Sporothrix Schenckii Complex And Sporotrichosis, An Emerging Health Problem

Abstract

Sporothrix schenckii, now named the S. schenckii species complex, has largely been known as the etiological agent of sporotrichosis, which is an acute or chronic subcutaneous mycosis of humans and other mammals. Gene sequencing has revealed the following species in the S. schenckii complex: Sporothrix albicans, Sporothrix brasiliensis, Sporothrix globosa, Sporothrix luriei, Sporothrix mexicana and S. schenckii. The increasing number of reports of Sporothrix infection in immunocompromised patients, mainly the HIV-infected population, suggests sporotrichosis as an emerging global health problem concomitant with the AIDS pandemic. Molecular studies have demonstrated a high level of intraspecific variability. Components of the S. schenckii cell wall that act as adhesins and immunogenic inducers, such as a 70-kDa glycoprotein, are apparently specific to this fungus. The main glycan peptidorhamnomannan cell wall component is the only O-linked glycan structure known in S. schenckii. It contains an α-mannobiose core followed by one α-glucuronic acid unit, which may be mono- or di-rhamnosylated. The oligomeric structure of glucosamine-6-P synthase has led to a significant advance in the development of antifungals targeted to the enzyme‘s catalytic domain in S. schenckii.

Keywords:

• adhesin
• emerging mycosis
• glucosamine-6-P synthase
• protein glycosylation
• Sporothrix schenckii
• sporotrichosis

Acknowledgements

The authors are indebted to a number of collaborators and students who directly or indirectly contributed to the work presented in this article.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

Research in the laboratories of authors was jointly supported by grants No. 0041PN and 39528-Q from CONACyT, México and SEP-CONACyT, México, respectively (ELR, ERB & JCVC), CB-2007 No. 83414 from CONACyT, México and 2007 and 2008 from Universidad de Guanajuato, México (AFC), 117063 from CONACyT, México (Repatriation of HMMM). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

Research in the laboratories of authors was jointly supported by grants No. 0041PN and 39528-Q from CONACyT, México and SEP-CONACyT, México, respectively (ELR, ERB & JCVC), CB-2007 No. 83414 from CONACyT, México and 2007 and 2008 from Universidad de Guanajuato, México (AFC), 117063 from CONACyT, México (Repatriation of HMMM). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.