Tinea faciei in a newborn due toTrichophyton tonsurans

We report here the first case of neonatal tinea faciei caused by Trichophyton tonsurans in China's Mainland. The mother of the infant had tinea corpris and tinea capitis while the father had tinea incongnito. The infections in the parents were mycologically confirmed to be due to Trichophyton tonsurans. Ttinea faciei in the infant was cured after two-week topical use of amorolfine cream. The mother ceased breastfeeding and took oral terbinafine for 4 weeks. No recurrence was observed in the infant during 12 months of follow-up.

In vitro fungistatic activity of 36 traditional oriental medicines and their synergistic effect against Trichophyton rubrume

Objective: To investigate the fungistatic activity and synergistic effects of natural products and their constituents, including traditional oriental medicines(TOMs).Methods: Fungistatic activities of TOMs prepared by hot-water(115 ℃) or ethanol(70%; 40 ℃) extraction were determined by their minimum inhibitory concentration.To assess possible synergistic effects, minimum inhibitory concentrations of various combinations were evaluated.Results: By evaluating antifungal susceptibility of Trichophyton rubrum, which is a major causative fungus for several types of dermatophytosis, we confirmed that ethanol extracts were more active than hot-water extracts in 25 of the 36 TOMs, suggesting that the constituents with high hydrophobicity tend to contribute significantly to fungistatic activity.We selected four TOMs with high fungistatic activity, including Aucklandiae radix, Gentianae macrophyllae radix, Scutellariae radix, and Galla rhois, and their synergistic effects were investigated through the combination studies between TOMs or TOM-conventional drug terbinafine.In combinations between four TOMs, partial synergistic effects were observed in Aucklandiae radix–Galla rhois and Gentianae macrophyllae radix–Galla rhois combinations, as supported by the lowest fractional inhibitory concentration index value of 0.66 for both combinations.Furthermore, Galla rhois showed the strongest synergistic effect on growth inhibition of Trichophyton rubrumwith a fractional inhibitory concentration index value of 0.50 in combination with terbinafine.Conclusions: Our findings indicate that the combination of TOMs and TOM-terbinafine may be effective on treatment for chronic and recurrent dermatophytosis by improving fungistatic activity and led to decrease systemic toxicity in clinical practice.

Chlamydoconidium-producing Trichophyton tonsurans: Atypical morphological features of strains causing tinea capitis in Ceará, Brazil

Objective: To report atypical morphological features of Trichophyton(T.) tonsurans strains associated with tinea capitis. Methods: Eighty-two T. tonsurans strains isolated in Ceará, Brazil, were analyzed regarding macro and micromorphological features and nutritional patterns. Results: Fifty-two samples presented abundant chlamydoconidia, which were produced in chains. Macroscopically, these strains developed small glabrous colonies that were firmly attached to the surface of the culture medium, with few or no aerial mycelia and intense rusty yellow pigmentation. Seven strains did not grow with stimulus from thiamine. Samples were heterogeneous regarding urease production and none presented in vitro hair perforation. Conclusions: The observation of T. tonsurans strains with distinct phenotypic features indicates the need to revise the taxonomic criteria for routine identification of this dermatophyte.

Majocchi’s granuloma caused by Trichophyton rubrum after facial injection with hyaluronic acid:A case report

BACKGROUND Facial cosmetic procedures become popular for people with a desire to have a younger appearance,and cosmetic technology has developed rapidly over the past several decades.However,increasing complications related to cosmetic injections have been reported,and infection is one of the most serious problems and can cause anxiety and facial injury.We here report a case of Majocchi’s granuloma(MG)caused by Trichophyton rubrum after facial injection of hyaluronic acid.CASE SUMMARY A 37-year-old woman presented to our hospital with a history of red papules,nodules,and abscesses on her left zygomatic arch for 2 mo.She had received a cosmetic injection of hyaluronic acid on the left side of her face prior to the appearance of the lesions.MG caused by Trichophyton rubrum after facial injection of hyaluronic acid was diagnosed based on morphology and molecular biological identification.In vitro antifungal susceptibility testing was conducted according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute M38-A2 method.Minimal inhibitory concentrations were used to evaluate the antifungal susceptibility.The antifungal agents and their minimal inhibitory concentrations for the strain were terbinafine(<0.5μg/mL),itraconazole(0.06μg/mL),amphotericin B(0.25μg/mL),fluconazole(32μg/mL),voriconazole(0.125μg/mL),posaconazole(0.125μg/mL),and isavuconazole(0.06μg/mL).We initially administered 250 mg/d oral terbinafine for 2 mo,but the patient still had painful papules,nodules and abscesses on her face.Then,we adjusted the treatment to itraconazole 400 mg/d for 8 wk based on the in vitro antifungal susceptibility testing results.The skin lesions improved significantly,and there was no recurrence during follow-up.CONCLUSION This case revealed that facial injection of hyaluronic acid may cause serious MG.Antifungal susceptibility testing should be considered in the treatment of MG caused by Trichophyton rubrum.

