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Bigey F, Menatong Tene X, Wessner M, Pradal M, Aury JM, Cruaud C, Neuvéglise C. Differential adaptation of the yeast Candida anglica to fermented food. Food Microbiol 2024; 123:104584. [PMID: 39038890 DOI: 10.1016/j.fm.2024.104584] [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] [Received: 03/03/2024] [Revised: 05/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024]
Abstract
A single strain of Candida anglica, isolated from cider, is available in international yeast collections. We present here seven new strains isolated from French PDO cheeses. For one of the cheese strains, we achieved a high-quality genome assembly of 13.7 Mb with eight near-complete telomere-to-telomere chromosomes. The genomes of two additional cheese strains and of the cider strain were also assembled and annotated, resulting in a core genome of 5966 coding sequences. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the seven cheese strains clustered together, away from the cider strain. Mating-type locus analysis revealed the presence of a MATa locus in the cider strain but a MATalpha locus in all cheese strains. The presence of LINE retrotransposons at identical genome position in the cheese strains, and two different karyotypic profiles resulting from chromosomal rearrangements were observed. Together, these findings are consistent with clonal propagation of the cheese strains. Phenotypic trait variations were observed within the cheese population under stress conditions whereas the cider strain was found to have a much greater capacity for growth in all conditions tested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric Bigey
- SPO, Univ Montpellier, INRAE, Institut Agro, Montpellier, France
| | | | - Marc Wessner
- Génomique Métabolique, Genoscope, Institut François Jacob, CEA, CNRS, Univ Evry, Université Paris-Saclay, Evry, 91057, France
| | - Martine Pradal
- SPO, Univ Montpellier, INRAE, Institut Agro, Montpellier, France
| | - Jean-Marc Aury
- Génomique Métabolique, Genoscope, Institut François Jacob, CEA, CNRS, Univ Evry, Université Paris-Saclay, Evry, 91057, France
| | - Corinne Cruaud
- Genoscope, Institut François Jacob, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, Evry, 91057, France
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2
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Kim MJ, Cravener M, Solis N, Filler SG, Mitchell AP. A Brg1-Rme1 circuit in Candida albicans hyphal gene regulation. mBio 2024:e0187224. [PMID: 39078139 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01872-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Major Candida albicans virulence traits include its ability to make hyphae, to produce a biofilm, and to damage host cells. These traits depend upon expression of hypha-associated genes. A gene expression comparison among clinical isolates suggested that transcription factor Rme1, established by previous studies to be a positive regulator of chlamydospore formation, may also be a negative regulator of hypha-associated genes. Engineered RME1 overexpression supported this hypothesis, but no relevant rme1Δ/Δ mutant phenotype was detected. We reasoned that Rme1 may function within a specific regulatory pathway. This idea was supported by our finding that an rme1Δ/Δ mutation relieves the need for biofilm regulator Brg1 in biofilm formation. The impact of the rme1Δ/Δ mutation is most prominent under static or "biofilm-like" growth conditions. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) of cells grown under biofilm-like conditions indicates that Brg1 activates hypha-associated genes indirectly via repression of RME1: hypha-associated gene expression levels are substantially reduced in a brg1Δ/Δ mutant and partially restored in a brg1Δ/Δ rme1Δ/Δ double mutant. An rme1Δ/Δ mutation does not simply bypass Brg1, because iron homeostasis genes depend upon Brg1 regardless of Rme1. Rme1 thus connects Brg1 to the targets relevant to hypha and biofilm formation under biofilm growth conditions.IMPORTANCECandida albicans is a major fungal pathogen of humans, and its ability to grow as a surface-associated biofilm on implanted devices is a common cause of infection. Here, we describe a new regulator of biofilm formation, RME1, whose activity is most prominent under biofilm-like growth conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min-Ju Kim
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Max Cravener
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Norma Solis
- Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, California, USA
| | - Scott G Filler
- Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, California, USA
- David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Aaron P Mitchell
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
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3
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Xiong L, Goerlich K, Do E, Mitchell AP. Strain variation in the Candida albicans iron limitation response. mSphere 2024; 9:e0037224. [PMID: 38980069 PMCID: PMC11288005 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00372-24] [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: 05/03/2024] [Accepted: 06/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Iron acquisition is critical for pathogens to proliferate during invasive infection, and the human fungal pathogen Candida albicans is no exception. The iron regulatory network, established in reference strain SC5314 and derivatives, includes the central player Sef1, a transcription factor that activates iron acquisition genes in response to iron limitation. Here, we explored potential variation in this network among five diverse C. albicans strains through mutant analysis, Nanostring gene expression profiling, and, for two strains, RNA-Seq. Our findings highlight four features that may inform future studies of natural variation and iron acquisition in this species. (i) Conformity: In all strains, major iron acquisition genes are upregulated during iron limitation, and a sef1Δ/Δ mutation impairs that response and growth during iron limitation. (ii) Response variation: Some aspects of the iron limitation response vary among strains, notably the activation of hypha-associated genes. As this gene set is tied to tissue damage and virulence, variation may impact the progression of infection. (iii) Genotype-phenotype variation: The impact of a sef1Δ/Δ mutation on cell wall integrity varies, and for the two strains examined the phenotype correlated with sef1Δ/Δ impact on several cell wall integrity genes. (iv) Phenotype discovery: DNA repair genes were induced modestly by iron limitation in sef1Δ/Δ mutants, with fold changes we would usually ignore. However, the response occurred in both strains tested and was reminiscent of a much stronger response described in Cryptococcus neoformans, a suggestion that it may have biological meaning. In fact, we observed that the iron limitation of a sef1Δ/Δ mutant caused recessive phenotypes to emerge at two heterozygous loci. Overall, our results show that a network that is critical for pathogen proliferation presents variation outside of its core functions.IMPORTANCEA key virulence factor of Candida albicans is the ability to maintain iron homeostasis in the host where iron is scarce. We focused on a central iron regulator, SEF1. We found that iron regulator Sef1 is required for growth, cell wall integrity, and genome integrity during iron limitation. The novel aspect of this work is the characterization of strain variation in a circuit that is required for survival in the host and the connection of iron acquisition to genome integrity in C. albicans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liping Xiong
