The bZIP Ap1 transcription factor is a negative regulator of virulence attributes of the anthropophilic dermatophyte Trichophyton rubrum.

ABSTRACT: Trichophyton rubrum is a fungus that causes chronic skin and nail infections in healthy individuals and immunocompromised patients. During infection, T. rubrum invades host cutaneous tissues by adapting to the acidic pH and the innate immune response of the host. Several genes are upregulated during the growth of T. rubrum in substrates found in human tissue, including the ap1 gene, which codes for the transcription factor Ap1. Here, we generated a null mutant strain by deleting the T. rubrum ap1 gene and performed a functional analysis of this gene. Our results showed that the Δap1mutant increased its growth in nail fragments and co-cultures with keratinocytes compared to the wild type. Furthermore, the mutant displayed hyperpigmentation, thickeni

SUBMITTER: Peres NTA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9325736 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature