1
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Murante D, Hogan DA. Drivers of diversification in fungal pathogen populations. PLoS Pathog 2024; 20:e1012430. [PMID: 39264909 PMCID: PMC11392411 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1012430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/14/2024] Open
Abstract
To manage and treat chronic fungal diseases effectively, we require an improved understanding of their complexity. There is an increasing appreciation that chronic infection populations are often heterogeneous due to diversification and drift, even within a single microbial species. Genetically diverse populations can contribute to persistence and resistance to treatment by maintaining cells with different phenotypes capable of thriving in these dynamic environments. In chronic infections, fungal pathogens undergo prolonged challenges that can drive trait selection to convergent adapted states through restricted access to critical nutrients, assault by immune effectors, competition with other species, and antifungal drugs. This review first highlights the various genetic and epigenetic mechanisms that promote diversity in pathogenic fungal populations and provide an additional barrier to assessing the actual heterogeneity of fungal infections. We then review existing studies of evolution and genetic heterogeneity in fungal populations from lung infections associated with the genetic disease cystic fibrosis. We conclude with a discussion of open research questions that, once answered, may aid in diagnosing and treating chronic fungal infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Murante
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, United States of America
| | - Deborah Ann Hogan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, United States of America
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2
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Coelho MA, David-Palma M, Shea T, Bowers K, McGinley-Smith S, Mohammad AW, Gnirke A, Yurkov AM, Nowrousian M, Sun S, Cuomo CA, Heitman J. Comparative genomics of the closely related fungal genera Cryptococcus and Kwoniella reveals karyotype dynamics and suggests evolutionary mechanisms of pathogenesis. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002682. [PMID: 38843310 PMCID: PMC11185503 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2024] [Revised: 06/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/19/2024] Open
Abstract
In exploring the evolutionary trajectories of both pathogenesis and karyotype dynamics in fungi, we conducted a large-scale comparative genomic analysis spanning the Cryptococcus genus, encompassing both global human fungal pathogens and nonpathogenic species, and related species from the sister genus Kwoniella. Chromosome-level genome assemblies were generated for multiple species, covering virtually all known diversity within these genera. Although Cryptococcus and Kwoniella have comparable genome sizes (about 19.2 and 22.9 Mb) and similar gene content, hinting at preadaptive pathogenic potential, our analysis found evidence of gene gain (via horizontal gene transfer) and gene loss in pathogenic Cryptococcus species, which might represent evolutionary signatures of pathogenic development. Genome analysis also revealed a significant variation in chromosome number and structure between the 2 genera. By combining synteny analysis and experimental centromere validation, we found that most Cryptococcus species have 14 chromosomes, whereas most Kwoniella species have fewer (11, 8, 5, or even as few as 3). Reduced chromosome number in Kwoniella is associated with formation of giant chromosomes (up to 18 Mb) through repeated chromosome fusion events, each marked by a pericentric inversion and centromere loss. While similar chromosome inversion-fusion patterns were observed in all Kwoniella species with fewer than 14 chromosomes, no such pattern was detected in Cryptococcus. Instead, Cryptococcus species with less than 14 chromosomes showed reductions primarily through rearrangements associated with the loss of repeat-rich centromeres. Additionally, Cryptococcus genomes exhibited frequent interchromosomal translocations, including intercentromeric recombination facilitated by transposons shared between centromeres. Overall, our findings advance our understanding of genetic changes possibly associated with pathogenicity in Cryptococcus and provide a foundation to elucidate mechanisms of centromere loss and chromosome fusion driving distinct karyotypes in closely related fungal species, including prominent global human pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco A. Coelho
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Márcia David-Palma
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Terrance Shea
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Katharine Bowers
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Sage McGinley-Smith
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Arman W. Mohammad
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Andreas Gnirke
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Andrey M. Yurkov
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Minou Nowrousian
- Lehrstuhl für Molekulare und Zelluläre Botanik, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Sheng Sun
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Christina A. Cuomo
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Joseph Heitman
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
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3
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Stieber H, Junghanns L, Wilhelm H, Batliner M, Aldejohann AM, Kurzai O, Martin R. The sphingolipid inhibitor myriocin increases Candida auris susceptibility to amphotericin B. Mycoses 2024; 67:e13723. [PMID: 38551121 DOI: 10.1111/myc.13723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The emergence of the pathogenic yeast Candida auris is of global concern due to its ability to cause hospital outbreaks and develop resistance against all antifungal drug classes. Based on published data for baker's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, sphingolipid biosynthesis, which is essential for maintaining membrane fluidity and formation of lipid rafts, could offer a target for additive treatment. METHODS We analysed the susceptibility of C. auris to myriocin, which is an inhibitor of the de novo synthesis of sphingolipids in eukaryotic cells in comparison to other Candida species. In addition, we combined sublethal concentrations of myriocin with the antifungal drugs amphotericin B and fluconazole in E-tests. Consequently, the combinatory effects of myriocin and amphotericin B were examined in broth microdilution assays. RESULTS Myriocin-mediated inhibition of the sphingolipid biosynthesis affected the growth of C. auris. Sublethal myriocin concentrations increased fungal susceptibility to amphotericin B. Isolates which are phenotypically resistant (≥2 mg/L) to amphotericin B became susceptible in presence of myriocin. However, addition of myriocin had only limited effects onto the susceptibility of C. auris against fluconazole. CONCLUSIONS Our results show that inhibition of de novo sphingolipid biosynthesis increases the susceptibility of C. auris to amphotericin B. This may potentially enhance antifungal treatment options fighting this often resistant yeast pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Stieber
- Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Lara Junghanns
- Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Hannah Wilhelm
- Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Maria Batliner
- Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Alexander Maximilian Aldejohann
- Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- National Reference Center for Invasive Fungal Infections, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knoell Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Oliver Kurzai
- Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- National Reference Center for Invasive Fungal Infections, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knoell Institute, Jena, Germany
- Research Group Fungal Septomics, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knoell Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Ronny Martin
- Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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4
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Santana DJ, Zhao G, O’Meara TR. The many faces of Candida auris: Phenotypic and strain variation in an emerging pathogen. PLoS Pathog 2024; 20:e1012011. [PMID: 38427609 PMCID: PMC10906884 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1012011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Candida auris is an emerging fungal pathogen with unusual evolutionary history-there are multiple distinct phylogeographic clades showing a near simultaneous transition from a currently unknown reservoir to nosocomial pathogen. Each of these clades has experienced different selective pressures over time, likely resulting in selection for genotypes with differential fitness or phenotypic consequences when introduced to new environments. We also observe diversification within clades, providing additional opportunities for phenotypic differences. These differences can have large impacts on pathogenic potential, drug resistance profile, evolutionary trajectory, and transmissibility. In recent years, there have been significant advances in our understanding of strain-specific behavior in other microbes, including bacterial and fungal pathogens, and we have an opportunity to take this strain variation into account when describing aspects of C. auris biology. Here, we critically review the literature to gain insight into differences at both the strain and clade levels in C. auris, focusing on phenotypes associated with clinical disease or transmission. Our goal is to integrate clinical and epidemiological perspectives with molecular perspectives in a way that would be valuable for both audiences. Identifying differences between strains and understanding which phenotypes are strain specific will be crucial for understanding this emerging pathogen, and an important caveat when describing the analysis of a singular isolate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darian J. Santana
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Guolei Zhao
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Teresa R. O’Meara
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
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5
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Coelho MA, David-Palma M, Shea T, Bowers K, McGinley-Smith S, Mohammad AW, Gnirke A, Yurkov AM, Nowrousian M, Sun S, Cuomo CA, Heitman J. Comparative genomics of Cryptococcus and Kwoniella reveals pathogenesis evolution and contrasting karyotype dynamics via intercentromeric recombination or chromosome fusion. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.12.27.573464. [PMID: 38234769 PMCID: PMC10793447 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.27.573464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
A large-scale comparative genomic analysis was conducted for the global human fungal pathogens within the Cryptococcus genus, compared to non-pathogenic Cryptococcus species, and related species from the sister genus Kwoniella. Chromosome-level genome assemblies were generated for multiple species of both genera, resulting in a dataset encompassing virtually all of their known diversity. Although Cryptococcus and Kwoniella have comparable genome sizes (about 19.2 and 22.9 Mb) and similar gene content, hinting at pre-adaptive pathogenic potential, our analysis found evidence in pathogenic Cryptococcus species of specific examples of gene gain (via horizontal gene transfer) and gene loss, which might represent evolutionary signatures of pathogenic development. Genome analysis also revealed a significant variation in chromosome number and structure between the two genera. By combining synteny analysis and experimental centromere validation, we found that most Cryptococcus species have 14 chromosomes, whereas most Kwoniella species have fewer (11, 8, 5 or even as few as 3). Reduced chromosome number in Kwoniella is associated with formation of giant chromosomes (up to 18 Mb) through repeated chromosome fusion events, each marked by a pericentric inversion and centromere loss. While similar chromosome inversion-fusion patterns were observed in all Kwoniella species with fewer than 14 chromosomes, no such pattern was detected in Cryptococcus. Instead, Cryptococcus species with less than 14 chromosomes, underwent chromosome reductions primarily through rearrangements associated with the loss of repeat-rich centromeres. Additionally, Cryptococcus genomes exhibited frequent interchromosomal translocations, including intercentromeric recombination facilitated by transposons shared between centromeres. Taken together, our findings advance our understanding of genomic changes possibly associated with pathogenicity in Cryptococcus and provide a foundation to elucidate mechanisms of centromere loss and chromosome fusion driving distinct karyotypes in closely related fungal species, including prominent global human pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco A. Coelho
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Márcia David-Palma
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Terrance Shea
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Katharine Bowers
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | | | - Andreas Gnirke
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Andrey M. Yurkov
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Minou Nowrousian
- Lehrstuhl für Molekulare und Zelluläre Botanik, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Sheng Sun
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | | | - Joseph Heitman
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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6
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Jin M, Trick AY, Totten M, Lee PW, Zhang SX, Wang TH. Streamlined instrument-free lysis for the detection of Candida auris. Sci Rep 2023; 13:21848. [PMID: 38071216 PMCID: PMC10710429 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-47220-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The continued spread of Candida auris in healthcare facilities has increased the demand for widely available screening to aid in containment and inform treatment options. Current methods of detection can be unreliable and require bulky and expensive instruments to lyse and identify fungal pathogens. Here, we present a quick, low-cost, instrument-free method for lysis of C. auris suitable for streamlined sample processing with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detection. Chemical, thermal, and bead beating lysis techniques were evaluated for lysis performance and compatibility with nucleic acid extraction and downstream PCR reactions. Using only 10 s of manual shaking with glass beads, this method demonstrated a limit of detection (LOD) of C. auris at 500 colony forming units per mL, a 20-fold improvement compared to the LOD without manual shaking, and a 60-fold reduction in time compared to common fungal lysis kits, all while maintaining repeatability and reproducibility across multiple users. This work highlights a simple method for increasing sensitivity and reducing turnaround time of PCR-based C. auris detection and exhibits promise for integration into point-of-care platforms towards real-time triage of colonized patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei Jin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Marissa Totten
- Division of Microbiology, Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Pei-Wei Lee
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Sean X Zhang
- Division of Microbiology, Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Tza-Huei Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Institute of NanoBioTechnology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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7
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Wang Q, Cheng S, Wang Y, Li F, Chen J, Du W, Kang H, Wang Z. Global characteristics and trends in research on Candida auris. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1287003. [PMID: 38125576 PMCID: PMC10731253 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1287003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Candida auris, a fungal pathogen first reported in 2009, has shown strong resistance to azole antifungal drugs and has caused severe nosocomial outbreaks. It can also form biofilms, which can colonize patients' skin and transmit to others. Despite numerous reports of C. auris isolation in various countries, many studies have reported contradictory results. Method A bibliometric analysis was conducted using VOSviewer to summarize research trends and provide guidance for future research on controlling C. auris infection. The analysis revealed that the United States and the US CDC were the most influential countries and research institutions, respectively. For the researchers, Jacques F. Meis published the highest amount of related articles, and Anastasia P. Litvintseva's articles with the highest average citation rate. The most cited publications focused on clade classification, accurate identification technologies, nosocomial outbreaks, drug resistance, and biofilm formation. Keyword co-occurrence analysis revealed that the top five highest frequencies were for 'drug resistance,' 'antifungal susceptibility test,' 'infection,' 'Candida auris,' and 'identification.' The high-frequency keywords clustered into four groups: rapid and precise identification, drug resistance research, pathogenicity, and nosocomial transmission epidemiology studies. These clusters represent different study fields and current research hotspots of C. auris. Conclusion The bibliometric analysis identified the most influential country, research institution, and researcher, indicating current research trends and hotspots for controlling C. auris.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qihui Wang
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Shitong Cheng
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Yinling Wang
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Fushun Li
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Jingjing Chen
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Wei Du
- National Clinical Research Center for Laboratory Medicine, Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Hui Kang
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Zhongqing Wang
- Department of Information Centre, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
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Bohner F, Papp C, Takacs T, Varga M, Szekeres A, Nosanchuk JD, Vágvölgyi C, Tóth R, Gacser A. Acquired Triazole Resistance Alters Pathogenicity-Associated Features in Candida auris in an Isolate-Dependent Manner. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:1148. [PMID: 38132749 PMCID: PMC10744493 DOI: 10.3390/jof9121148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Fluconazole resistance is commonly encountered in Candida auris, and the yeast frequently displays resistance to other standard drugs, which severely limits the number of effective therapeutic agents against this emerging pathogen. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of acquired azole resistance on the viability, stress response, and virulence of this species. Fluconazole-, posaconazole-, and voriconazole- resistant strains were generated from two susceptible C. auris clinical isolates (0381, 0387) and compared under various conditions. Several evolved strains became pan-azole-resistant, as well as echinocandin-cross-resistant. While being pan-azole-resistant, the 0381-derived posaconazole-evolved strain colonized brain tissue more efficiently than any other strain, suggesting that fitness cost is not necessarily a consequence of resistance development in C. auris. All 0387-derived evolved strains carried a loss of function mutation (R160S) in BCY1, an inhibitor of the PKA pathway. Sequencing data also revealed that posaconazole treatment can result in ERG3 mutation in C. auris. Despite using the same mechanisms to generate the evolved strains, both genotype and phenotype analysis highlighted that the development of resistance was unique for each strain. Our data suggest that C. auris triazole resistance development is a highly complex process, initiated by several pleiotropic factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flora Bohner
- Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged, 6726 Szeged, Hungary; (F.B.); (C.P.); (T.T.); (M.V.); (A.S.); (C.V.)
| | - Csaba Papp
- Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged, 6726 Szeged, Hungary; (F.B.); (C.P.); (T.T.); (M.V.); (A.S.); (C.V.)
| | - Tamas Takacs
- Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged, 6726 Szeged, Hungary; (F.B.); (C.P.); (T.T.); (M.V.); (A.S.); (C.V.)
| | - Mónika Varga
- Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged, 6726 Szeged, Hungary; (F.B.); (C.P.); (T.T.); (M.V.); (A.S.); (C.V.)
| | - András Szekeres
- Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged, 6726 Szeged, Hungary; (F.B.); (C.P.); (T.T.); (M.V.); (A.S.); (C.V.)
| | - Joshua D. Nosanchuk
- Department of Medicine (Infectious Diseases), Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, NY 10461, USA;
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, NY 10461, USA
| | - Csaba Vágvölgyi
- Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged, 6726 Szeged, Hungary; (F.B.); (C.P.); (T.T.); (M.V.); (A.S.); (C.V.)
| | - Renáta Tóth
- Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged, 6726 Szeged, Hungary; (F.B.); (C.P.); (T.T.); (M.V.); (A.S.); (C.V.)
| | - Attila Gacser
- Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged, 6726 Szeged, Hungary; (F.B.); (C.P.); (T.T.); (M.V.); (A.S.); (C.V.)
