Abstract
The karyotype of Microsporum canis was analyzed by contoured-clamped homogeneous electric field (CHEF) gel electrophoresis. Four chromosomal bands that correspond to five chromosomes ranging from 3.0–6.2 Mb were identified, adding the total genome size to approximately 24.9 Mb. To confirm the number of chromosomes in M. canis, the number of telomeres was assessed by using a telomeric probe (TTAGGG)4 in Southern blot analyses of digested genomic DNA. Treatment of M. canis DNA with Bal31 exonuclease revealed progressive shortening of the DNA fragments positive for the (TTAGGG)4 sequence, supporting location of repeats at the chromosome ends. These results can aid in improving the understanding of the genetic characterization of M. canis and the molecular epidemiology of dermatophytoses caused by this fungus.
Acknowledgements
We acknowledge financial supports by Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP), Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES), and Fundação de Apoio ao Ensino Pesquisa e Assistência (FAEPA).
Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.
This paper was first published online on Early Online on 20 July 2012.