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | | | - Eunsoo Do
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Aaron P. Mitchell
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
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4
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Anderson MZ, Dietz SM. Evolution and strain diversity advance exploration of Candida albicans biology. mSphere 2024:e0064123. [PMID: 39012122 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00641-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Fungi were some of the earliest organismal systems used to explore mutational processes and its phenotypic consequences on members of a species. Yeasts that cause significant human disease were quickly incorporated into these investigations to define the genetic and phenotypic drivers of virulence. Among Candida species, Candida albicans has emerged as a model for studying genomic processes of evolution because of its clinical relevance, relatively small genome, and ability to tolerate complex chromosomal changes. Here, we describe major recent findings that used evolution of strains from defined genetic backgrounds to delineate mutational and adaptative processes and include how nascent exploration into naturally occurring variation is contributing to these conceptual frameworks. Ultimately, efforts to discern adaptive mechanisms used by C. albicans will continue to divulge new biology and can better inform treatment regimens for the increasing prevalence of fungal disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Z Anderson
- Department of Medical Genetics, Laboratory of Genetics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Center for Genomic Science Innovation, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Siobhan M Dietz
- Cellular and Molecular Pathology Graduate Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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Cafarchia C, Mendoza-Roldan JA, Rhimi W, C I Ugochukwu I, Miglianti M, Beugnet F, Giuffrè L, Romeo O, Otranto D. Candida auris from the Egyptian cobra: Role of snakes as potential reservoirs. Med Mycol 2024; 62:myae056. [PMID: 38816207 DOI: 10.1093/mmy/myae056] [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] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 05/20/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Candida auris represents one of the most urgent threats to public health, although its ecology remains largely unknown. Because amphibians and reptiles may present favorable conditions for C. auris colonization, cloacal and blood samples (n = 68), from several snake species, were cultured and molecularly screened for C. auris using molecular amplification of glycosylphosphatidylinositol protein-encoding genes and ribosomal internal transcribed spacer sequencing. Candida auris was isolated from the cloacal swab of one Egyptian cobra (Naja haje legionis) and molecularly identified in its cloaca and blood. The isolation of C. auris from wild animals is herein reported for the first time, thus suggesting the role that these animals could play as reservoirs of this emerging pathogen. The occurrence of C. auris in blood requires further investigation, although the presence of cationic antimicrobial peptides in the plasma of reptiles could play a role in reducing the vitality of the fungus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Cafarchia
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy , 70010
| | | | - Wafa Rhimi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy, 70010
| | - Iniobong C I Ugochukwu
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy, 70010
- Department of Veterinary Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria, 410001
| | - Mara Miglianti
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy, 70010
| | | | - Letterio Giuffrè
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Messina, Italy, 98122
| | - Orazio Romeo
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Messina, Italy, 98122
| | - Domenico Otranto
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy, 70010
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, 518057
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6
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Wickramasinghe DN, Lyon CM, Lee S, Hepworth OW, Priest EL, Maufrais C, Ryan AP, Permal E, Sullivan D, McManus BA, Hube B, Butler G, d'Enfert C, Naglik JR, Richardson JP. Variations in candidalysin amino acid sequence influence toxicity and host responses. mBio 2024:e0335123. [PMID: 38953356 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03351-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Candida albicans causes millions of mucosal infections in humans annually. Hyphal overgrowth on mucosal surfaces is frequently associated with tissue damage caused by candidalysin, a secreted peptide toxin that destabilizes the plasma membrane of host cells thereby promoting disease and immunopathology. Candidalysin was first identified in C. albicans strain SC5314, but recent investigations have revealed candidalysin "variants" of differing amino acid sequence in isolates of C. albicans, and the related species C. dubliniensis, and C tropicalis, suggesting that sequence variation among candidalysins may be widespread in natural populations of these Candida species. Here, we analyzed ECE1 gene sequences from 182 C. albicans isolates, 10 C. dubliniensis isolates, and 78 C. tropicalis isolates and identified 10, 3, and 2 candidalysin variants in these species, respectively. Application of candidalysin variants to epithelial cells revealed differences in the ability to cause cellular damage, changes in metabolic activity, calcium influx, MAPK signalling, and cytokine secretion, while biophysical analyses indicated that variants exhibited differences in their ability to interact with and permeabilize a membrane. This study identifies candidalysin variants with differences in biological activity that are present in medically relevant Candida species. IMPORTANCE Fungal infections are a significant burden to health. Candidalysin is a toxin produced by Candida albicans that damages host tissues, facilitating infection. Previously, we demonstrated that candidalysins exist in the related species C. dubliniensis and C. tropicalis, thereby identifying these molecules as a toxin family. Recent genomic analyses have highlighted the presence of a small number of candidalysin "variant" toxins, which have different amino acid sequences to those originally identified. Here, we screened genome sequences of isolates of C. albicans, C. dubliniensis, and C. tropicalis and identified candidalysin variants in all three species. When applied to epithelial cells, candidalysin variants differed in their ability to cause damage, activate intracellular signaling pathways, and induce innate immune responses, while biophysical analysis revealed differences in the ability of candidalysin variants to interact with lipid bilayers. These findings suggest that intraspecies variation in candidalysin amino acid sequence may influence fungal pathogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Don N Wickramasinghe
- Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Claire M Lyon
- Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sejeong Lee
- Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Olivia W Hepworth
- Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Emily L Priest
- Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Corinne Maufrais
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, INRAe USC 2019, Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, Paris, France
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Hub, Paris, France
| | - Adam P Ryan
- School of Biomedical and Biomolecular Science and UCD Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Emmanuelle Permal
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, INRAe USC 2019, Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, Paris, France
| | - Derek Sullivan
- Division of Oral Biosciences, Dublin Dental University Hospital, and School of Dental Science, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Brenda A McManus
- Division of Oral Biosciences, Dublin Dental University Hospital, and School of Dental Science, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Bernhard Hube
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knoll Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany
- Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Geraldine Butler
- School of Biomedical and Biomolecular Science and UCD Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Christophe d'Enfert
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, INRAe USC 2019, Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, Paris, France
| | - Julian R Naglik
- Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan P Richardson
- Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
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7
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Lindemann-Perez E, Perez JC. Candida albicans natural diversity: a resource to dissect fungal commensalism and pathogenesis. Curr Opin Microbiol 2024; 80:102493. [PMID: 38833793 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2024.102493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2024] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024]
Abstract
Candida albicans is a ubiquitous fungus of humans. It is not only a component of the oral and intestinal microbiota of most healthy adults but also a major cause of mucosal disorders and life-threatening disseminated infections. Until recently, research on the biology and pathogenesis of the fungus was largely based on a single clinical isolate. We review investigations that have started to dissect a diverse set of C. albicans strains. Using different approaches to leverage the species' phenotypic and/or genetic diversity, these studies illuminate the wide range of interactions between fungus and host. While connecting genetic variants to phenotypes of interest remains challenging, research on C. albicans' natural diversity is central to understand fungal commensalism and pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Lindemann-Perez
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, USA
| | - J Christian Perez
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, USA.
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8
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Iracane E, Arias-Sardá C, Maufrais C, Ene IV, d’Enfert C, Buscaino A. Identification of an active RNAi pathway in Candida albicans. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2315926121. [PMID: 38625945 PMCID: PMC11047096 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2315926121] [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: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/18/2024] Open
Abstract
RNA interference (RNAi) is a fundamental regulatory pathway with a wide range of functions, including regulation of gene expression and maintenance of genome stability. Although RNAi is widespread in the fungal kingdom, well-known species, such as the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, have lost the RNAi pathway. Until now evidence has been lacking for a fully functional RNAi pathway in Candida albicans, a human fungal pathogen considered critically important by the World Health Organization. Here, we demonstrated that the widely used C. albicans reference strain (SC5314) contains an inactivating missense mutation in the gene encoding for the central RNAi component Argonaute. In contrast, most other C. albicans isolates contain a canonical Argonaute protein predicted to be functional and RNAi-active. Indeed, using high-throughput small and long RNA sequencing combined with seamless CRISPR/Cas9-based gene editing, we demonstrate that an active C. albicans RNAi machinery represses expression of subtelomeric gene families. Thus, an intact and functional RNAi pathway exists in C. albicans, highlighting the importance of using multiple reference strains when studying this dangerous pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise Iracane
- Kent Fungal Group, School of Biosciences, Division of Natural Sciences, University of Kent, CanterburyCT2 7NZ, United Kingdom
| | - Cristina Arias-Sardá
- Kent Fungal Group, School of Biosciences, Division of Natural Sciences, University of Kent, CanterburyCT2 7NZ, United Kingdom
| | - Corinne Maufrais
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Bioinformatic Hub, ParisF-75015, France
| | - Iuliana V. Ene
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Fungal Heterogeneity Group, ParisF-75015, France
| | - Christophe d’Enfert
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Institut national de recherche pour l’agriculture, l’alimentation et l’environnement USC2019, Fungal Biology and Pathogenicity Unit, ParisF-75015, France
| | - Alessia Buscaino
- Kent Fungal Group, School of Biosciences, Division of Natural Sciences, University of Kent, CanterburyCT2 7NZ, United Kingdom
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9
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Cosio T, Pica F, Fontana C, Pistoia ES, Favaro M, Valsecchi I, Zarabian N, Campione E, Botterel F, Gaziano R. Stephanoascus ciferrii Complex: The Current State of Infections and Drug Resistance in Humans. J Fungi (Basel) 2024; 10:294. [PMID: 38667965 PMCID: PMC11050938 DOI: 10.3390/jof10040294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2024] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
In recent years, the incidence of fungal infections in humans has increased dramatically, accompanied by an expansion in the number of species implicated as etiological agents, especially environmental fungi never involved before in human infection. Among fungal pathogens, Candida species are the most common opportunistic fungi that can cause local and systemic infections, especially in immunocompromised individuals. Candida albicans (C. albicans) is the most common causative agent of mucosal and healthcare-associated systemic infections. However, during recent decades, there has been a worrying increase in the number of emerging multi-drug-resistant non-albicans Candida (NAC) species, i.e., C. glabrata, C. parapsilosis, C. tropicalis, C. krusei, C. auris, and C. ciferrii. In particular, Candida ciferrii, also known as Stephanoascus ciferrii or Trichomonascus ciferrii, is a heterothallic ascomycete yeast-like fungus that has received attention in recent decades as a cause of local and systemic fungal diseases. Today, the new definition of the S. ciferrii complex, which consists of S. ciferrii, Candida allociferrii, and Candida mucifera, was proposed after sequencing the 18S rRNA gene. Currently, the S. ciferrii complex is mostly associated with non-severe ear and eye infections, although a few cases of severe candidemia have been reported in immunocompromised individuals. Low susceptibility to currently available antifungal drugs is a rising concern, especially in NAC species. In this regard, a high rate of resistance to azoles and more recently also to echinocandins has emerged in the S. ciferrii complex. This review focuses on epidemiological, biological, and clinical aspects of the S. ciferrii complex, including its pathogenicity and drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terenzio Cosio
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy; (F.P.); (E.S.P.); (M.F.); (R.G.)