Inflammatory Tinea Manuum due to <i>Trichophyton erinacei</i>from an African Hedgehog

The zoophylic dermatophytes, as Trichophyton erinacei, frequently cause very inflammatory tineas in the human host. This dermatophyte is carried by some pets, particularly by the terrestrial hedgehog. Herein, we present the case of a 22-year-old male student with an exudative erythematous scaly plaque on his right fifth finger for 1 month. He had a pet African hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris). KOH examination demonstrated hyphae compatible with dermatophytes. The culture revealed a white, radiated dusty colony. PCR sequencing of the region ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 identified T. erinacei. The final diagnosis was inflammatory tinea manuum due to T. erinacei. Clinical and mycological cure was achieved after treatment with oral terbinafine 250 mg/day × 1 month.

中国南京及周边地区301例头癣临床流行病学特征及病原谱研究

目的分析南京及周边地区头癣患者的流行病学特征及病原谱。方法回顾性分析2013年1月至2022年12月期间301例头癣患者的临床及真菌检测等资料,真菌鉴定采用形态学、时间飞行质谱及分子生物学方法。结果301例患者中,儿童及未成年头癣286例(95%),其中以4~7岁学龄前儿童的分布最多(46.5%),性别分布以男童居多(56.3%)。成人头癣仅15例(5%),成人头癣性别分布以女性居多(66.7%)。所有头癣患者的真菌鉴定结果统计显示,犬小孢子菌(164例,54.5%)、须癣毛癣菌(57例,18.9%)和紫色毛癣菌(44例,14.6%)是最常见的菌种,须癣毛癣菌和犬小孢子菌各年龄段之间病原菌种检出率差异具有统计学意义(P<0.01),石膏样小孢子菌、断发毛癣菌、紫色毛癣菌和红色毛癣菌在不同年龄组检出率差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。结论4~7岁的男童是最常见的头癣患病群体,过去10年犬小孢子菌已取代须癣毛癣菌成为南京及周边地区头癣感染的优势致病菌,这些结果为头癣的治疗和预防提供了有用的信息。

Comparison of a glucose consumption based method with the CLSI M38-A method for testing antifungal susceptibility of Trichophyton rubrum and Trichophyton mentagrophytes

Background The prevalence of dermatophytoses and the development of new antifungal agents has focused interest on susceptibility tests of dermatophytes. The method used universally for susceptibility tests of dermatophytes was published as document （M38-A） in 2002 by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute （CLSI）, dealing with the standardization of susceptibility tests in filamentous fungi, though not including dermatophytes especially. However, it is not a very practical method for the clinical laboratory in routine susceptibility testing. In this test, we developed a novel rapid susceptibility assay --glucose consumption method （GCM） for dermatophytes. Methods In this study, we investigated the antifungal susceptibilities of dermatophytes to itraconazole （ITC）, voriconazole （VOC）, econazole nitrate （ECN） and terbinafine （TBF） by glucose consumption method （GCM）, in comparison to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute （CLSI） M38-A method. Twenty-eight dermatophyte isolates, including Trichophyton rubrum （T. rubrum） （n=-14） and Trichophyton mentagrophytes （T. mentagrophytes） （n=-14）, were tested. In the GCM, the minimum inhibitory concentrations （MICs） were determined spectrophotometrically at 490 nm after addition of enzyme substrate color mix. For the CLSI method, the MICs were determined visually. Results Comparison revealed best agreement for TBF against T. mentagrophytes and T. rubrum, since MIC range, MIC50, and MIC90 were identical from two methods. However, for ITC and VOC, GCM showed wider MIC ranges and higher MICs than CLSI methods in most isolates. For ECN against T. rubrum, high MICs were tested by GCM （0.125-16 pg/ml） but not M38-A method （0.5-1 IJg/ml）. The overall agreements for all isolates between the two methods within one dilution and two dilutions for ITC, VOC, ECN and TBF was 53.6% and 75.0%, 57.1% and 75.0%, 82.1% and 89.3%, and 85.7 and 85.7%, respectively. Conclusion Measurement of glucose uptake can predict the susceptibility of T. rubrum and T. mentagrophytes to ECN and TBF.