- HCEMM-USZ Fungal Pathogens Research Group, Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
- HUN-REN-USZ Pathomechanisms of Fungal Infections Research Group, University of Szeged, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
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9
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Abstract
Candida auris is a multidrug-resistant fungal pathogen that presents a serious threat to global human health. Since the first reported case in 2009 in Japan, C. auris infections have been reported in more than 40 countries, with mortality rates between 30% and 60%. In addition, C. auris has the potential to cause outbreaks in health care settings, especially in nursing homes for elderly patients, owing to its efficient transmission via skin-to-skin contact. Most importantly, C. auris is the first fungal pathogen to show pronounced and sometimes untreatable clinical drug resistance to all known antifungal classes, including azoles, amphotericin B, and echinocandins. In this review, we explore the causes of the rapid spread of C. auris. We also highlight its genome organization and drug resistance mechanisms and propose future research directions that should be undertaken to curb the spread of this multidrug-resistant pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anuradha Chowdhary
- Medical Mycology Unit, Department of Microbiology, Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute, University of Delhi, Delhi, India;
- National Reference Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistance in Fungal Pathogens, Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Kusum Jain
- Medical Mycology Unit, Department of Microbiology, Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute, University of Delhi, Delhi, India;
| | - Neeraj Chauhan
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, New Jersey, USA
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10
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Vande Zande P, Zhou X, Selmecki A. The Dynamic Fungal Genome: Polyploidy, Aneuploidy and Copy Number Variation in Response to Stress. Annu Rev Microbiol 2023; 77:341-361. [PMID: 37307856 PMCID: PMC10599402 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-041320-112443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Fungal species have dynamic genomes and often exhibit genomic plasticity in response to stress. This genome plasticity often comes with phenotypic consequences that affect fitness and resistance to stress. Fungal pathogens exhibit genome plasticity in both clinical and agricultural settings and often during adaptation to antifungal drugs, posing significant challenges to human health. Therefore, it is important to understand the rates, mechanisms, and impact of large genomic changes. This review addresses the prevalence of polyploidy, aneuploidy, and copy number variation across diverse fungal species, with special attention to prominent fungal pathogens and model species. We also explore the relationship between environmental stress and rates of genomic changes and highlight the mechanisms underlying genotypic and phenotypic changes. A comprehensive understanding of these dynamic fungal genomes is needed to identify novel solutions for the increase in antifungal drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pétra Vande Zande
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA;
| | - Xin Zhou
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA;
| | - Anna Selmecki
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA;
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11
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Li X, Muñoz JF, Gade L, Argimon S, Bougnoux ME, Bowers JR, Chow NA, Cuesta I, Farrer RA, Maufrais C, Monroy-Nieto J, Pradhan D, Uehling J, Vu D, Yeats CA, Aanensen DM, d’Enfert C, Engelthaler DM, Eyre DW, Fisher MC, Hagen F, Meyer W, Singh G, Alastruey-Izquierdo A, Litvintseva AP, Cuomo CA. Comparing genomic variant identification protocols for Candida auris. Microb Genom 2023; 9:mgen000979. [PMID: 37043380 PMCID: PMC10210944 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Genomic analyses are widely applied to epidemiological, population genetic and experimental studies of pathogenic fungi. A wide range of methods are employed to carry out these analyses, typically without including controls that gauge the accuracy of variant prediction. The importance of tracking outbreaks at a global scale has raised the urgency of establishing high-accuracy pipelines that generate consistent results between research groups. To evaluate currently employed methods for whole-genome variant detection and elaborate best practices for fungal pathogens, we compared how 14 independent variant calling pipelines performed across 35 Candida auris isolates from 4 distinct clades and evaluated the performance of variant calling, single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) counts and phylogenetic inference results. Although these pipelines used different variant callers and filtering criteria, we found high overall agreement of SNPs from each pipeline. This concordance correlated with site quality, as SNPs discovered by a few pipelines tended to show lower mapping quality scores and depth of coverage than those recovered by all pipelines. We observed that the major differences between pipelines were due to variation in read trimming strategies, SNP calling methods and parameters, and downstream filtration criteria. We calculated specificity and sensitivity for each pipeline by aligning three isolates with chromosomal level assemblies and found that the GATK-based pipelines were well balanced between these metrics. Selection of trimming methods had a greater impact on SAMtools-based pipelines than those using GATK. Phylogenetic trees inferred by each pipeline showed high consistency at the clade level, but there was more variability between isolates from a single outbreak, with pipelines that used more stringent cutoffs having lower resolution. This project generated two truth datasets useful for routine benchmarking of C. auris variant calling, a consensus VCF of genotypes discovered by 10 or more pipelines across these 35 diverse isolates and variants for 2 samples identified from whole-genome alignments. This study provides a foundation for evaluating SNP calling pipelines and developing best practices for future fungal genomic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Li
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - José F. Muñoz
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Lalitha Gade
- Mycotic Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US Department of Health and Human Services, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA
| | - Silvia Argimon
- Centre for Genomic Pathogen Surveillance, Big Data Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Marie-Elisabeth Bougnoux
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, INRAE, USC2019, Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, Paris, France
- Université Paris Cité, Hôpital Necker-Enfants-Malades, Unité de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Jolene R. Bowers
- Translational Genomics Research Institute, Pathogen and Microbiome Division, Flagstaff, AZ 86005, USA
| | - Nancy A. Chow
- Mycotic Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US Department of Health and Human Services, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA
| | - Isabel Cuesta
- Mycology Reference Laboratory, National Centre for Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rhys A. Farrer
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
- Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4PY, UK
| | - Corinne Maufrais
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, INRAE, USC2019, Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, Paris, France
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS USR 3756, Hub de Bioinformatique et Biostatistique, Paris, France
| | - Juan Monroy-Nieto
- Translational Genomics Research Institute, Pathogen and Microbiome Division, Flagstaff, AZ 86005, USA
| | - Dibyabhaba Pradhan
- All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi, 110029, India
| | - Jessie Uehling
- Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97330, USA
| | - Duong Vu
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584CT, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Corin A. Yeats
- Centre for Genomic Pathogen Surveillance, Big Data Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - David M. Aanensen
- Centre for Genomic Pathogen Surveillance, Big Data Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Christophe d’Enfert
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, INRAE, USC2019, Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, Paris, France
| | - David M. Engelthaler
- Translational Genomics Research Institute, Pathogen and Microbiome Division, Flagstaff, AZ 86005, USA
| | - David W. Eyre
- NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Matthew C. Fisher
- MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Ferry Hagen
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584CT, Utrecht, Netherlands
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Wieland Meyer
- Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia
| | - Gagandeep Singh
- All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi, 110029, India
| | - Ana Alastruey-Izquierdo
- Mycology Reference Laboratory, National Centre for Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Anastasia P. Litvintseva
- Mycotic Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US Department of Health and Human Services, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA
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12
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Sharma C, Kadosh D. Perspective on the origin, resistance, and spread of the emerging human fungal pathogen Candida auris. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011190. [PMID: 36952448 PMCID: PMC10035752 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/25/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Cheshta Sharma
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
| | - David Kadosh
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
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13
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Genetic Diversity of Human Fungal Pathogens. CURRENT CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s40588-023-00188-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/15/2023]
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14
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Du H, Zheng Q, Bennett RJ, Huang G. Ploidy changes in human fungal pathogens: Going beyond sexual reproduction. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010954. [PMID: 36480532 PMCID: PMC9731408 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Han Du
- Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Qiushi Zheng
- Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Richard J. Bennett
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Guanghua Huang
- Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Industrial Microorganisms, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Huashen Institute of Microbes and Infections, Shanghai, China
- * E-mail:
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15
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Genomic Diversity across Candida auris Clinical Isolates Shapes Rapid Development of Antifungal Resistance
In Vitro
and
In Vivo. mBio 2022; 13:e0084222. [PMID: 35862787 PMCID: PMC9426540 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00842-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Antifungal drug resistance and tolerance pose a serious threat to global public health. In the human fungal pathogen, Candida auris, resistance to triazole, polyene, and echinocandin antifungals is rising, resulting in multidrug resistant isolates. Here, we use genome analysis and in vitro evolution of 17 new clinical isolates of C. auris from clades I and IV to determine how quickly resistance mutations arise, the stability of resistance in the absence of drug, and the impact of genetic background on evolutionary trajectories. We evolved each isolate in the absence of drug as well as in low and high concentrations of fluconazole. In just three passages, we observed genomic and phenotypic changes including karyotype alterations, aneuploidy, acquisition of point mutations, and increases in MIC values within the populations. Fluconazole resistance was stable in the absence of drug, indicating little to no fitness cost associated with resistance. Importantly, two isolates substantially increased resistance to ≥256 μg/mL fluconazole. Multiple evolutionary pathways and mutations associated with increased fluconazole resistance occurred simultaneously within the same population. Strikingly, the subtelomeric regions of C. auris were highly dynamic as deletion of multiple genes near the subtelomeres occurred during the three passages in several populations. Finally, we discovered a mutator phenotype in a clinical isolate of C. auris. This isolate had elevated mutation rates compared to other isolates and acquired substantial resistance during evolution in vitro and in vivo supporting that the genetic background of clinical isolates can have a significant effect on evolutionary potential.
