Main Phenotypic Virulence Factors Identified in Trichophyton rubrum

Background: Trichophyton rubrum (T. rubrum) is the most common etiological agent of human dermatophytosis worldwide. T. rubrum has various phenotypic virulence factors that allow the infection to establish and evolve. Several enzymes, including keratinase, protease, lipase, deoxyribonuclease, elastase, and collagenase, are some of these virulence factors. This systematic review aimed to determine the main phenotypic virulence factors in T. rubrum. Methods: We performed a search in the databases PubMed, Scopus, and Scielo, including the words T. rubrum, virulence factors, lipase, phospholipase, keratinase, protease, deoxyribonuclease, elastase, collagenase, and biofilms. Results: We found 98 articles in the search databases. Twenty-eight were eliminated, as the information did not correspond to our purpose, and five articles were not retrieved. Thus, in the end, we included 65 papers. The articles highlighted many virulence factors associated with T. rubrum that could facilitate attachment, germination, formation of infection structures, penetration, and host colonization. Conclusions: Tolerance to high-stress environments and resistance to host defenses were reported. Some of the virulence factors found in the review were subtilisins, metalloprotease, oxidative stress fungal defenses (Catalases, Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase), family), heat shock proteins, LysM domains, other cell wall-associated, and biofilms. The review provided evident pathogenic mechanisms associated with T. rubrum ensuring its sustenance and survival.