We aimed to investigate the protease activities of Trichophyton rubrum and Trichophyton mentagrophytes isolated from Kahramanmaraş State Hospital.

The samples from nail and skin were collected from patients who had suspicious infection presented to Department of Dermatology of Kahramanmaras State Hospital. The samples were treated with 15% KOH and, then microscopic examination and culturing was carried out on Saboraud Dextrose Agar. Cultures were defined and Trichophyton rubrum and Trichophyton mentagrophytes' isolates were differentiated. The caseinolytic properties of Trichophyton rubrum and Trichophyton mentagrophytes were investigated.

The strains found to be casein positive as, Tr2(Trichophyton rubrum2), Tr3, Tm(Trichophyton mentagrophytes321)207, Tr319 ve Tm321were tested for protease activity. Dermatophyte strains were incubated for enzyme production for 23 days under certain circumstances. The highest protease activity was obtained at 13.1U/ml from the strain Tr2 after 14 days of incubation. Tr3, Tr319, Tm207, and Tm321 produced the enzyme activity as 12.3 U/ml, 8.71 U/ml, 7.65 U/ml, and 7.4 U/ml, respectively. Our results showed that the dermatophytes which are keratinolytic fungi had significant amount of protease enzyme and this might constitute potentially a significant virulence factor in the pathogenicity.