Identification of Trichophyton rubrum by PCR-fingerprinting

OBJECTIVE: To observe the unique DNA profile and the relationship between DNA profile and phenotype of Trichophyton rubrum,and establish an effective molecular method to identify T. rubrum. METHODS: Three primers, including (GACA)(4), (GTG)(5) and M13 core sequence (5'-GAGGGTG-GCGGTTCT-3'), were used to distinguish variations among 20 clinical isolates of T. rubrum and Trichophyton mentagrophytes. RESULTS: Different PCR-fingerprinting was seen between T. rubrum and T. mentagrophytes using three different primers. 2 stains of T. rubrum were identified among 6 supposed T. mentagrophytes. CONCLUSIONS: T. rubrum can be distinguished using PCR, and (GACA)(4) is the most suitable primer.

2014-2024年10492例浅部真菌病及致病菌种分析

目的:明确我院皮肤浅部真菌病致病菌种的种类和分布特点。方法:对2014年5月至2024年5月在我院真菌镜检阳性且进行致病菌分离培养与菌种鉴定的病例资料进行回顾性分析。结果:共分析10492例患者,其中培养阳性菌株4757例,前三位是红色毛癣菌1864株(39.18%),白念珠菌264株(5.55%),酵母样菌159株(3.34%)。女性白念珠菌、酵母样菌、热带念珠菌、须癣毛癣菌感染多于男性(均P<0.05),男性絮状表皮癣菌(P<0.05)感染多于女性。病种前三位为甲真菌病2482例(52.18%),足癣911例(19.15%),手癣540例(11.35%);甲真菌病女性多于男性(χ^(2)=192.68,P<0.01),体癣、手癣、股癣男性多于女性,差异均有统计学意义(均P<0.01)。结论:本院皮肤浅部真菌感染主要病种为甲真菌病、足癣和手癣,主要致病菌种为红色毛癣菌、白念珠菌、酵母样菌,病种和菌种种类与性别有一定的关系。

黄芩汤的抗须癣毛癣菌活性及作用机制研究

研究黄芩汤(HQD)的抗须癣毛癣菌活性及作用机制。方法 通过测定最小抑菌浓度(MIC)、最小杀菌浓度(MFC)、菌丝长度、孢子萌发率、生物量和观察菌丝超微结构评价HQD的抗须癣毛癣菌活性;通过山梨醇保护实验检测HQD对须癣毛癣菌细胞壁的影响;通过测定麦角固醇含量和角鲨烯环氧酶(SE)、羊毛甾醇14α-去甲基化酶(CYP51)的活性考察HQD对须癣毛癣菌细胞膜的影响;通过测定线粒体中苹果酸脱氢酶(MDH)、琥珀酸脱氢酶(SDH)及ATP酶(包括钠钾ATP酶、钙镁ATP酶和总ATP酶)的活性考察HQD对须癣毛癣菌线粒体的影响。结果 HQD对须癣毛癣菌具有显著的抑菌活性,MIC、MFC值分别为3.13、25 mg/mL。经HQD干预后,须癣毛癣菌菌丝长度均显著缩短(P<0.05);孢子萌发率、生物量、细胞膜中麦角固醇含量和SE、CYP51活性以及线粒体中MDH、SDH、各种ATP酶的活性均显著降低(P<0.05);细胞结构受到了一定程度的破坏,但细胞壁的完整性没有受影响。结论 HQD具有显著的抗须癣毛癣菌活性,其作用机制与降低细胞膜中麦角固醇含量和SE、CYP51活性以及线粒体相关酶活性有关。

