Extracellular enzyme profiles of geophilic dermatophytes and related fungi from waste and waste-contaminated habitats

Introduction: The geophilic dermatophytes and related fungi from waste and waste-contaminated habitats have not yet been examined for extracellular hydrolytic enzyme profiles. Objective: The study was to determine the extracellular hydrolytic enzyme profiles of Microsporum gypseum, Trichophyton ajelloi, Trichophyton terrestre, Aphanoascus reticulisporus, Chrysosporium keratinophilum and Chrysosporium sp. isolated from waste and waste-contaminated habitats. Results were compared with available and compatible data for zoo- and anthropophilic dermatophytes and Scopulariopsis brevicaulis from skin diseases. Material and methods: Production of amylase, cellulase, chitinase, pectinase, polygalacturonase, DNA'se, gelatinase, lipase, urease and catalase on solid media and activity of 19 hydrolases with the API-ZYM® system by the fungi were examined in 20 fungal strains. Results: The production of hydrolytic enzymes by the dermatophytes and related fungi on solid media was limited as compared with literature data. The geophilic dermatophytes showed higher enzymatic activity than the Chrysosporium strains did. The data fit the general enzyme production profile of keratinolytic fungi. The Microsporum gypseum enzyme profile resembled most the profiles of zoo- and anthropophilic dermatophytes as evidenced by comparing the API-ZYM® data. The similarities in enzyme profiles also concerned the enzymes responsible for infection development. The data also showed the best tolerance of Trichophyton ajelloi to acidic habitats. Conclusions: The enzymatic tests can be useful tools for evaluation of eco- and epidemiological status of the fungi examined. However, the analytic procedures must be first unified to obtain fully comparable results in future studies.