Species/Subspecies: Sporothrix schenckii
Categories: Animal pathogen; human pathogen
Etymology: Genus name: means spore hair.
Species epithet: named after the medical student Benjamin Schenk, who in 1896 was the first to isolate this fungus from a human sample.
Significance:Sporotrichosis has not yet been found in Sweden, but the disease disease is a major problem in tropical and subtropical areas.
  [Of minor importance]   
Geographic distribution: S. schenkii appears in tropical and subtropical areas around the world.
Taxonomy:
PhylumClassOrderFamilyGenus
AscomycotaSordariomycetesOphiostomatalesOphiostomataceaeSporothrix
 
Macromorphology (smell): Like mould: Grows filamentously in the environment (and at 25° C). The colonies are moist, leathery to velvety smooth and are finely wrinkled.
Like yeast: Grows as yeast when it infects a host (and at 37°C). The colonies are smooth and white or off-white.
Micromorphology: Like mould: The filamentous form (hyphae) are septated and 1-2 µm in diameter. The conidia are oval shaped and translucent.
Like yeast: The yeast form of the cells is pleomorphic and small (2-10 x 1-3 µm).
Metabolism: These fungi are chemoorganoheterotrophic.
Reproduction:S. schenckii har vegetativ (= könlös eller asexuell) reproduktion genom konidier. Det är dock inte klarlagt om denna svamp också har sexuell reproduktion.
Spec. Char.: This is a thermally dimorhic fungus.
Reservoir: Soil, timber, decomposing plant material and "peat moss".
Disease/effect: Sporotrichosis or "Rose handlers disease" is a zoonotic disease in animals and humans.
Virulence Factors: This fungus produces melanin, which protects it from oxidative stress, UV light and being killed by macrophages. It has adhesins (receptor proteins), which allow the fungus to attach to fibronectin and laminin in the extracellular matrix. It also has proteases, which can break down collagen and elastin.
Diagnostics: Culture on Sabouraud agar or "brain heart infusion agar" as well as micro- and macroscopic examinations. PCR based on 18S rRNA genes can also be used.
Genome Sequence:
ACC-No GenBankStrain/Isolate# of chromSize (Mbp)Ref
GCF_000961545 1099–18 1 (?) 32.3 # 19
Circular DNA
Mitochondrial DNA sequence:
ACC-No GenBankStrain/IsolateNumber of BP
NC_015923 ATCC 10268 27 125 

18S rRNA Seq:
ACC-No GenBankStrain/IsolateNumber of NT
XR_001677158 1099-18 1796 

ITS regions:
ACC-No GenBankStrain/IsolateNumber of NTGenes
NR_147566 CBS 359.36TM 525 ITS 1, 5.8S rRNA, ITS 2 

Taxonomy/phylogeny: S. schenckii is regarded as a species complex, which includes S. brasiliensis, S. globosa, S. mexicana, S. luriei and S. schenckii sensu stricto.
Comment:In the countries where sporotricosis occurs, are veterinarians, animal care takers and cat owners risk groups for contracting the disease.
Reference(s): No. 18
Updated:2022-06-15

Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences