Structure and function of dermatophyte proteinases and their protein inhibitors.

The incidence of dermatophytosis in man and animals is still increasing in Slovenia as well as in Europe. Treatment of the patients therefore represents a substantial financial problem. In the studies of experimental infections different vaccines were taken under consideration, however neither humoral nor cellular immune response, induced by these experimental vaccines had a satisfactory protective effect against challenge exposure. In our previous studies we have identified some proteinases and protein proteinase inhibitors significant for dermatophyte fungi. In the submitted project we plan to isolate and characterise these proteins and their potential role in the infection and activation of the immune response. On the basis of these results, the potential protective value of these proteins could be estimated.