须癣毛癣菌致Majocchi肉芽肿

报告1例须癣毛癣菌引起的Majocchi肉芽肿。患者男,35岁。面部反复红斑、鳞屑伴肿痛半年。皮肤科检查:面部多发红色结节、斑块及脓疱,可见环形鳞屑。多次真菌镜检结果均阴性,真菌培养及分子生物学鉴定为须癣毛癣菌。皮损组织病理检查:表皮大致正常,真皮及毛囊周围可见较多中性粒细胞和少量多核巨噬细胞浸润。过碘酸希夫染色(PAS)示真皮内可见孢子。诊断:Majocchi肉芽肿。治疗:予口服伊曲康唑0.2 g,每日2次,治疗1个月后皮损消退。随访1年皮损未复发。

犬和猫皮肤癣菌三重荧光定量PCR检测方法的建立及应用

建立鉴别犬小孢子菌(Microsporum canis,MC)、须癣毛癣菌(Trichophyton mentagrophytes,TM)和秕糠马拉色菌(Malassezia furfur,MF)的三重荧光PCR检测方法,根据MC、TM和MF 3种真菌的ITS基因保守序列设计引物和探针,建立三重荧光PCR检测方法。所建立的三重荧光PCR方法仅对MC、TM和MF出现阳性扩增,与大肠埃希氏菌、产色葡萄球菌和铜绿假单胞菌等犬、猫皮肤病常见病原无交叉反应,对MC、TM和MF的最低检出限分别为1.36×10^(1)、1.35×10^(1)、1.33×10^(1)拷贝;组内和组间变异系数均小于2%,重复性好。应用建立三重荧光PCR方法对88份犬、猫临床样品进行检测,结果检出1份MC阳性、21份TM阳性、20份MF阳性,检测结果与单一荧光PCR方法一致。该方法可对MC、TM和MF同时快速检测,可用于犬、猫真菌性皮肤病的快速诊断。

A Trichophyton Rubrum Infection Model Based on the Reconstructed Human Epidermis - Episkin

Background： Trichophyton rubrum represents the most common infectious fungus responsible for dermatophytosis in human, but the mechanism involved is still not completely understood. An appropriate model constructed to simulate host infection is the prerequisite to study the pathogenesis of dernlatophytosis caused by T.. rubrum. In this study, we intended to develop a new T. rubrum infection model in vitro, using the three-dimensional reconstructed epidermis - EpiSkin, and to pave the way for further investigation of the mechanisms involved in T. rubrum infection. Methods： The reconstructed human epidermis （RHE） was infected by inoculating low-dose （400 conidia） and high-dose （4000 conidia） T. rubrum conidia to optimize the infection dose. During the various periods after infection, the samples were processed for pathological examination and scanning electron microscopy （SEM） observation. Results： The histological analysis of RHE revealed a fully differentiated epidermis with a functional stratum corneum, which was analogous to the normal human epidermis. The results of hematoxylin and eosin staining and the periodic acid-Schiff staining showed that the infection dose of 400 conidia was in accord with the pathological characteristics of host dermatophytosis caused by T. rubrum. SEM observations further exhibited the process of 77 ruhrum infection in an intuitionistic way, Conclusions： We established the T. rubrum infection model on RHE in vitro successfully. It is a promising model fbr further investigation of the mechanisms involved in T. rubrum infection.

Human pathogenic fungus Trichophyton schoenleinii activates the NLRP3 inflammasome

The fungus Trichophyton schoenleinii(T.schoenleinii)is the causative agent of Trichophytosis and Tinea favosa of the scalp in certain regions of Eurasia and Africa.Hu-man innate immune system plays an important role in combating with various pathogens including fungi.The inflammasome is one of the most critical arms of host innate immunity,which is a protein complex controlling maturation of IL-1β.To clarify whether T.schoenleinii is able to activate the infl ammasome,we analyzed human monocytic cell line THP-1 for IL-1βproduction upon infec-tion with T.schoenleinii strain isolated from Tinea favosa patients,and rapid IL-1βsecretion from THP-1 cells was observed.Moreover,applying competitive inhibitors and gene specifi c silencing with shRNA,we found that T.sch-oenleinii induced IL-1βsecretion,ASC pyroptosome for-mation as well as caspase-1 activation were all dependent on NLRP3.Cathepsin B activity,ROS production and K+effl ux were required for the infl ammasome activation by T.schoenleinii.Our data thus reveal that the NLRP3 infl am-masome plays an important role in host defense against T.schoenleinii,and suggest that manipulating NLRP3 signaling can be a novel approach for control of diseases caused by T.schoenleinii infection.