- Dermatology Unit, Department of Systems Medicine, Tor Vergata University Hospital, 00133 Rome, Italy;
| | - Francesca Pica
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy; (F.P.); (E.S.P.); (M.F.); (R.G.)
| | - Carla Fontana
- Laboratory of Microbiology and BioBank, National Institute for Infectious Diseases “Lazzaro Spallanzani” I.R.C.C.S., 00149 Rome, Italy;
| | - Enrico Salvatore Pistoia
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy; (F.P.); (E.S.P.); (M.F.); (R.G.)
| | - Marco Favaro
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy; (F.P.); (E.S.P.); (M.F.); (R.G.)
| | - Isabel Valsecchi
- DYNAMYC 7380, Faculté de Santé, Université Paris-Est Créteil (UPEC), 94010 Créteil, France; (I.V.); (F.B.)
| | - Nikkia Zarabian
- School of Medicine and Health Sciences, George Washington University, 2300 I St NW, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| | - Elena Campione
- Dermatology Unit, Department of Systems Medicine, Tor Vergata University Hospital, 00133 Rome, Italy;
| | - Françoise Botterel
- DYNAMYC 7380, Faculté de Santé, Université Paris-Est Créteil (UPEC), 94010 Créteil, France; (I.V.); (F.B.)
| | - Roberta Gaziano
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy; (F.P.); (E.S.P.); (M.F.); (R.G.)
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10
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Gautier C, Maciel EI, Ene IV. Approaches for identifying and measuring heteroresistance in azole-susceptible Candida isolates. Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0404123. [PMID: 38483474 PMCID: PMC10986555 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.04041-23] [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: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Heteroresistance to antifungal agents poses a significant challenge in the treatment of fungal infections. Currently, the absence of established methods for detecting and measuring heteroresistance impedes progress in understanding this phenomenon in fungal pathogens. In response to this gap, we present a comprehensive set of new and optimized methods designed to detect and quantify azole heteroresistance in Candida albicans. Here, we define two primary assays for measuring heteroresistance: population analysis profiling, based on growth on solid medium, and single-cell assays, based on growth in liquid culture. We observe good correlations between the measurements obtained with liquid and solid assays, validating their utility for studying azole heteroresistance. We also highlight that disk diffusion assays could serve as an additional tool for the rapid detection of heteroresistance. These methods collectively provide a versatile toolkit for researchers seeking to assess heteroresistance in C. albicans. They also serve as a critical step forward in the characterization of antifungal heteroresistance, providing a framework for investigating this phenomenon in diverse fungal species and in the context of other antifungal agents. Ultimately, these advancements will enhance our ability to effectively measure antifungal drug responses and combat fungal infections.IMPORTANCEHeteroresistance involves varying antimicrobial susceptibility within a clonal population. This phenomenon allows the survival of rare resistant subpopulations during drug treatment, significantly complicating the effective management of infections. However, the absence of established detection methods hampers progress in understanding this phenomenon in human fungal pathogens. We propose a comprehensive toolkit to address this gap in the yeast Candida albicans, encompassing population analysis profiling, single-cell assays, and disk diffusion assays. By providing robust and correlated measurements through both solid and liquid assays, this work will provide a framework for broader applications across clinically relevant Candida species. These methods will enhance our ability to understand this phenomenon and the failure of antifungal therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cécile Gautier
- Fungal Heterogeneity Group, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Eli I. Maciel
- Fungal Heterogeneity Group, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Iuliana V. Ene
- Fungal Heterogeneity Group, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
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11
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Gnaien M, Maufrais C, Rebai Y, Kallel A, Ma L, Hamouda S, Khalsi F, Meftah K, Smaoui H, Khemiri M, Hadj Fredj S, Bachellier-Bassi S, Najjar I, Messaoud T, Boussetta K, Kallel K, Mardassi H, d’Enfert C, Bougnoux ME, Znaidi S. A gain-of-function mutation in zinc cluster transcription factor Rob1 drives Candida albicans adaptive growth in the cystic fibrosis lung environment. PLoS Pathog 2024; 20:e1012154. [PMID: 38603707 PMCID: PMC11037546 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1012154] [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: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Candida albicans chronically colonizes the respiratory tract of patients with Cystic Fibrosis (CF). It competes with CF-associated pathogens (e.g. Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and contributes to disease severity. We hypothesize that C. albicans undergoes specific adaptation mechanisms that explain its persistence in the CF lung environment. To identify the underlying genetic and phenotypic determinants, we serially recovered 146 C. albicans clinical isolates over a period of 30 months from the sputum of 25 antifungal-naive CF patients. Multilocus sequence typing analyses revealed that most patients were individually colonized with genetically close strains, facilitating comparative analyses between serial isolates. We strikingly observed differential ability to filament and form monospecies and dual-species biofilms with P. aeruginosa among 18 serial isolates sharing the same diploid sequence type, recovered within one year from a pediatric patient. Whole genome sequencing revealed that their genomes were highly heterozygous and similar to each other, displaying a highly clonal subpopulation structure. Data mining identified 34 non-synonymous heterozygous SNPs in 19 open reading frames differentiating the hyperfilamentous and strong biofilm-former strains from the remaining isolates. Among these, we detected a glycine-to-glutamate substitution at position 299 (G299E) in the deduced amino acid sequence of the zinc cluster transcription factor ROB1 (ROB1G299E), encoding a major regulator of filamentous growth and biofilm formation. Introduction of the G299E heterozygous mutation in a co-isolated weak biofilm-former CF strain was sufficient to confer hyperfilamentous growth, increased expression of hyphal-specific genes, increased monospecies biofilm formation and increased survival in dual-species biofilms formed with P. aeruginosa, indicating that ROB1G299E is a gain-of-function mutation. Disruption of ROB1 in a hyperfilamentous isolate carrying the ROB1G299E allele abolished hyperfilamentation and biofilm formation. Our study links a single heterozygous mutation to the ability of C. albicans to better survive during the interaction with other CF-associated microbes and illuminates how adaptive traits emerge in microbial pathogens to persistently colonize and/or infect the CF-patient airways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayssa Gnaien
- Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Laboratoire de Microbiologie Moléculaire, Vaccinologie et Développement Biotechnologique (LR16IPT01), Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Corinne Maufrais
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, INRAE USC2019A, Département Mycologie, Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, Paris, France
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Hub, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Yasmine Rebai
- Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Laboratoire de Microbiologie Moléculaire, Vaccinologie et Développement Biotechnologique (LR16IPT01), Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Aicha Kallel
- Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Laboratoire de Microbiologie Moléculaire, Vaccinologie et Développement Biotechnologique (LR16IPT01), Tunis, Tunisia
- Hôpital La Rabta, Laboratoire de Parasitologie et de Mycologie, UR17SP03, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Laurence Ma
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Biomics core facility, Centre de Ressources et Recherche Technologique (C2RT), Paris, France
| | - Samia Hamouda
- Hôpital d’Enfants Béchir Hamza de Tunis, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Fatma Khalsi
- Hôpital d’Enfants Béchir Hamza de Tunis, Tunis, Tunisia
| | | | - Hanen Smaoui
- Hôpital d’Enfants Béchir Hamza de Tunis, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Monia Khemiri
- Hôpital d’Enfants Béchir Hamza de Tunis, Tunis, Tunisia
| | | | - Sophie Bachellier-Bassi
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, INRAE USC2019A, Département Mycologie, Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, Paris, France
| | - Imène Najjar
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Biomics core facility, Centre de Ressources et Recherche Technologique (C2RT), Paris, France
| | | | | | - Kalthoum Kallel
- Hôpital La Rabta, Laboratoire de Parasitologie et de Mycologie, UR17SP03, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Helmi Mardassi
- Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Laboratoire de Microbiologie Moléculaire, Vaccinologie et Développement Biotechnologique (LR16IPT01), Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Christophe d’Enfert
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, INRAE USC2019A, Département Mycologie, Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, Paris, France
| | - Marie-Elisabeth Bougnoux
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, INRAE USC2019A, Département Mycologie, Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, Paris, France
| | - Sadri Znaidi
- Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Laboratoire de Microbiologie Moléculaire, Vaccinologie et Développement Biotechnologique (LR16IPT01), Tunis, Tunisia
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, INRAE USC2019A, Département Mycologie, Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, Paris, France
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12
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van Westerhoven AC, Aguilera-Galvez C, Nakasato-Tagami G, Shi-Kunne X, Martinez de la Parte E, Chavarro-Carrero E, Meijer HJG, Feurtey A, Maryani N, Ordóñez N, Schneiders H, Nijbroek K, Wittenberg AHJ, Hofstede R, García-Bastidas F, Sørensen A, Swennen R, Drenth A, Stukenbrock EH, Kema GHJ, Seidl MF. Segmental duplications drive the evolution of accessory regions in a major crop pathogen. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024; 242:610-625. [PMID: 38402521 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024]
Abstract
Many pathogens evolved compartmentalized genomes with conserved core and variable accessory regions (ARs) that carry effector genes mediating virulence. The fungal plant pathogen Fusarium oxysporum has such ARs, often spanning entire chromosomes. The presence of specific ARs influences the host range, and horizontal transfer of ARs can modify the pathogenicity of the receiving strain. However, how these ARs evolve in strains that infect the same host remains largely unknown. We defined the pan-genome of 69 diverse F. oxysporum strains that cause Fusarium wilt of banana, a significant constraint to global banana production, and analyzed the diversity and evolution of the ARs. Accessory regions in F. oxysporum strains infecting the same banana cultivar are highly diverse, and we could not identify any shared genomic regions and in planta-induced effectors. We demonstrate that segmental duplications drive the evolution of ARs. Furthermore, we show that recent segmental duplications specifically in accessory chromosomes cause the expansion of ARs in F. oxysporum. Taken together, we conclude that extensive recent duplications drive the evolution of ARs in F. oxysporum, which contribute to the evolution of virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anouk C van Westerhoven
- Laboratory of Phytopathology, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB, Wageningen, the Netherlands
- Department of Biology, Theoretical Biology & Bioinformatics, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Carolina Aguilera-Galvez
- Laboratory of Phytopathology, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Giuliana Nakasato-Tagami
- Laboratory of Phytopathology, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Xiaoqian Shi-Kunne
- Laboratory of Phytopathology, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Einar Martinez de la Parte
- Laboratory of Phytopathology, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Edgar Chavarro-Carrero
- Laboratory of Phytopathology, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Harold J G Meijer
- Laboratory of Phytopathology, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB, Wageningen, the Netherlands
- Department Biointeractions and Plant Health, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Alice Feurtey
- Christian-Albrechts University of Kiel, Christian-Albrechts-Platz 4, 24118, Kiel, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, August-Thienemann-Straße 2, 24306, Plön, Germany
- Plant Pathology, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich, Rämistrasse 101, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Nani Maryani
- Biology Education, Universitas Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa, Jalan Raya Palka No.Km 3, 42163, Banten, Indonesia
| | - Nadia Ordóñez