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16
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Desoubeaux G, Coste AT, Imbert C, Hennequin C. Overview about Candida auris: What's up 12 years after its first description? J Mycol Med 2022; 32:101248. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mycmed.2022.101248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Revised: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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17
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Späth GF, Bussotti G. GIP: an open-source computational pipeline for mapping genomic instability from protists to cancer cells. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:e36. [PMID: 34928370 PMCID: PMC8989552 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab1237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Revised: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Genome instability has been recognized as a key driver for microbial and cancer adaptation and thus plays a central role in many diseases. Genome instability encompasses different types of genomic alterations, yet most available genome analysis software are limited to just one type of mutation. To overcome this limitation and better understand the role of genetic changes in enhancing pathogenicity we established GIP, a novel, powerful bioinformatic pipeline for comparative genome analysis. Here, we show its application to whole genome sequencing datasets of Leishmania, Plasmodium, Candida and cancer. Applying GIP on available data sets validated our pipeline and demonstrated the power of our tool to drive biological discovery. Applied to Plasmodium vivax genomes, our pipeline uncovered the convergent amplification of erythrocyte binding proteins and identified a nullisomic strain. Re-analyzing genomes of drug adapted Candida albicans strains revealed correlated copy number variations of functionally related genes, strongly supporting a mechanism of epistatic adaptation through interacting gene-dosage changes. Our results illustrate how GIP can be used for the identification of aneuploidy, gene copy number variations, changes in nucleic acid sequences, and chromosomal rearrangements. Altogether, GIP can shed light on the genetic bases of cell adaptation and drive disease biomarker discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerald F Späth
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, INSERM U1201, Unité de Parasitologie moléculaire et Signalisation, Paris, France
| | - Giovanni Bussotti
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, INSERM U1201, Unité de Parasitologie moléculaire et Signalisation, Paris, France
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Hub, F-75015 Paris, France
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18
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Lee PW, Totten M, Chen L, Chen FE, Trick AY, Shah K, Ngo HT, Jin M, Hsieh K, Zhang SX, Wang TH. A Portable Droplet Magnetofluidic Device for Point-of-Care Detection of Multidrug-Resistant Candida auris. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:826694. [PMID: 35425764 PMCID: PMC9003015 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.826694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Candida auris is an emerging multidrug-resistant fungal pathogen that can cause severe and deadly infections. To date, C. auris has spurred outbreaks in healthcare settings in thirty-three countries across five continents. To control and potentially prevent its spread, there is an urgent need for point-of-care (POC) diagnostics that can rapidly screen patients, close patient contacts, and surveil environmental sources. Droplet magnetofluidics (DM), which leverages nucleic acid-binding magnetic beads for realizing POC-amenable nucleic acid detection platforms, offers a promising solution. Herein, we report the first DM device—coined POC.auris—for POC detection of C. auris. As part of POC.auris, we have incorporated a handheld cell lysis module that lyses C. auris cells with 2 min hands-on time. Subsequently, within the palm-sized and automated DM device, C. auris and control DNA are magnetically extracted and purified by a motorized magnetic arm and finally amplified via a duplex real-time quantitative PCR assay by a miniaturized rapid PCR module and a miniaturized fluorescence detector—all in ≤30 min. For demonstration, we use POC.auris to detect C. auris isolates from 3 major clades, with no cross reactivity against other Candida species and a limit of detection of ∼300 colony forming units per mL. Taken together, POC.auris presents a potentially useful tool for combating C. auris.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei-Wei Lee
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Marissa Totten
- Division of Microbiology, Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Liben Chen
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Fan-En Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Alexander Y. Trick
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Kushagra Shah
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Hoan Thanh Ngo
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Mei Jin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Kuangwen Hsieh
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
- *Correspondence: Kuangwen Hsieh, ; Sean X. Zhang, ; Tza-Huei Wang,
| | - Sean X. Zhang
- Division of Microbiology, Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- *Correspondence: Kuangwen Hsieh, ; Sean X. Zhang, ; Tza-Huei Wang,
| | - Tza-Huei Wang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Institute of NanoBioTechnology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
- *Correspondence: Kuangwen Hsieh, ; Sean X. Zhang, ; Tza-Huei Wang,
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19
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Bohner F, Papp C, Gácser A. The effect of antifungal resistance development on the virulence of Candida species. FEMS Yeast Res 2022; 22:6552956. [PMID: 35325128 PMCID: PMC9466593 DOI: 10.1093/femsyr/foac019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, the relevance of diseases associated with fungal pathogens increased worldwide. Members of the Candida genus are responsible for the greatest number of fungal bloodstream infections every year. Epidemiological data consistently indicate a modest shift toward non-albicans species, albeit Candidaalbicans is still the most recognizable species within the genus. As a result, the number of clinically relevant pathogens has increased, and, despite their distinct pathogenicity features, the applicable antifungal agents remained the same. For bloodstream infections, only three classes of drugs are routinely used, namely polyenes, azoles and echinocandins. Antifungal resistance toward all three antifungal drug classes frequently occurs in clinical settings. Compared with the broad range of literature on virulence and antifungal resistance of Candida species separately, only a small portion of studies examined the effect of resistance on virulence. These studies found that resistance to polyenes and echinocandins concluded in significant decrease in the virulence in different Candida species. Meanwhile, in some cases, resistance to azole type antifungals resulted in increased virulence depending on the species and isolates. These findings underline the importance of studies aiming to dissect the connections of virulence and resistance in Candida species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flora Bohner
- HCEMM-USZ Fungal Pathogens Research Group, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Csaba Papp
- HCEMM-USZ Fungal Pathogens Research Group, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Attila Gácser
- HCEMM-USZ Fungal Pathogens Research Group, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.,MTA-SZTE "Lendület" Mycobiome Research Group, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
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20
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Bagal UR, Phan J, Welsh RM, Misas E, Wagner D, Gade L, Litvintseva AP, Cuomo CA, Chow NA. MycoSNP: A Portable Workflow for Performing Whole-Genome Sequencing Analysis of Candida auris. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2517:215-228. [PMID: 35674957 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2417-3_17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Candida auris is an urgent public health threat characterized by high drug-resistant rates and rapid spread in healthcare settings worldwide. As part of the C. auris response, molecular surveillance has helped public health officials track the global spread and investigate local outbreaks. Here, we describe whole-genome sequencing analysis methods used for routine C. auris molecular surveillance in the United States; methods include reference selection, reference preparation, quality assessment and control of sequencing reads, read alignment, and single-nucleotide polymorphism calling and filtration. We also describe the newly developed pipeline MycoSNP, a portable workflow for performing whole-genome sequencing analysis of fungal organisms including C. auris.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ujwal R Bagal
- Mycotic Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - John Phan
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Rory M Welsh
- Mycotic Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Elizabeth Misas
- Mycotic Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - Lalitha Gade
- Mycotic Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - Christina A Cuomo
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Nancy A Chow
- Mycotic Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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21
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Yang F, Lu H, Wu H, Fang T, Berman J, Jiang YY. Aneuploidy Underlies Tolerance and Cross-Tolerance to Drugs in Candida parapsilosis. Microbiol Spectr 2021; 9:e0050821. [PMID: 34612700 PMCID: PMC8510177 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00508-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Candida species are the most common human fungal pathogens worldwide. Although C. albicans remains the predominant cause of candidiasis, infections caused by non-albicans Candida species, including C. parapsilosis, are increasing. In C. albicans, genome plasticity has been shown to be a prevalent strategy of adaptation to stresses. However, the role of aneuploidy in C. parapsilosis is largely unknown. In this study, we found that six different aneuploid karyotypes conferred adaptation to the endoplasmic reticulum stress inducer tunicamycin (TUN) in C. parapsilosis. Interestingly, a specific aneuploidy including trisomy of chromosome 6 (Chr6x3) also enabled cross-tolerance to aureobasidin A (AbA), a sphingolipid biosynthesis inhibitor. Consistent with this, selection on AbA identified adaptors with three different aneuploid karyotypes, including Chr6x3, which also enabled cross-tolerance to both AbA and TUN. Therefore, as in other Candida species, recurrent aneuploid karyotypes enable the adaptation of C. parapsilosis to specific stresses, and specific aneuploidies enable cross-adaptation to different stresses. IMPORTANCE Candida parapsilosis is an emerging human fungal pathogen, especially prevalent in neonates. Aneuploidy, having uneven numbers of chromosomes, is a well-known mechanism for adapting to stress in Candida albicans, the most common human fungal pathogen. In this study, we exposed C. parapsilosis to two very different drugs and selected for rare cells that grew in one of the drugs. We found that the majority of isolates that grew in the drugs had acquired an extra copy of one of several aneuploid chromosomes and that specific aneuploid chromosomes appeared in several independent cell clones. Importantly, an extra copy of chromosome 6 was detected following selection in either one of the drugs, and this extra chromosome conferred the ability to grow in both drugs, a property called cross-adaptation, or cross-tolerance. Thus, this study highlights the genome plasticity of C. parapsilosis and the ability of an extra copy of a single chromosome to promote cell growth in the presence of more than one drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Yang
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
- Shmunis School of Biomedical and Cancer Research, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Hui Lu
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hao Wu
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ting Fang
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Judith Berman
- Shmunis School of Biomedical and Cancer Research, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Yuan-ying Jiang
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
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22
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Van Genechten W, Van Dijck P, Demuyser L. Fluorescent toys 'n' tools lighting the way in fungal research. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2021; 45:fuab013. [PMID: 33595628 PMCID: PMC8498796 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuab013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Although largely overlooked compared to bacterial infections, fungal infections pose a significant threat to the health of humans and other organisms. Many pathogenic fungi, especially Candida species, are extremely versatile and flexible in adapting to various host niches and stressful situations. This leads to high pathogenicity and increasing resistance to existing drugs. Due to the high level of conservation between fungi and mammalian cells, it is hard to find fungus-specific drug targets for novel therapy development. In this respect, it is vital to understand how these fungi function on a molecular, cellular as well as organismal level. Fluorescence imaging allows for detailed analysis of molecular mechanisms, cellular structures and interactions on different levels. In this manuscript, we provide researchers with an elaborate and contemporary overview of fluorescence techniques that can be used to study fungal pathogens. We focus on the available fluorescent labelling techniques and guide our readers through the different relevant applications of fluorescent imaging, from subcellular events to multispecies interactions and diagnostics. As well as cautioning researchers for potential challenges and obstacles, we offer hands-on tips and tricks for efficient experimentation and share our expert-view on future developments and possible improvements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wouter Van Genechten
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Microbiology, Kasteelpark Arenberg 31, 3001 Leuven-heverlee, Belgium
- Laboratory of Molecular Cell Biology, Institute of Botany and Microbiology, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 31, 3001 Leuven-Heverlee, Belgium
- Laboratory for Nanobiology, Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200g, 3001 Leuven-Heverlee, Belgium
| | - Patrick Van Dijck
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Microbiology, Kasteelpark Arenberg 31, 3001 Leuven-heverlee, Belgium
- Laboratory of Molecular Cell Biology, Institute of Botany and Microbiology, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 31, 3001 Leuven-Heverlee, Belgium
| | - Liesbeth Demuyser
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Microbiology, Kasteelpark Arenberg 31, 3001 Leuven-heverlee, Belgium
- Laboratory of Molecular Cell Biology, Institute of Botany and Microbiology, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 31, 3001 Leuven-Heverlee, Belgium
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23
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The Curious Case of Nonrepetitive Centromeric DNA Sequences in Candida auris and Related Species. mBio 2021; 12:e0147621. [PMID: 34340554 PMCID: PMC8406187 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01476-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
2009 saw the first description of Candida auris, a yeast pathogen of humans. C. auris has since grown into a global problem in intensive care settings, where it causes systemic infections in patients with underlying health issues. Recent whole-genome sequencing has discerned five C. auris clades with distinct phenotypic features which display genomic divergence on a DNA sequence and a chromosome structure level. In the absence of sexual reproduction in C. auris, the mechanism(s) behind the rapid genomic evolution of this emerging killer yeast has remained obscure. Yet, one important bit of information about chromosome organization was missing, the identification of the centromeres. In a recent study, Sanyal and coworkers (A. Narayanan, R. N. Vadnala, P. Ganguly, P. Selvakumar, et al., mBio 12:e00905-21, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1128/mBio.00905-21) filled this knowledge gap by mapping the centromeres in C. auris and its close relatives. This represents a major advance in the chromosome biology of the Candida/Clavispora clade.
