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Cissé OH, Ma L, Kovacs JA. Retracing the evolution of Pneumocystis species, with a focus on the human pathogen Pneumocystis jirovecii. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2024; 88:e0020222. [PMID: 38587383 PMCID: PMC11332345 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00202-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
SUMMARYEvery human being is presumed to be infected by the fungus Pneumocystis jirovecii at least once in his or her lifetime. This fungus belongs to a large group of species that appear to exclusively infect mammals, with P. jirovecii being the only one known to cause disease in humans. The mystery of P. jirovecii origin and speciation is just beginning to unravel. Here, we provide a review of the major steps of P. jirovecii evolution. The Pneumocystis genus likely originated from soil or plant-associated organisms during the period of Cretaceous ~165 million years ago and successfully shifted to mammals. The transition coincided with a substantial loss of genes, many of which are related to the synthesis of nutrients that can be scavenged from hosts or cell wall components that could be targeted by the mammalian immune system. Following the transition, the Pneumocystis genus cospeciated with mammals. Each species specialized at infecting its own host. Host specialization is presumably built at least partially upon surface glycoproteins, whose protogene was acquired prior to the genus formation. P. jirovecii appeared at ~65 million years ago, overlapping with the emergence of the first primates. P. jirovecii and its sister species P. macacae, which infects macaques nowadays, may have had overlapping host ranges in the distant past. Clues from molecular clocks suggest that P. jirovecii did not cospeciate with humans. Molecular evidence suggests that Pneumocystis speciation involved chromosomal rearrangements and the mounting of genetic barriers that inhibit gene flow among species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ousmane H. Cissé
- Critical Care Medicine Department, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Liang Ma
- Critical Care Medicine Department, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Joseph A. Kovacs
- Critical Care Medicine Department, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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Latinne A, Chen HW, Kuo CC, Lorica R, Singleton G, Stuart A, Malbas FF, Demanche C, Chabé M, Michaux J, Morand S. Revisiting the Pneumocystis host specificity paradigm and transmission ecology in wild Southeast Asian rodents. INFECTION, GENETICS AND EVOLUTION : JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY GENETICS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2021; 93:104978. [PMID: 34175480 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2021.104978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2021] [Revised: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Pneumocystis fungi are opportunistic parasites of mammalian lungs whose evolution, ecology and host specificity in natural host populations remain poorly understood and controversial. Using an extensive collection of 731 lung samples from 27 rodent species sampled in five Southeast Asian countries, and nested PCR amplification of mitochondrial and nuclear genes, we investigated the host specificity and genetic structure of Pneumocystis lineages infecting wild rodents. We also identified the rodent species playing a central role in the transmission of these parasites using network analysis and centrality measurement and we characterized the environmental conditions allowing Pneumocystis infection in Southeast Asia using generalized linear mixed models. Building upon an unprecedented Pneumocystis sampling from numerous rodent species belonging to closely related genera, our findings provide compelling evidence that the host specificity of Pneumocystis lineages infecting rodents is not restricted to a single host species or genus as often presented in the literature but it encompasses much higher taxonomic levels and more distantly related rodent host species. The phylogenetic species status at both mitochondrial and nuclear genetic markers of at least three new Pneumocystis lineages, highly divergent from Pneumocystis species currently described, is also suggested by our data. Our models show that the probability of Pneumocystis infection in rodent hosts is positively correlated to environmental variables reflecting habitat fragmentation and landscape patchiness. Synanthropic and habitat-generalist rodents belonging to the Rattus, Sundamys and Bandicota genera played a role of bridge host species for Pneumocystis spreading in these heterogeneous habitats, where they can reach high population densities. These are critical findings improving our understanding of the ecology of these enigmatic parasites and the role played by cospeciation and host switches in their evolution. Our results also confirmed the role of land-use change and habitat fragmentation in parasite amplification and spillover in rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Latinne
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Viet Nam Country Program, Ha Noi, Viet Nam; Wildlife Conservation Society, Health Program, Bronx, NY, USA; Université de Liège, Laboratoire de Génétique de la Conservation, GeCoLAB, 4000 Liège, Belgium.