- Laboratory of Phytopathology, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Harrie Schneiders
- KeyGene, Agro Business Park 90, 6708 PW, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Koen Nijbroek
- KeyGene, Agro Business Park 90, 6708 PW, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | | | - Rene Hofstede
- KeyGene, Agro Business Park 90, 6708 PW, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | | | - Anker Sørensen
- KeyGene, Agro Business Park 90, 6708 PW, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Ronny Swennen
- Division of Crop Biotechnics, Laboratory of Tropical Crop Improvement, Catholic University of Leuven, Oude Markt 13, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
- International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Plot 15 Naguru E Rd, Kampala, PO Box 7878, Uganda
| | - Andre Drenth
- The University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Eva H Stukenbrock
- Christian-Albrechts University of Kiel, Christian-Albrechts-Platz 4, 24118, Kiel, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, August-Thienemann-Straße 2, 24306, Plön, Germany
| | - Gert H J Kema
- Laboratory of Phytopathology, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Michael F Seidl
- Department of Biology, Theoretical Biology & Bioinformatics, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, the Netherlands
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13
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Müller R, König A, Groth S, Zarnowski R, Visser C, Handrianz T, Maufrais C, Krüger T, Himmel M, Lee S, Priest EL, Yildirim D, Richardson JP, Blango MG, Bougnoux ME, Kniemeyer O, d'Enfert C, Brakhage AA, Andes DR, Trümper V, Nehls C, Kasper L, Mogavero S, Gutsmann T, Naglik JR, Allert S, Hube B. Secretion of the fungal toxin candidalysin is dependent on conserved precursor peptide sequences. Nat Microbiol 2024; 9:669-683. [PMID: 38388771 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-024-01606-z] [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: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
The opportunistic fungal pathogen Candida albicans damages host cells via its peptide toxin, candidalysin. Before secretion, candidalysin is embedded in a precursor protein, Ece1, which consists of a signal peptide, the precursor of candidalysin and seven non-candidalysin Ece1 peptides (NCEPs), and is found to be conserved in clinical isolates. Here we show that the Ece1 polyprotein does not resemble the usual precursor structure of peptide toxins. C. albicans cells are not susceptible to their own toxin, and single NCEPs adjacent to candidalysin are sufficient to prevent host cell toxicity. Using a series of Ece1 mutants, mass spectrometry and anti-candidalysin nanobodies, we show that NCEPs play a role in intracellular Ece1 folding and candidalysin secretion. Removal of single NCEPs or modifications of peptide sequences cause an unfolded protein response (UPR), which in turn inhibits hypha formation and pathogenicity in vitro. Our data indicate that the Ece1 precursor is not required to block premature pore-forming toxicity, but rather to prevent intracellular auto-aggregation of candidalysin sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Müller
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knoell Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Annika König
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knoell Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany
- Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Sabrina Groth
- Division of Biophysics, Research Center Borstel, Leibniz Lung Center, Borstel, Germany
| | - Robert Zarnowski
- Department of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Corissa Visser
- Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knoell Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Tom Handrianz
- Division of Biophysics, Research Center Borstel, Leibniz Lung Center, Borstel, Germany
| | - Corinne Maufrais
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Hub, Paris, France
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, Paris, France
| | - Thomas Krüger
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knoell Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Maximilian Himmel
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knoell Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Sejeong Lee
- Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Emily L Priest
- Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Deniz Yildirim
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knoell Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Jonathan P Richardson
- Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Matthew G Blango
- RNA Biology of Fungal Infections, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knoell Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Marie-Elisabeth Bougnoux
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, Paris, France
- Unité de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Service de Microbiologie Clinique, Hôpital Necker-Enfants-Malades, Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Paris (APHP), Paris, France
| | - Olaf Kniemeyer
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knoell Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Christophe d'Enfert
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, Paris, France
| | - Axel A Brakhage
- Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knoell Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence Balance of the Microverse, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - David R Andes
- Department of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Verena Trümper
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knoell Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Christian Nehls
- Division of Biophysics, Research Center Borstel, Leibniz Lung Center, Borstel, Germany
- Kiel Nano, Surface and Interface Science KiNSIS, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Lydia Kasper
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knoell Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Selene Mogavero
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knoell Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Thomas Gutsmann
- Division of Biophysics, Research Center Borstel, Leibniz Lung Center, Borstel, Germany
- Kiel Nano, Surface and Interface Science KiNSIS, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Julian R Naglik
- Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Stefanie Allert
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knoell Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany.
| | - Bernhard Hube
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knoell Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany.
- Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany.
- Cluster of Excellence Balance of the Microverse, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany.