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24
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Muñoz JF, Welsh RM, Shea T, Batra D, Gade L, Howard D, Rowe LA, Meis JF, Litvintseva AP, Cuomo CA. Clade-specific chromosomal rearrangements and loss of subtelomeric adhesins in Candida auris. Genetics 2021; 218:iyab029. [PMID: 33769478 PMCID: PMC8128392 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyab029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Candida auris is an emerging fungal pathogen of rising concern due to global spread, the ability to cause healthcare-associated outbreaks, and antifungal resistance. Genomic analyses revealed that early contemporaneously detected cases of C. auris were geographically stratified into four major clades. While Clades I, III, and IV are responsible for ongoing outbreaks of invasive and multidrug-resistant infections, Clade II, also termed the East Asian clade, consists primarily of cases of ear infection, is often susceptible to all antifungal drugs, and has not been associated with outbreaks. Here, we generate chromosome-level assemblies of twelve isolates representing the phylogenetic breadth of these four clades and the only isolate described to date from Clade V. This Clade V genome is highly syntenic with those of Clades I, III, and IV, although the sequence is highly divergent from the other clades. Clade II genomes appear highly rearranged, with translocations occurring near GC-poor regions, and large subtelomeric deletions in most chromosomes, resulting in a substantially different karyotype. Rearrangements and deletion lengths vary across Clade II isolates, including two from a single patient, supporting ongoing genome instability. Deleted subtelomeric regions are enriched in Hyr/Iff-like cell-surface proteins, novel candidate cell wall proteins, and an ALS-like adhesin. Cell wall proteins from these families and other drug-related genes show clade-specific signatures of selection in Clades I, III, and IV. Subtelomeric dynamics and the conservation of cell surface proteins in the clades responsible for global outbreaks causing invasive infections suggest an explanation for the different phenotypes observed between clades.
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Affiliation(s)
- José F Muñoz
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Rory M Welsh
- Mycotic Diseases Branch, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Terrance Shea
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Dhwani Batra
- Division of Scientific Resources, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Lalitha Gade
- Mycotic Diseases Branch, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Dakota Howard
- Division of Scientific Resources, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Lori A Rowe
- Division of Scientific Resources, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jacques F Meis
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital, Center of Expertise in Mycology Radboudumc/CWZ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Narayanan A, Vadnala RN, Ganguly P, Selvakumar P, Rudramurthy SM, Prasad R, Chakrabarti A, Siddharthan R, Sanyal K. Functional and Comparative Analysis of Centromeres Reveals Clade-Specific Genome Rearrangements in Candida auris and a Chromosome Number Change in Related Species. mBio 2021; 12:e00905-21. [PMID: 33975937 PMCID: PMC8262905 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00905-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The thermotolerant multidrug-resistant ascomycete Candida auris rapidly emerged since 2009 causing systemic infections worldwide and simultaneously evolved in different geographical zones. The molecular events that orchestrated this sudden emergence of the killer fungus remain mostly elusive. Here, we identify centromeres in C. auris and related species, using a combined approach of chromatin immunoprecipitation and comparative genomic analyses. We find that C. auris and multiple other species in the Clavispora/Candida clade shared a conserved small regional GC-poor centromere landscape lacking pericentromeres or repeats. Further, a centromere inactivation event led to karyotypic alterations in this species complex. Interspecies genome analysis identified several structural chromosomal changes around centromeres. In addition, centromeres are found to be rapidly evolving loci among the different geographical clades of the same species of C. auris Finally, we reveal an evolutionary trajectory of the unique karyotype associated with clade 2 that consists of the drug-susceptible isolates of C. aurisIMPORTANCECandida auris, the killer fungus, emerged as different geographical clades, exhibiting multidrug resistance and high karyotype plasticity. Chromosomal rearrangements are known to play key roles in the emergence of new species, virulence, and drug resistance in pathogenic fungi. Centromeres, the genomic loci where microtubules attach to separate the sister chromatids during cell division, are known to be hot spots of breaks and downstream rearrangements. We identified the centromeres in C. auris and related species to study their involvement in the evolution and karyotype diversity reported in C. auris We report conserved centromere features in 10 related species and trace the events that occurred at the centromeres during evolution. We reveal a centromere inactivation-mediated chromosome number change in these closely related species. We also observe that one of the geographical clades, the East Asian clade, evolved along a unique trajectory, compared to the other clades and related species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aswathy Narayanan
- Molecular Mycology Laboratory, Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, India
| | - Rakesh Netha Vadnala
- Computational Biology, The Institute of Mathematical Sciences/HBNI, Chennai, India
| | - Promit Ganguly
- Molecular Mycology Laboratory, Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, India
| | - Pavitra Selvakumar
- Computational Biology, The Institute of Mathematical Sciences/HBNI, Chennai, India
| | - Shivaprakash M Rudramurthy
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Rajendra Prasad
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Haryana, Haryana, India
| | - Arunaloke Chakrabarti
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Rahul Siddharthan
- Computational Biology, The Institute of Mathematical Sciences/HBNI, Chennai, India
| | - Kaustuv Sanyal
- Molecular Mycology Laboratory, Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, India
- Osaka University, Suita, Japan
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Lee Y, Puumala E, Robbins N, Cowen LE. Antifungal Drug Resistance: Molecular Mechanisms in Candida albicans and Beyond. Chem Rev 2021; 121:3390-3411. [PMID: 32441527 PMCID: PMC8519031 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.0c00199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 340] [Impact Index Per Article: 113.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Fungal infections are a major contributor to infectious disease-related deaths across the globe. Candida species are among the most common causes of invasive mycotic disease, with Candida albicans reigning as the leading cause of invasive candidiasis. Given that fungi are eukaryotes like their human host, the number of unique molecular targets that can be exploited for antifungal development remains limited. Currently, there are only three major classes of drugs approved for the treatment of invasive mycoses, and the efficacy of these agents is compromised by the development of drug resistance in pathogen populations. Notably, the emergence of additional drug-resistant species, such as Candida auris and Candida glabrata, further threatens the limited armamentarium of antifungals available to treat these serious infections. Here, we describe our current arsenal of antifungals and elaborate on the resistance mechanisms Candida species possess that render them recalcitrant to therapeutic intervention. Finally, we highlight some of the most promising therapeutic strategies that may help combat antifungal resistance, including combination therapy, targeting fungal-virulence traits, and modulating host immunity. Overall, a thorough understanding of the mechanistic principles governing antifungal drug resistance is fundamental for the development of novel therapeutics to combat current and emerging fungal threats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunjin Lee
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, 661 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1M1, Canada
| | - Emily Puumala
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, 661 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1M1, Canada
| | - Nicole Robbins
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, 661 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1M1, Canada
| | - Leah E Cowen
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, 661 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1M1, Canada
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoe K. Ross
- Institute of Medical Sciences (IMS), University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, Department of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Alexander Lorenz
- Institute of Medical Sciences (IMS), University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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Experimental Evolution Identifies Adaptive Aneuploidy as a Mechanism of Fluconazole Resistance in Candida auris. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2020; 65:AAC.01466-20. [PMID: 33077664 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01466-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Candida auris is a newly emerging fungal pathogen of humans and has attracted considerable attention from both the clinical and basic research communities. Clinical isolates of C. auris are often resistant to one or more antifungal agents. To explore how antifungal resistance develops, we performed experimental evolution assays using a fluconazole-susceptible isolate of C. auris (BJCA001). After a series of passages through medium containing increasing concentrations of fluconazole, fungal cells acquired resistance. By sequencing and comparing the genomes of the parental fluconazole-susceptible strain and 26 experimentally evolved strains of C. auris, we found that a portion of fluconazole-resistant strains carried one extra copy of chromosome V. In the absence of fluconazole, C. auris cells rapidly became susceptible and lost the extra copy of chromosome V. Genomic and transcriptome sequencing (RNA-Seq) analyses indicate that this chromosome carries a number of drug resistance-related genes, which were transcriptionally upregulated in the resistant, aneuploid strains. Moreover, missense mutations were identified in the genes TAC1B, RRP6, and SFT2 in all experimentally evolved strains. Our findings suggest that the gain of an extra copy of chromosome V is associated with the rapid acquisition of fluconazole resistance and may represent an important evolutionary mechanism of antifungal resistance in C. auris.
