Abstract:

Objective To explore the significance of FSH1 in the pathogenicity of M. canis. Methods Thirty M. canis strains from tinea capitis lesions and 30 M. canis strains from tinea corporis lesions were cultured, passaged, and induced by medium containing skin tissue of scalp or foreskin from children. Semi-quantitative reverse transcription （RT）-PCR was carried out to detect the expression of FSH1 mRNA in the first- and fifth-generation M. canis strains, as well as M. canis strains induced by the skin tissues. Results The mRNA expression of FSH1 was higher in M. canis strains derived from tinea capitis lesions than in those from tinea corporis lesions（P < 0.01）, but there was no significant difference between the first-generation and fifth-generation M. canis strains（P > 0.05）. The skin tissue from scalp and foreskin induced a significant elevation in the mRNA expression of FSH1 in these M. canis strains （F = 2025.713, 1833.139, both P < 0.01）, and the inductive effect of the scalp tissue was different from that of the foreskin tissue （P < 0.01）. Conclusions The FSH1 mRNA expression is different in M. canis isolated from different body sites. Local skin tissue has an inductive effect on the expression of FSH1 mRNA, and the inductive effect of scalp tissue is more apparent than that of foreskin tissue.

Key words: semi-quantitative RT-PCR