Sporothrix schenckii thermo-intolerant mutants losing fatal visceral infectivity but retaining high cutaneous infectivity

Abstract

Four mutants of the Sporothrix schenckii lung isolate IFM 41598 were isolated by their inability to form colonies on a Sabouraud glucose agar plate incubated at 37°C for 4 days. In contrast to the parent IFM 41598, these thermo-intolerant mutants were all defective in producing fatal visceral infections in mice, even though they retained infectivity in footpad tissues with a small fungal inoculum (≈10 cfu).

• Sporothrix Schenckii
• Thermo-INTOLERANT Mutant
• Virulence To Mice