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Abstract
In order to preserve genome integrity, all cells must mount appropriate responses to DNA damage, including slowing down or arresting the cell cycle to give the cells time to repair the damage and changing gene expression, for example to induce genes involved in DNA repair. The Rad53 protein kinase is a conserved central mediator of these responses in eukaryotic cells, and its extensive phosphorylation upon DNA damage is necessary for its activation and subsequent activity. DNA damage checkpoints are key guardians of genome integrity. Eukaryotic cells respond to DNA damage by triggering extensive phosphorylation of Rad53/CHK2 effector kinase, whereupon activated Rad53/CHK2 mediates further aspects of checkpoint activation, including cell cycle arrest and transcriptional changes. Budding yeast Candida glabrata, closely related to model eukaryote Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is an opportunistic pathogen characterized by high genetic diversity and rapid emergence of drug-resistant mutants. However, the mechanisms underlying this genetic variability are unclear. We used Western blotting and mass spectrometry to show that, unlike S. cerevisiae, C. glabrata cells exposed to DNA damage did not induce C. glabrata Rad53 (CgRad53) phosphorylation. Furthermore, flow cytometry analysis showed that, unlike S. cerevisiae, C. glabrata cells did not accumulate in S phase upon DNA damage. Consistent with these observations, time-lapse microscopy showed C. glabrata cells continuing to divide in the presence of DNA damage, resulting in mitotic errors and cell death. Finally, transcriptome sequencing (RNAseq) analysis revealed transcriptional rewiring of the DNA damage response in C. glabrata and identified several key protectors of genome stability upregulated by DNA damage in S. cerevisiae but downregulated in C. glabrata, including proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). Together, our results reveal a noncanonical fungal DNA damage response in C. glabrata, which may contribute to rapidly generating genetic change and drug resistance.
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Fan S, Li C, Bing J, Huang G, Du H. Discovery of the Diploid Form of the Emerging Fungal Pathogen Candida auris. ACS Infect Dis 2020; 6:2641-2646. [PMID: 32902947 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.0c00282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The new multidrug-resistant pathogen Candida auris was first described in 2009 in Japan and has emerged in many countries worldwide. This human fungal pathogen has long been considered a haploid fungus. Here, we report the discovery of the diploid form and spontaneous ploidy shifts in clinical isolates of C. auris. Haploid and diploid cells of C. auris differ in several aspects including growth rates, virulence, and global gene expression profiles. For example, diploid cells exhibit a slower growth rate than haploid cells in in vitro culture media; however, they are more virulent than haploid cells in a mouse systemic infection model. Global transcriptional expression analysis demonstrates that both haploid and diploid cells express a set of ploidy-enriched genes, which are involved in the regulation of metabolism, cell wall maintenance, translation and DNA replication, and other important biological processes. Antifungal susceptibility testing shows that haploid and diploid cells exhibit similar responses when treated with a number of antifungals. Taken together, haploid and diploid cells may have different fitness responses to diverse niches, and ploidy changes could be an adaptive strategy of C. auris to environmental changes. Our findings shed new light on the biology and pathogenesis of this emerging fungal pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuru Fan
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital and State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Chao Li
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital and State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Jian Bing
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital and State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Guanghua Huang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital and State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Han Du
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital and State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
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What do we know about the biology of the emerging fungal pathogen of humans Candida auris? Microbiol Res 2020; 242:126621. [PMID: 33096325 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2020.126621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Candida auris is a worrisome fungal pathogen of humans which emerged merely about a decade ago. Ever since then the scientific community worked hard to understand clinically relevant traits, such as virulence factors, antifungal resistance mechanisms, and its ability to adhere to human skin and medical devices. Whole-genome sequencing of clinical isolates and epidemiological studies outlining the path of nosocomial outbreaks have been the focus of research into this pathogenic and multidrug-resistant yeast since its first description in 2009. More recently, work was started by several laboratories to explore the biology of C. auris. Here, we review the insights of studies characterizing the mechanisms underpinning antifungal drug resistance, biofilm formation, morphogenetic switching, cell aggregation, virulence, and pathogenicity of C. auris. We conclude that, although some progress has been made, there is still a long journey ahead of us, before we fully understand this novel pathogen. Critically important is the development of molecular tools for C. auris to make this fungus genetically tractable and traceable. This will allow an in-depth molecular dissection of the life cycle of C. auris, of its characteristics while interacting with the human host, and the mechanisms it employs to avoid being killed by antifungals and the immune system.
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Todd RT, Selmecki A. Expandable and reversible copy number amplification drives rapid adaptation to antifungal drugs. eLife 2020; 9:e58349. [PMID: 32687060 PMCID: PMC7371428 DOI: 10.7554/elife.58349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Previously, we identified long repeat sequences that are frequently associated with genome rearrangements, including copy number variation (CNV), in many diverse isolates of the human fungal pathogen Candida albicans (Todd et al., 2019). Here, we describe the rapid acquisition of novel, high copy number CNVs during adaptation to azole antifungal drugs. Single-cell karyotype analysis indicates that these CNVs appear to arise via a dicentric chromosome intermediate and breakage-fusion-bridge cycles that are repaired using multiple distinct long inverted repeat sequences. Subsequent removal of the antifungal drug can lead to a dramatic loss of the CNV and reversion to the progenitor genotype and drug susceptibility phenotype. These findings support a novel mechanism for the rapid acquisition of antifungal drug resistance and provide genomic evidence for the heterogeneity frequently observed in clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert T Todd
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical SchoolMinneapolis, MinnesotaUnited States
| | - Anna Selmecki
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical SchoolMinneapolis, MinnesotaUnited States
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Candida albicans Genetic Background Influences Mean and Heterogeneity of Drug Responses and Genome Stability during Evolution in Fluconazole. mSphere 2020; 5:5/3/e00480-20. [PMID: 32581072 PMCID: PMC7316494 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00480-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance is an evolutionary phenomenon with clinical implications. We tested how replicates from diverse strains of Candida albicans, a prevalent human fungal pathogen, evolve in the commonly prescribed antifungal drug fluconazole. Replicates on average increased in fitness in the level of drug they were evolved to, with the least fit parental strains improving the most. Very few replicates increased resistance above the drug level they were evolved in. Notably, many replicates increased in genome size and changed in drug tolerance (a drug response where a subpopulation of cells grow slowly in high levels of drug), and variability among replicates in fitness, tolerance, and genome size was higher in strains that initially were more sensitive to the drug. Genetic background influenced the average degree of adaptation and the evolved variability of many phenotypes, highlighting that different strains from the same species may respond and adapt very differently during adaptation. The importance of within-species diversity in determining the evolutionary potential of a population to evolve drug resistance or tolerance is not well understood, including in eukaryotic pathogens. To examine the influence of genetic background, we evolved replicates of 20 different clinical isolates of Candida albicans, a human fungal pathogen, in fluconazole, the commonly used antifungal drug. The isolates hailed from the major C. albicans clades and had different initial levels of drug resistance and tolerance to the drug. The majority of replicates rapidly increased in fitness in the evolutionary environment, with the degree of improvement inversely correlated with parental strain fitness in the drug. Improvement was largely restricted to up to the evolutionary level of drug: only 4% of the evolved replicates increased resistance (MIC) above the evolutionary level of drug. Prevalent changes were altered levels of drug tolerance (slow growth of a subpopulation of cells at drug concentrations above the MIC) and increased diversity of genome size. The prevalence and predominant direction of these changes differed in a strain-specific manner, but neither correlated directly with parental fitness or improvement in fitness. Rather, low parental strain fitness was correlated with high levels of heterogeneity in fitness, tolerance, and genome size among evolved replicates. Thus, parental strain background is an important determinant in mean improvement to the evolutionary environment as well as the diversity of evolved phenotypes, and the range of possible responses of a pathogen to an antimicrobial drug cannot be captured by in-depth study of a single strain background. IMPORTANCE Antimicrobial resistance is an evolutionary phenomenon with clinical implications. We tested how replicates from diverse strains of Candida albicans, a prevalent human fungal pathogen, evolve in the commonly prescribed antifungal drug fluconazole. Replicates on average increased in fitness in the level of drug they were evolved to, with the least fit parental strains improving the most. Very few replicates increased resistance above the drug level they were evolved in. Notably, many replicates increased in genome size and changed in drug tolerance (a drug response where a subpopulation of cells grow slowly in high levels of drug), and variability among replicates in fitness, tolerance, and genome size was higher in strains that initially were more sensitive to the drug. Genetic background influenced the average degree of adaptation and the evolved variability of many phenotypes, highlighting that different strains from the same species may respond and adapt very differently during adaptation.