Analysis of part of the Trichophyton rubrum ESTs

Trichophyton rubrum (T. rubrum) is the most common of the superficial fungi. In an effort to better understand the genetic and biochemical makeup of T. rubrum, we generated cDNA libraries from 3 growth stages and used these to isolate 4002 unique expressed sequence tags (ESTs). Sequence comparisons with the Genbank database allowed 1226 of the ESTs to be assigned putative functions or matched with homologs from other organisms. Of the remaining ESTs, 989 were only weakly similar to known sequences and 1787 had no identifiable functions, suggesting that they represent novel genes. We further analyzed the presence of several im-portant genes involved in the growth, metabolism, signal transduction, pathogenesis and drug resistance in T. rubrum. This information was used to newly elucidate important metabolic path-ways in T. rubrum. Taken together, our results should form the molecular basis for continued re-search on the physiological processes and pathogenic mechanisms of T. rubrum, and may lead to a better understanding of fungal drug resistance and identification of new drug targets.

Antifungal Activity of Aspidin BB from Dryopteris fragrans against Trichophyton rubrum Involved Inhibition of Ergosterol Biosynthesis

Objectives Aspidin BB, a typical phloroglucinol derivative from Dryopteris fragrans, possesses significant antifungal property. This study aimed to investigate potential mechanism of antifungal activity of Aspidin BB against Trichophyton rubrum which is the most common pathogens responsible for chronic dermatophytosis. Methods The minimum inhibitory concentration （MIC） ofAspidin BB against strains was determined by broth microdilution. The effects of Aspidin BB on ergosterol biosynthesis were investigated by content determination based on UPLC method. Besides, the effects of drugs on squalene epoxidase （SE） in T. rubrum cell membrane were analyzed. Results MIC value of Aspidin BB against T. rubrum was 25.0 IJg/mL. Aspidin BB reduced ergosterol content significantly, but no notable effect on squalene epoxidase activity. Conclusion The results suggested that Aspidin BB inhibited ergosterol biosynthesis. However, it was not squalene epoxidase but other components may sever as possible targets in ergosterol biosynthesis pathway.

Global gene expression profiles for the growth phases of Trichophyton rubrum

Trichophyton rubrum （T. rubrum） is a common superficial fungus. Molecular and genetic studies of T. rubrum are still limited. In this paper, we report the global analysis of gene expression profiles at different growth phases using cDNA microarray technology. A total of 2044 differentially expressed genes were obtained and clustered into three expression patterns. Our data confirmed previous results that many mRNAs were pre-stored in the conidia of T. rubrum. Transcriptional profiling and function analysis showed that some glycolytic enzymes share similar expression patterns and may be coregulated during the transi- tion of growth phases. Some genes involved in small GTPase signaling pathways, and in cAMP-dependent and MAPK regulation pathways were induced in response to the growth dynamics of T. rubrum. Although the detailed biological roles of these Z rubrum genes are still unknown, our results suggest that these genes may be involved in regulation mechanisms in the life cycle of the fungus.

Exposure to heat-inactivated Trichophyton rubrum resulting in a limited immune response of human keratinocytes

