{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,27]],"date-time":"2026-02-27T05:08:21Z","timestamp":1772168901770,"version":"3.50.1"},"update-to":[{"DOI":"10.12688\/f1000research.141657.1","type":"new_version","label":"New version","source":"publisher","updated":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,31]],"date-time":"2025-12-31T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1767139200000}},{"DOI":"10.12688\/f1000research.141657.2","type":"new_version","label":"New version","source":"publisher","updated":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,31]],"date-time":"2025-12-31T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1767139200000}},{"DOI":"10.12688\/f1000research.141657.3","type":"new_version","label":"New version","source":"publisher","updated":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,31]],"date-time":"2025-12-31T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1767139200000}}],"reference-count":26,"publisher":"F1000 Research Ltd","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,31]],"date-time":"2025-12-31T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1767139200000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research, Wardha, India"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["f1000research.com"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["F1000Res"],"abstract":"<ns3:p>Dermatophytes are the keratinophilic fungi which infect humans and is the most recurring type of disease. The high level of transmissibility creates an epidemiological risk and emphasises the significance of these illnesses. However, a growing number of reports describing dermatophytes can cause deep infections in diabetic and immunocompromised patients, by invading deep layers like the dermis and hypodermis. Despite the prevalence and significance of dermatophytes in clinical mycology, it is not always possible to accurately diagnose this specific infection due to its overlapping structures among species of dermatophytes. Since it is difficult to identify species that exhibit weak characteristics in the morphological highlights, identification of the dermatophyte is often relied on its morphological analysis, which is a laborious process and demands skill. The massive shift in genetic variation, the source of infection, and epidemiological research can be discovered using molecular approaches. Therefore, the development of an accurate laboratory test for dermatophyte species identification is essential for the prevention and efficient management of dermatophytoses. One such methodology allows use of PCR technology which has many methods for molecular level characterization which is rapid, efficient, and capable of producing DNA polymorphisms specific to various dermatophyte species based on distinctive band patterns seen by agarose gel electrophoresis. The RAPD-PCR approach will be used in this study protocol to molecularly characterize the dermatophytes for precise speciation of the sample. In addition to improving knowledge of fungal biology and pathology with a focus on adaptive mechanisms to combat difficult conditions from host counteractions, there is a need to improve awareness of the importance of these diseases through accurate epidemiological data. The advantages of molecular approaches for characterizing objects over traditional methods are their sensitivity and specificity.<\/ns3:p>","DOI":"10.12688\/f1000research.141657.4","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,8]],"date-time":"2026-01-08T04:34:07Z","timestamp":1767846847000},"page":"136","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.12688\/f1000research.crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Molecular Characterization of Dermatophyte species from rural tertiary care hospital: A Study Protocol"],"prefix":"10.12688","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3970-8060","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Aditi","family":"Warghade","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Gargi","family":"Mudey","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"2560","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,31]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"227-236","DOI":"10.4103\/ijd.IJD_206_17","article-title":"The great Indian epidemic of superficial dermatophytosis: An appraisal.","volume":"62","author":"S Verma","year":"2017","journal-title":"Indian J. 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Concern: Lack of proof that RAPD-PCR and phenotypic tests were performed to confirm fungal isolates<\/b> We thank the reviewer for this important observation. In the revised version of the manuscript (Version 3), we have explicitly clarified that species specific primers will be designed targeting ITS region and identification will be done by Real time PCR, and phenotypic identification procedures will be&nbsp; performed on all culture-positive isolates. The phenotypic confirmation will be done by macroscopic colony morphology and microscopic features on lactophenol cotton blue mount.&nbsp;Details regarding DNA extraction,&nbsp; primer usage, amplification conditions, and gel electrophoresis have now been clearly described in the Materials and Methods section.&nbsp;&nbsp;Representative workflow descriptions have also been added to support methodological verification.  \n<b>2. Concern: Dermatophyte Test Medium (DTM) not mentioned in Materials &amp; Methods<\/b> The use of Dermatophyte Test Medium (DTM) as a screening medium for presumptive identification of dermatophytes has now been explicitly included in the Materials and Methods section,&nbsp;thereby ensuring completeness of the diagnostic workflow.  \n<b>3. Concern: Absence of datasets, limiting manuscript review<\/b> We appreciate the reviewer\u2019s comment regarding data availability. As this manuscript is a \n<b>study protocol (we have already mentioned in the topic as well)&nbsp;<\/b>the complete datasets are not yet finalized. However, in response to this concern, we have now, -Clearly stated the data collection framework and outcome variables -Included a description of how datasets will be generated, stored, and analyzed -Added a data availability statement, indicating that datasets will be made available upon study completion. This&nbsp;clarification ensures integrity of an ongoing study.&nbsp; &nbsp;","URL":"https:\/\/f1000research.com\/articles\/13-136\/v4#referee-comment-15123","order":4,"name":"referee-comment-15123","label":"Referee Comment","group":{"name":"article-reports","label":"Article Reports"}},{"value":"10.5256\/f1000research.193841.r443781, Christophe Hennequin, Sorbonne Universit\u00e9, Inserm, Centre de Recherche Saint-Antoine, Paris, 27 Dec 2025, version 3, 1 approved, 4 not approved","URL":"https:\/\/f1000research.com\/articles\/13-136\/v3#referee-response-443781","order":5,"name":"referee-response-443781","label":"Referee Report","group":{"name":"article-reports","label":"Article Reports"}},{"value":"An intramural grant from the Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research, Sawangi (Meghe), Wardha has been received. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.","order":6,"name":"grant-information","label":"Grant Information"},{"value":"This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licence, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.","order":0,"name":"copyright-info","label":"Copyright"}]}}