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Chow NA, Muñoz JF, Gade L, Berkow EL, Li X, Welsh RM, Forsberg K, Lockhart SR, Adam R, Alanio A, Alastruey-Izquierdo A, Althawadi S, Araúz AB, Ben-Ami R, Bharat A, Calvo B, Desnos-Ollivier M, Escandón P, Gardam D, Gunturu R, Heath CH, Kurzai O, Martin R, Litvintseva AP, Cuomo CA. Tracing the Evolutionary History and Global Expansion of Candida auris Using Population Genomic Analyses. mBio 2020; 11:e03364-19. [PMID: 32345637 PMCID: PMC7188998 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03364-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 207] [Impact Index Per Article: 51.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 04/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Candida auris has emerged globally as a multidrug-resistant yeast that can spread via nosocomial transmission. An initial phylogenetic study of isolates from Japan, India, Pakistan, South Africa, and Venezuela revealed four populations (clades I, II, III, and IV) corresponding to these geographic regions. Since this description, C. auris has been reported in more than 30 additional countries. To trace this global emergence, we compared the genomes of 304 C. auris isolates from 19 countries on six continents. We found that four predominant clades persist across wide geographic locations. We observed phylogeographic mixing in most clades; clade IV, with isolates mainly from South America, demonstrated the strongest phylogeographic substructure. C. auris isolates from two clades with opposite mating types were detected contemporaneously in a single health care facility in Kenya. We estimated a Bayesian molecular clock phylogeny and dated the origin of each clade within the last 360 years; outbreak-causing clusters from clades I, III, and IV originated 36 to 38 years ago. We observed high rates of antifungal resistance in clade I, including four isolates resistant to all three major classes of antifungals. Mutations that contribute to resistance varied between the clades, with Y132F in ERG11 as the most widespread mutation associated with azole resistance and S639P in FKS1 for echinocandin resistance. Copy number variants in ERG11 predominantly appeared in clade III and were associated with fluconazole resistance. These results provide a global context for the phylogeography, population structure, and mechanisms associated with antifungal resistance in C. aurisIMPORTANCE In less than a decade, C. auris has emerged in health care settings worldwide; this species is capable of colonizing skin and causing outbreaks of invasive candidiasis. In contrast to other Candida species, C. auris is unique in its ability to spread via nosocomial transmission and its high rates of drug resistance. As part of the public health response, whole-genome sequencing has played a major role in characterizing transmission dynamics and detecting new C. auris introductions. Through a global collaboration, we assessed genome evolution of isolates of C. auris from 19 countries. Here, we described estimated timing of the expansion of each C. auris clade and of fluconazole resistance, characterized discrete phylogeographic population structure of each clade, and compared genome data to sensitivity measurements to describe how antifungal resistance mechanisms vary across the population. These efforts are critical for a sustained, robust public health response that effectively utilizes molecular epidemiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy A Chow
- Mycotic Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - José F Muñoz
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Lalitha Gade
- Mycotic Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Elizabeth L Berkow
- Mycotic Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Xiao Li
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Rory M Welsh
- Mycotic Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Kaitlin Forsberg
- Mycotic Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Shawn R Lockhart
- Mycotic Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Rodney Adam
- Department of Pathology, Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Alexandre Alanio
- Institut Pasteur, Molecular Mycology Unit, CNRS UMR2000, National Reference Center for Invasive Mycoses and Antifungals (NRCMA), Paris, France
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Hôpital Saint-Louis, Groupe Hospitalier Lariboisière, Saint-Louis, Fernand Widal, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Paris, France
- Université Paris Diderot, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Ana Alastruey-Izquierdo
- Mycology Reference Laboratory, National Centre for Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sahar Althawadi
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Ronen Ben-Ami
- Infectious Diseases Unit, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Amrita Bharat
- National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Belinda Calvo
- Department of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, Universidad del Zulia, Maracaibo, Venezuela
| | - Marie Desnos-Ollivier
- Institut Pasteur, Molecular Mycology Unit, CNRS UMR2000, National Reference Center for Invasive Mycoses and Antifungals (NRCMA), Paris, France
| | - Patricia Escandón
- Grupo de Microbiología, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Dianne Gardam
- Department of Microbiology, PathWest Laboratory Medicine FSH Network, Fiona Stanley Hospital, Murdoch, Australia
| | - Revathi Gunturu
- Department of Pathology, Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Christopher H Heath
- Department of Microbiology, PathWest Laboratory Medicine FSH Network, Fiona Stanley Hospital, Murdoch, Australia
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Fiona Stanley Hospital, Murdoch, Australia
- Infectious Diseases, Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, Australia
- Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Washington, Australia
| | - Oliver Kurzai
- German National Reference Center for Invasive Fungal Infections NRZMyk, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans-Knöll-Institute, Jena, Germany
- Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Ronny Martin
- German National Reference Center for Invasive Fungal Infections NRZMyk, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans-Knöll-Institute, Jena, Germany
- Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Anastasia P Litvintseva
- Mycotic Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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ElBaradei A. A decade after the emergence of Candida auris: what do we know? Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 2020; 39:1617-1627. [PMID: 32297040 DOI: 10.1007/s10096-020-03886-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Candida auris is a remarkable emerging pathogen. It has emerged separately, yet simultaneously in different parts of the world, establishing four phylogenetic and geographic distinct clades with a potential fifth clade that was recently reported. C. auris is often perceived as a pathogen in disguise, due to its frequent misidentification and its immune evasion. On the other hand, many of the recovered isolates are multidrug-resistant. In fact, some of these isolates are resistant to the three main antifungal classes: echinocandins, azoles, and polyenes. Moreover, C. auris has the ability to persist and survive on different objects for a long time, aided by different adhering mechanisms including aggregation and biofilm formation, thereby causing outbreaks of invasive infections in hospital settings. However, C. auris ability to maintain its pathogenicity at high temperatures remains among its most unique properties. This is why C. auris represents a challenging threat, and more studies are needed to meet this challenge. This review highlights different characteristics of this emerging yeast with emphasis on its antifungal resistance, its ability to persistent on different surfaces, and its immune evasion capability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amira ElBaradei
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy and Drug Manufacturing, Pharos University in Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt. .,Alexandria University Hospital, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
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Pseudohyphal Growth of the Emerging Pathogen Candida auris Is Triggered by Genotoxic Stress through the S Phase Checkpoint. mSphere 2020; 5:5/2/e00151-20. [PMID: 32161147 PMCID: PMC7067593 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00151-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Candida auris is a newly emerged fungal pathogen of humans. This species was first reported in 2009 when it was identified in an ear infection of a patient in Japan. However, despite intense interest in this organism as an often multidrug-resistant fungus, there is little knowledge about its cellular biology. During infection of human patients, fungi are able to change cell shape from ellipsoidal yeast cells to elongated filaments to adapt to various conditions within the host organism. There are different types of filaments, which are triggered by reactions to different cues. Candida auris fails to form filaments when exposed to triggers that stimulate yeast filament morphogenesis in other fungi. Here, we show that it does form filaments when its DNA is damaged. These conditions might arise when Candida auris cells interact with host immune cells or during growth in certain host tissues (kidney or bladder) or during treatment with antifungal drugs. The morphogenetic switching between yeast cells and filaments (true hyphae and pseudohyphae) is a key cellular feature required for full virulence in many polymorphic fungal pathogens, such as Candida albicans. In the recently emerged yeast pathogen Candida auris, occasional elongation of cells has been reported. However, environmental conditions and genetic triggers for filament formation have remained elusive. Here, we report that induction of DNA damage and perturbation of replication forks by treatment with genotoxins, such as hydroxyurea, methyl methanesulfonate, and the clinically relevant fungistatic 5-fluorocytosine, cause filamentation in C. auris. The filaments formed were characteristic of pseudohyphae and not parallel-sided true hyphae. Pseudohyphal growth is apparently signaled through the S phase checkpoint and, interestingly, is Tup1 independent in C. auris. Intriguingly, the morphogenetic switching capability is strain specific in C. auris, highlighting the heterogenous nature of the species as a whole. IMPORTANCECandida auris is a newly emerged fungal pathogen of humans. This species was first reported in 2009 when it was identified in an ear infection of a patient in Japan. However, despite intense interest in this organism as an often multidrug-resistant fungus, there is little knowledge about its cellular biology. During infection of human patients, fungi are able to change cell shape from ellipsoidal yeast cells to elongated filaments to adapt to various conditions within the host organism. There are different types of filaments, which are triggered by reactions to different cues. Candida auris fails to form filaments when exposed to triggers that stimulate yeast filament morphogenesis in other fungi. Here, we show that it does form filaments when its DNA is damaged. These conditions might arise when Candida auris cells interact with host immune cells or during growth in certain host tissues (kidney or bladder) or during treatment with antifungal drugs.