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14
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Domán M, Kaszab E, Laczkó L, Bali K, Makrai L, Kovács R, Majoros L, Bányai K. Genomic epidemiology of antifungal resistance in human and avian isolates of Candida albicans: a pilot study from the One Health perspective. Front Vet Sci 2024; 11:1345877. [PMID: 38435368 PMCID: PMC10904516 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1345877] [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: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Stress-induced genomic changes in Candida albicans contribute to the adaptation of this species to various environmental conditions. Variations of the genome composition of animal-origin C. albicans strains are largely unexplored and drug resistance or other selective pressures driving the evolution of these yeasts remained an intriguing question. Comparative genome analysis was carried out to uncover chromosomal aneuploidies and regions with loss of heterozygosity (LOH), two mechanisms that manage genome plasticity. We detected aneuploidy only in human isolates. Bird-derived isolates showed LOH in genes commonly associated with antifungal drug resistance similar to human isolates. Our study suggests that environmental fungicide usage might exert selective pressure on C. albicans infecting animals, thus contributing to the spread of potentially resistant strains between different hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianna Domán
- HUN-REN Veterinary Medical Research Institute, Budapest, Hungary
- National Laboratory for Infectious Animal Diseases, Antimicrobial Resistance, Veterinary Public Health and Food Chain Safety, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Eszter Kaszab
- HUN-REN Veterinary Medical Research Institute, Budapest, Hungary
- National Laboratory for Infectious Animal Diseases, Antimicrobial Resistance, Veterinary Public Health and Food Chain Safety, Budapest, Hungary
- One Health Institute, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Levente Laczkó
- One Health Institute, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
- HUN-REN-UD Conservation Biology Research Group, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Krisztina Bali
- HUN-REN Veterinary Medical Research Institute, Budapest, Hungary
- National Laboratory for Infectious Animal Diseases, Antimicrobial Resistance, Veterinary Public Health and Food Chain Safety, Budapest, Hungary
| | | | - Renátó Kovács
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - László Majoros
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Krisztián Bányai
- HUN-REN Veterinary Medical Research Institute, Budapest, Hungary
- National Laboratory for Infectious Animal Diseases, Antimicrobial Resistance, Veterinary Public Health and Food Chain Safety, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
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15
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Avelar GM, Pradhan A, Ma Q, Hickey E, Leaves I, Liddle C, Rodriguez Rondon AV, Kaune AK, Shaw S, Maufrais C, Sertour N, Bain JM, Larcombe DE, de Assis LJ, Netea MG, Munro CA, Childers DS, Erwig LP, Brown GD, Gow NAR, Bougnoux ME, d'Enfert C, Brown AJP. A CO 2 sensing module modulates β-1,3-glucan exposure in Candida albicans. mBio 2024; 15:e0189823. [PMID: 38259065 PMCID: PMC10865862 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01898-23] [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: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Microbial species capable of co-existing with healthy individuals, such as the commensal fungus Candida albicans, exploit multifarious strategies to evade our immune defenses. These strategies include the masking of immunoinflammatory pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) at their cell surface. We reported previously that C. albicans actively reduces the exposure of the proinflammatory PAMP, β-1,3-glucan, at its cell surface in response to host-related signals such as lactate and hypoxia. Here, we show that clinical isolates of C. albicans display phenotypic variability with respect to their lactate- and hypoxia-induced β-1,3-glucan masking. We have exploited this variability to identify responsive and non-responsive clinical isolates. We then performed RNA sequencing on these isolates to reveal genes whose expression patterns suggested potential association with lactate- or hypoxia-induced β-1,3-glucan masking. The deletion of two such genes attenuated masking: PHO84 and NCE103. We examined NCE103-related signaling further because NCE103 has been shown previously to encode carbonic anhydrase, which promotes adenylyl cyclase-protein kinase A (PKA) signaling at low CO2 levels. We show that while CO2 does not trigger β-1,3-glucan masking in C. albicans, the Sch9-Rca1-Nce103 signaling module strongly influences β-1,3-glucan exposure in response to hypoxia and lactate. In addition to identifying a new regulatory module that controls PAMP exposure in C. albicans, our data imply that this module is important for PKA signaling in response to environmental inputs other than CO2.IMPORTANCEOur innate immune defenses have evolved to protect us against microbial infection in part via receptor-mediated detection of "pathogen-associated molecular patterns" (PAMPs) expressed by invading microbes, which then triggers their immune clearance. Despite this surveillance, many microbial species are able to colonize healthy, immune-competent individuals, without causing infection. To do so, these microbes must evade immunity. The commensal fungus Candida albicans exploits a variety of strategies to evade immunity, one of which involves reducing the exposure of a proinflammatory PAMP (β-1,3-glucan) at its cell surface. Most of the β-1,3-glucan is located in the inner layer of the C. albicans cell wall, hidden by an outer layer of mannan fibrils. Nevertheless, some β-1,3-glucan can become exposed at the fungal cell surface. However, in response to certain specific host signals, such as lactate or hypoxia, C. albicans activates an anticipatory protective response that decreases β-1,3-glucan exposure, thereby reducing the susceptibility of the fungus to impending innate immune attack. Here, we exploited the natural phenotypic variability of C. albicans clinical isolates to identify strains that do not display the response to β-1,3-glucan masking signals observed for the reference isolate, SC5314. Then, using genome-wide transcriptional profiling, we compared these non-responsive isolates with responsive controls to identify genes potentially involved in β-1,3-glucan masking. Mutational analysis of these genes revealed that a sensing module that was previously associated with CO2 sensing also modulates β-1,3-glucan exposure in response to hypoxia and lactate in this major fungal pathogen of humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela M. Avelar
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Arnab Pradhan
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
- Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Qinxi Ma
- Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Emer Hickey
- Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Ian Leaves
- Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Corin Liddle
- Bioimaging Unit, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Alejandra V. Rodriguez Rondon
- Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Ann-Kristin Kaune
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Sophie Shaw
- Centre for Genome Enabled Biology and Medicine, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Corinne Maufrais
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, INRAe USC2019, Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, Paris, France
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Hub, Paris, France
| | - Natacha Sertour
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, INRAe USC2019, Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, Paris, France
| | - Judith M. Bain
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel E. Larcombe
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
- Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Leandro J. de Assis
- Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Mihai G. Netea
- Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Department for Immunology & Metabolism, Life and Medical Sciences Institute (LIMES), University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Carol A. Munro
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Delma S. Childers
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Lars P. Erwig
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
- Johnson-Johnson Innovation, EMEA Innovation Centre, London, United Kingdom
| | - Gordon D. Brown
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
- Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Neil A. R. Gow
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
- Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Marie-Elisabeth Bougnoux
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, INRAe USC2019, Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, Paris, France
- Unité de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Service de Microbiologie Clinique, Hôpital Necker-Enfants-Malades, Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Paris (APHP), Paris, France
- Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Christophe d'Enfert
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, INRAe USC2019, Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, Paris, France
| | - Alistair J. P. Brown
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
- Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
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16
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Schikora-Tamarit MÀ, Gabaldón T. Recent gene selection and drug resistance underscore clinical adaptation across Candida species. Nat Microbiol 2024; 9:284-307. [PMID: 38177305 PMCID: PMC10769879 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-023-01547-z] [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: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Understanding how microbial pathogens adapt to treatments, humans and clinical environments is key to infer mechanisms of virulence, transmission and drug resistance. This may help improve therapies and diagnostics for infections with a poor prognosis, such as those caused by fungal pathogens, including Candida. Here we analysed genomic variants across approximately 2,000 isolates from six Candida species (C. glabrata, C. auris, C. albicans, C. tropicalis, C. parapsilosis and C. orthopsilosis) and identified genes under recent selection, suggesting a highly complex clinical adaptation. These involve species-specific and convergently affected adaptive mechanisms, such as adhesion. Using convergence-based genome-wide association studies we identified known drivers of drug resistance alongside potentially novel players. Finally, our analyses reveal an important role of structural variants and suggest an unexpected involvement of (para)sexual recombination in the spread of resistance. Our results provide insights on how opportunistic pathogens adapt to human-related environments and unearth candidate genes that deserve future attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miquel Àngel Schikora-Tamarit
- Barcelona Supercomputing Centre (BSC-CNS), Barcelona, Spain
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Toni Gabaldón
- Barcelona Supercomputing Centre (BSC-CNS), Barcelona, Spain.