Background Trichophyton rubrum （T. rubrum） represents the most important agent of dermatophytosis in humans. T. rubrum infection causes slight inflammation, and tends to be chronic and recurrent. It is suggested that it may result from the failure of epithelial cells to recognize T. rubrum effectively and initiate effective immune responses. The C-type lectin receptors （CLR） and toll-like receptors （TLR） are the two major pattern recognition receptors （PRRs） that recognize fungal components. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to analyze the expression of those PRRs and the cytokines in HaCaT cells stimulated with heat-inactivated T. rubrum conidia and hyphae, respectively. Methods HaCaT cells were unstimulated or stimulated with heat-inactivated T. rubrum conidia and hyphae （l×106 and 1.5×105 colony-forming unit （CFU） in 2 ml medium, respectively） for 6, 12 and 24 hours. The mRNA expression of PRRs involved in recognizing fungal pathogen-associated molecular patterns （PAMPs） and signaling molecules were measured by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction （RT-PCR）. Meanwhile, surface toll-like receptor （TLR） 2, TLR4 and Dectin-1 were analyzed by fluorescence-activated cell sorter （FACS） 24 hours after treatment. The cytokines were detected in cell culture supernatants of HaCaT cells in 12 and 24 hours after treatment. Results HaCaT cells constitutively expressed mRNA of membrane-bound TLR1,2, 4 and 6, Dectinl and DC-SIGN, but not Dectin-2 or Mincle. Heat-killed T. rubrum did not significantly upregulate gene transcriptions of the PRRs of HaCaT cells. Heat-inactivated T. rubrum conidia significantly reduced the surface expression of TLR2 and Dectin-1, and suppressed the secretions of interferon-inducible protein-10 （IP-10） and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 （MCP-1） of HaCaT cells, while heat-killed T. rubrum hyphae significantly induced the secretions of IP-10 and MCP-I. Conclusion The cell-wall antigens of T. rubrum fail to activate transcriptional expression of PRRs and induce a lower immune response of HaCaT cells by limited cytokines secretion.

Effect of Culture Supernatant Derived from Trichophyton Rubrum Grown in the Nail Medium on the Innate Immunity-related Molecules of HaCaT

Background： Trichophyton rubrum is superficial fungi characteristically confined to dead keratinized tissues. These observations suggest that the soluble components released by the fungus could influence the host immune response in a cell in contact-free manner. Therefore, this research aimed to analyze whether the culture supernatant derived from T. rubrum grown in the nail medium could elicit the immune response of keratinocyte effectively. Methods： The culture supernatants of two strains （T1a, TXHB） were compared for the β-glucan concentrations and their capacity to impact the innate immunity of keratinocytes. The β-glucan concentrations in the supernatants were determined with the fungal G-test kit and protein concentrations with bicinchoninic acid protein quantitative method, then HaCaT was stimulated with different concentrations of culture supernatants by adopting morphological method to select a suitable dosage. Expressions of host defense genes were assessed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction after the HaCaT was stimulated with the culture supernatants. Data were analyzed with one-way analysis of variance, followed by the least significant difference test. Results： The T. rubrum strains （T1a and TXHB） released β-glucan of 87.530 ± 37.581 pg/ml and 15.747 ± 6.453 pg/ml, respectively into the media. The messenger RNA （mRNA） expressions of toll-like receptor-2 （TLR2）, TLR4, and CARD9 were moderately up-regulated in HaCaT within 6-h applications of both supernatants. HaCaT cells were more responsive to Tla than TXHB. The slight increase of dendritic cells-specific intercellular adhesion molecule 3-grabbing nonintegrin expression was faster and stronger, induced by T1a supematant than TXHB. The moderate decreases of RNase 7, the slight up-regulations of Dectin-1 and interleukin-8 at the mRNA level were detected only in response to T la rather than TXHB After a long-time contact, all the elevated defense genes decreased alter 24 h. Conclusion： The culture supernatant of T. rubrum could directly and transiently activate the innate immune response of keratinocytes.

Comparison between gene expression of conidia and germinating phase in Trichophyton rubrum

Trichophyton rubrum is a dominating superficial dermatophyte, whose conidial germination is corre- lated to pathopoiesis and a highly important developmental process. To investigate the changes of physiology, biochemistry and cytology during the germination, we selected 3364 function identified ESTs from T. rubrum cDNA library to construct cDNA microarrays, and compared the gene expression levels of conidia and germinating phase. Data analysis indicated that 335 genes were up-regulated during the germination, which mainly encoded translated, modified proteins and structural proteins. The constituents of cell wall and cell membrane were synthetized abundantly, suggesting that they are the foundation of cell morphogenesis. The ingredients of the two-component signal transduction sys- tem were up-regulated, presuming that they were important for the conidial germination. Genes of various metabolic pathways were expressed prosperously, especially the genes that participated in glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation were up-regulated on the whole, demonstrating that in the environment with sufficient oxygen and glucose, conidia obtained energy through aerobic respiration. This paper provides important clues which are helpful to understanding the changes in gene expres- sion, signal conduction and metabolism characteristics during T. rubrum conidial germination, and possess significant meaning to the study of other superficial dermatophytes.