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Horton MV, Johnson CJ, Kernien JF, Patel TD, Lam BC, Cheong JZA, Meudt JJ, Shanmuganayagam D, Kalan LR, Nett JE. Candida auris Forms High-Burden Biofilms in Skin Niche Conditions and on Porcine Skin. mSphere 2020; 5:e00910-19. [PMID: 31969479 PMCID: PMC6977180 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00910-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Emerging pathogen Candida auris causes nosocomial outbreaks of life-threatening invasive candidiasis. It is unclear how this species colonizes skin and spreads in health care facilities. Here, we analyzed C. auris growth in synthetic sweat medium designed to mimic axillary skin conditions. We show that C. auris demonstrates a high capacity for biofilm formation in this milieu, well beyond that observed for the most commonly isolated Candida sp., Candida albicans The C. auris biofilms persist in environmental conditions expected in the hospital setting. To model C. auris skin colonization, we designed an ex vivo porcine skin model. We show that C. auris proliferates on porcine skin in multilayer biofilms. This capacity to thrive in skin niche conditions helps explain the propensity of C. auris to colonize skin, persist on medical devices, and rapidly spread in hospitals. These studies provide clinically relevant tools to further characterize this important growth modality.IMPORTANCE The emerging fungal pathogen Candida auris causes invasive infections and is spreading in hospitals worldwide. Why this species exhibits the capacity to transfer efficiently among patients is unknown. Our findings reveal that C. auris forms high-burden biofilms in conditions mimicking sweat on the skin surface. These adherent biofilm communities persist in environmental conditions expected in the hospital setting. Using a pig skin model, we show that C. auris also forms high-burden biofilm structures on the skin surface. Identification of this mode of growth sheds light on how this recently described pathogen persists in hospital settings and spreads among patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark V Horton
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Chad J Johnson
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - John F Kernien
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Tarika D Patel
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Brandon C Lam
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - J Z Alex Cheong
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Jennifer J Meudt
- Department of Animal Science, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | | | - Lindsay R Kalan
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Jeniel E Nett
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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Navarro-Muñoz JC, de Jong AW, Gerrits van den Ende B, Haas PJ, Then ER, Mohd Tap R, Collemare J, Hagen F. The High-Quality Complete Genome Sequence of the Opportunistic Fungal Pathogen Candida vulturna CBS 14366 T. Mycopathologia 2019; 184:731-734. [PMID: 31734799 DOI: 10.1007/s11046-019-00404-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 10/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Candida vulturna is a new member of the Candida haemulonii species complex that recently received much attention as it includes the emerging multidrug-resistant pathogen Candida auris. Here, we describe the high-quality genome sequence of C. vulturna type strain CBS 14366T to cover all genomes of pathogenic C. haemulonii species complex members.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge C Navarro-Muñoz
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Auke W de Jong
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, Utrecht, 3584 CX, The Netherlands
| | | | - Pieter-Jan Haas
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, Utrecht, 3584 CX, The Netherlands
| | - Euníce R Then
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Ratna Mohd Tap
- Mycology Laboratory, Institute for Medical Research, National Institute of Health, Setia Alam, Kuala Lumpur, 40170, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Jérôme Collemare
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Ferry Hagen
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, Utrecht, 3584 CX, The Netherlands.
- Laboratory of Medical Mycology, Jining No. 1 People's Hospital, Jining, Shandong, People's Republic of China.
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Tsai HJ, Nelliat A. A Double-Edged Sword: Aneuploidy is a Prevalent Strategy in Fungal Adaptation. Genes (Basel) 2019; 10:E787. [PMID: 31658789 PMCID: PMC6826469 DOI: 10.3390/genes10100787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2019] [Revised: 09/28/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Aneuploidy, a deviation from a balanced genome by either gain or loss of chromosomes, is generally associated with impaired fitness and developmental defects in eukaryotic organisms. While the general physiological impact of aneuploidy remains largely elusive, many phenotypes associated with aneuploidy link to a common theme of stress adaptation. Here, we review previously identified mechanisms and observations related to aneuploidy, focusing on the highly diverse eukaryotes, fungi. Fungi, which have conquered virtually all environments, including several hostile ecological niches, exhibit widespread aneuploidy and employ it as an adaptive strategy under severe stress. Gambling with the balance between genome plasticity and stability has its cost and in fact, most aneuploidies have fitness defects. How can this fitness defect be reconciled with the prevalence of aneuploidy in fungi? It is likely that the fitness cost of the extra chromosomes is outweighed by the advantage they confer under life-threatening stresses. In fact, once the selective pressures are withdrawn, aneuploidy is often lost and replaced by less drastic mutations that possibly incur a lower fitness cost. We discuss representative examples across hostile environments, including medically and industrially relevant cases, to highlight potential adaptive mechanisms in aneuploid yeast.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hung-Ji Tsai
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, and School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK.
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| | - Anjali Nelliat
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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40
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Wasi M, Khandelwal NK, Moorhouse AJ, Nair R, Vishwakarma P, Bravo Ruiz G, Ross ZK, Lorenz A, Rudramurthy SM, Chakrabarti A, Lynn AM, Mondal AK, Gow NAR, Prasad R. ABC Transporter Genes Show Upregulated Expression in Drug-Resistant Clinical Isolates of Candida auris: A Genome-Wide Characterization of ATP-Binding Cassette (ABC) Transporter Genes. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:1445. [PMID: 31379756 PMCID: PMC6647914 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2019] [Accepted: 06/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
ATP-binding cassette (ABC) superfamily members have a key role as nutrient importers and exporters in bacteria. However, their role as drug exporters in eukaryotes brought this superfamily member to even greater prominence. The capacity of ABC transporters to efflux a broad spectrum of xenobiotics represents one of the major mechanisms of clinical multidrug resistance in pathogenic fungi including Candida species. Candida auris, a newly emerged multidrug-resistant fungal pathogen of humans, has been responsible for multiple outbreaks of drug-resistant infections in hospitals around the globe. Our study has analyzed the entire complement of ABC superfamily transporters to assess whether these play a major role in drug resistance mechanisms of C. auris. Our bioinformatics analyses identified 28 putative ABC proteins encoded in the genome of the C. auris type-strain CBS 10913T; 20 of which contain transmembrane domains (TMDs). Quantitative real-time PCR confirmed the expression of all 20 TMD transporters, underlining their potential in contributing to the C. auris drug-resistant phenotype. Changes in transcript levels after short-term exposure of drugs and in drug-resistant C. auris isolates suggested their importance in the drug resistance phenotype of this pathogen. CAUR_02725 orthologous to CDR1, a major multidrug exporter in other yeasts, showed consistently higher expression in multidrug-resistant strains of C. auris. Homologs of other ABC transporter genes, such as CDR4, CDR6, and SNQ2, also displayed raised expression in a sub-set of clinical isolates. Together, our analysis supports the involvement of these transporters in multidrug resistance in C. auris.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohd Wasi
- School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | | | | | - Remya Nair
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology and Integrative Sciences and Health, Amity University Gurugram, Gurgaon, India
| | - Poonam Vishwakarma
- School of Computational and Integrative Science, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Gustavo Bravo Ruiz
- The Institute of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Zoe K. Ross
- MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
- The Institute of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Alexander Lorenz
- The Institute of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Shivaprakash M. Rudramurthy
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Arunaloke Chakrabarti
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Andrew M. Lynn
- School of Computational and Integrative Science, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Alok K. Mondal
- School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Neil A. R. Gow
- MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
- The Institute of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
- School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Rajendra Prasad
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology and Integrative Sciences and Health, Amity University Gurugram, Gurgaon, India
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