| | - Hsuan-Wien Chen
- Department of Biological Resources, National Chiayi University, Chiayi, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Chien Kuo
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Renee Lorica
- International Rice Research Institute, DAPO Box 7777, Metro Manila, Philippines
| | - Grant Singleton
- International Rice Research Institute, DAPO Box 7777, Metro Manila, Philippines; Natural Resource Institute, University of Greenwich, Chatham Maritime, Kent, UK
| | - Alex Stuart
- International Rice Research Institute, DAPO Box 7777, Metro Manila, Philippines
| | - Fedelino F Malbas
- Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, Department of Health, Muntinlupa, Metro Manila, Philippines
| | - Christine Demanche
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019-UMR 9017-CIIL-Centre d'Infection et d'Immunité de Lille, Lille, France
| | - Magali Chabé
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019-UMR 9017-CIIL-Centre d'Infection et d'Immunité de Lille, Lille, France
| | - Johan Michaux
- Université de Liège, Laboratoire de Génétique de la Conservation, GeCoLAB, 4000 Liège, Belgium; Animal Santé Territoire Risque Environnement- Unité Mixe de Recherche 117 (ASTRE) Univ. Montpellier, Centre International de Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, 34398 Montpellier, France
| | - Serge Morand
- University of Montpellier, Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution, CNRS-IRD, Montpellier, France; University of Kasetsart, Faculty of Veterinary Technology, ASTRE-CIRAD, Bangkok, Thailand
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Mitogenomics and Evolutionary History of Rodent Whipworms ( Trichuris spp.) Originating from Three Biogeographic Regions. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11060540. [PMID: 34207698 PMCID: PMC8228637 DOI: 10.3390/life11060540] [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] [Received: 04/17/2021] [Revised: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Trichuris spp. is a widespread nematode which parasitizes a wide range of mammalian hosts including rodents, the most diverse mammalian order. However, genetic data on rodent whipworms are still scarce, with only one published whole genome (Trichuris muris) despite an increasing demand for whole genome data. We sequenced the whipworm mitogenomes from seven rodent hosts belonging to three biogeographic regions (Palearctic, Afrotropical, and Indomalayan), including three previously described species: Trichuris cossoni, Trichurisarvicolae, and Trichurismastomysi. We assembled and annotated two complete and five almost complete mitogenomes (lacking only the long non-coding region) and performed comparative genomic and phylogenetic analyses. All the mitogenomes are circular, have the same organisation, and consist of 13 protein-coding, 2 rRNA, and 22 tRNA genes. The phylogenetic analysis supports geographical clustering of whipworm species and indicates that T. mastomysi found in Eastern Africa is able to infect multiple closely related rodent hosts. Our results are informative for species delimitation based on mitochondrial markers and could be further used in studies on phylogeny, phylogeography, and population genetics of rodent whipworms
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Cissé OH, Ma L, Dekker JP, Khil PP, Youn JH, Brenchley JM, Blair R, Pahar B, Chabé M, Van Rompay KKA, Keesler R, Sukura A, Hirsch V, Kutty G, Liu Y, Peng L, Chen J, Song J, Weissenbacher-Lang C, Xu J, Upham NS, Stajich JE, Cuomo CA, Cushion MT, Kovacs JA. Genomic insights into the host specific adaptation of the Pneumocystis genus. Commun Biol 2021; 4:305. [PMID: 33686174 PMCID: PMC7940399 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-01799-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Pneumocystis jirovecii, the fungal agent of human Pneumocystis pneumonia, is closely related to macaque Pneumocystis. Little is known about other Pneumocystis species in distantly related mammals, none of which are capable of establishing infection in humans. The molecular basis of host specificity in Pneumocystis remains unknown as experiments are limited due to an inability to culture any species in vitro. To explore Pneumocystis evolutionary adaptations, we have sequenced the genomes of species infecting macaques, rabbits, dogs and rats and compared them to available genomes of species infecting humans, mice and rats. Complete whole genome sequence data enables analysis and robust phylogeny, identification of important genetic features of the host adaptation, and estimation of speciation timing relative to the rise of their mammalian hosts. Our data reveals insights into the evolution of P. jirovecii, the sole member of the genus able to infect humans. Cissé, Ma et al. utilize genomic data from Pneumocystis species infecting macaques, rabbit, dogs and rats to investigate the molecular basis of host specificity in Pneumocystis. Their analyses provide insight to the specific adaptations enabling the infection of humans by P. jirovecii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ousmane H Cissé
- Critical Care Medicine Department, NIH Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Liang Ma
- Critical Care Medicine Department, NIH Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - John P Dekker
- Bacterial Pathogenesis and Antimicrobial Resistance Unit, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, NIH Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Pavel P Khil
- Bacterial Pathogenesis and Antimicrobial Resistance Unit, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, NIH Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jung-Ho Youn
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, NIH Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | - Robert Blair
- Tulane National Primate Research Center, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Bapi Pahar
- Tulane National Primate Research Center, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Magali Chabé
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019-UMR 9017-CIIL-Centre d'Infection et d'Immunité de Lille, Lille, France
| | - Koen K A Van Rompay
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Rebekah Keesler
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Antti Sukura
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Vanessa Hirsch
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Geetha Kutty
- Critical Care Medicine Department, NIH Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Yueqin Liu
- Critical Care Medicine Department, NIH Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Li Peng
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jie Chen
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jun Song
- Center for Advanced Models for Translational Sciences and Therapeutics, University of Michigan Medical Center, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | - Jie Xu
- Center for Advanced Models for Translational Sciences and Therapeutics, University of Michigan Medical Center, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Nathan S Upham
- Arizona State University, School of Life Sciences, Tempe, ARI, USA
| | - Jason E Stajich
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology and Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside-California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Christina A Cuomo
- Broad Institute of Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Melanie T Cushion
- Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Joseph A Kovacs
- Critical Care Medicine Department, NIH Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, USA.
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Abstract
Environmental exposure has a significant impact on human health. While some airborne fungi can cause life-threatening infections, the impact of environment on fungal spore dispersal and transmission is poorly understood. The democratization of shotgun metagenomics allows us to explore important questions about fungal propagation. We focus on Pneumocystis, a genus of host-specific fungi that infect mammals via airborne particles. In humans, Pneumocystis jirovecii causes lethal infections in immunocompromised patients if untreated, although its environmental reservoir and transmission route remain unclear. Environmental exposure has a significant impact on human health. While some airborne fungi can cause life-threatening infections, the impact of environment on fungal spore dispersal and transmission is poorly understood. The democratization of shotgun metagenomics allows us to explore important questions about fungal propagation. We focus on Pneumocystis, a genus of host-specific fungi that infect mammals via airborne particles. In humans, Pneumocystis jirovecii causes lethal infections in immunocompromised patients if untreated, although its environmental reservoir and transmission route remain unclear. Here, we attempt to clarify, by analyzing human exposome metagenomic data sets, whether humans are exposed to different Pneumocystis species present in the air but only P. jirovecii cells are able to replicate or whether they are selectively exposed to P. jirovecii. Our analysis supports the latter hypothesis, which is consistent with a local transmission model. These data also suggest that healthy carriers are a major driver for the transmission.
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