered.
Antal
Zsuzsanna
Z
Microbiological Research Group, Hungarian Academy of Sciences and University of Szeged, Hungary.
Kredics
L
L
Pakarinen
J
J
Dóczi
Ilona
I
Andersson
Maria
M
Salkinoja-Salonen
Mirja
M
Manczinger
L
L
Szekeres
A
A
Hatvani
L
L
Vágvölgyi
C
C
Nagy
Elisabeth
E
D000818:Animals; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001419:Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development; D002460:Cell Line; D003470:Culture Media; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009181:Mycoses / Q000382:microbiology*; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000502:physiology; D034421:Sus scrofa; D013696:Temperature; D014242:Trichoderma / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D037521:Virulence Factors
D000935:Antifungal Agents; D003470:Culture Media; D037521:Virulence Factors