MYCOLab Ai Logo - gold and army green

SUB6 Subtilisin is Involved During the Initial Adhesion of Trichophyton benhamiae and T. mentagrophytes onto Reconstructed Human Epidermis

Summary

This study examined how a fungal protein called SUB6 helps dermatophytes (fungi causing ringworm) stick to human skin. Researchers used genetically modified fungi without SUB6 and found that these strains had difficulty initially attaching to skin but eventually infected it anyway. The results suggest SUB6 is a useful marker for detecting fungal infections but isn’t absolutely necessary for the fungus to cause disease.

Background

Dermatophytoses are common fungal infections with increasing antifungal resistance. Subtilisin proteases, particularly SUB6, have been identified as potential virulence factors in dermatophytes and are expressed during natural skin infections.

Objective

To investigate the role of SUB6 protease in Trichophyton benhamiae and T. mentagrophytes dermatophytosis using reconstructed human epidermis by comparing wild-type, SUB6-deleted, and SUB6-complemented strains.

Results

SUB6-deleted strains of both species showed weaker initial adhesion to epidermis after 30 minutes to 2 hours of contact but eventually invaded the tissue with comparable or greater efficiency. SUB9 expression was significantly upregulated in SUB6-deleted strains, suggesting compensatory mechanisms.

Conclusion

SUB6 plays a role in initial adhesion steps but is not essential for dermatophyte infection due to compensatory mechanisms. SUB6 is a robust marker of dermatophytosis associated with the infectious phenotype, making it a potential diagnostic target.
  • Published in:JID Innovations,
  • Study Type:Experimental Study,
  • Source: 10.1016/j.xjidi.2025.100370, PMID: 40416790
Scroll to Top