Abstract: (11 Views)
Fungi that share a common clinical habitat may interact with or antagonize each other. Chemical molecules produced by Candida albicans have inhibitory effects on the mycelial growth of dermatophytes. The present study investigated the effect of C. albicans on the expression of metalloprotease (MEP) genes in Microsporum canis isolated from clinical samples. This study aimed to investigate the effect of C. albicans on M. canis. C. albicans was initially identified using molecular methods and phenotypic tests. Then, it was co-cultured under laboratory conditions in the presence of M. canis, which is capable of expressing pathogenic genes. Subsequently, the effect of C. albicans growth on the expression of dermatophyte genes was investigated using real-time PCR (RT-PCR). In conclusion, co-culture with C. albicans showed an approximately 62% reduction in metalloprotease 1 (MEP1) gene expression in M. canis in the examined sample. Therefore, it seems that the inhibition of hyphomycete growth is mediated by fungal compounds themselves, which represents a controversial area for future research.