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain.
- Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain.
- Centro Investigación Biomédica En Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Barcelona, Spain.
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17
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Kosmala D, Sertour N, Fróis Martins R, Spaggiari L, Ardizzoni A, LeibundGut-Landmann S, Pericolini E, Bougnoux ME, d'Enfert C, Legrand M. The pathogenic and colonization potential of Candida africana. Microbes Infect 2024; 26:105230. [PMID: 37734535 DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2023.105230] [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] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
The Candida albicans population displays high genetic diversity illustrated by 18-well differentiated genetic clusters. Cluster 13, also known as Candida africana, is an outlying cluster and includes strains first described as atypical C. albicans isolates of vaginal origin, showing apparent tropism for the female genital tract. In our study, we combined in vitro, and in vivo models to explore the colonization and pathogenic potential of C. africana. We report that C. africana has similar fitness to C. albicans when it comes to colonization of the oral and vaginal mucosa, however it has decreased fitness in gastro-intestinal colonization and systemic infection. Interestingly, despite high population homogeneity, our in vitro data highlighted for the first time a variability in terms of growth rate, biofilm formation and filamentation properties between C. africana strains. Overall, our data lays the foundations for exploring specific features of C. africana that might contribute to its apparent niche restriction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daria Kosmala
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, INRAE USC2019, Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, Paris, France
| | - Natacha Sertour
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, INRAE USC2019, Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, Paris, France
| | - Ricardo Fróis Martins
- Section of Immunology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 260, Zurich 8057, Switzerland; Institute of Experimental Immunology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zürich 8057, Switzerland
| | - Luca Spaggiari
- Clinical and Experimental Medicine Ph.D. Program, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Andrea Ardizzoni
- Department of Surgical, Medical, Dental and Morphological Sciences with Interest in Transplant, Oncological and Regenerative Medicine, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Salomé LeibundGut-Landmann
- Section of Immunology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 260, Zurich 8057, Switzerland; Institute of Experimental Immunology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zürich 8057, Switzerland
| | - Eva Pericolini
- Department of Surgical, Medical, Dental and Morphological Sciences with Interest in Transplant, Oncological and Regenerative Medicine, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Marie-Elisabeth Bougnoux
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, INRAE USC2019, Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, Paris, France; Unité de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Service de Microbiologie Clinique, Hôpital Necker-Enfants-Malades, Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Paris (APHP), Paris, France
| | - Christophe d'Enfert
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, INRAE USC2019, Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, Paris, France.
| | - Mélanie Legrand
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, INRAE USC2019, Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, Paris, France.
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18
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Borman AM, Johnson EM. Changes in fungal taxonomy: mycological rationale and clinical implications. Clin Microbiol Rev 2023; 36:e0009922. [PMID: 37930182 PMCID: PMC10732072 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00099-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Numerous fungal species of medical importance have been recently subjected to and will likely continue to undergo nomenclatural changes as a result of the application of molecular approaches to fungal classification together with abandonment of dual nomenclature. Here, we summarize those changes affecting key groups of fungi of medical importance, explaining the mycological (taxonomic) rationale that underpinned the changes and the clinical relevance/importance (where such exists) of the key nomenclatural revisions. Potential mechanisms to mitigate unnecessary taxonomic instability are suggested, together with approaches to raise awareness of important changes to minimize potential clinical confusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M. Borman
- UK HSA National Mycology Reference Laboratory, Science Quarter, Southmead Hospital, Bristol, United Kingdom
- Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology (MRC CMM), University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Elizabeth M. Johnson
- UK HSA National Mycology Reference Laboratory, Science Quarter, Southmead Hospital, Bristol, United Kingdom
- Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology (MRC CMM), University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
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19
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San Juan Galán J, Poliquin V, Gerstein AC. Insights and advances in recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011684. [PMID: 37948448 PMCID: PMC10637712 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Javier San Juan Galán
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Vanessa Poliquin
- Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Aleeza Cara Gerstein
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Department of Statistics, Faculty of Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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20
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Glazier VE, Kramara J, Ollinger T, Solis NV, Zarnowski R, Wakade RS, Kim MJ, Weigel GJ, Liang SH, Bennett RJ, Wellington M, Andes DR, Stamnes MA, Filler SG, Krysan DJ. The Candida albicans reference strain SC5314 contains a rare, dominant allele of the transcription factor Rob1 that modulates filamentation, biofilm formation, and oral commensalism. mBio 2023; 14:e0152123. [PMID: 37737633 PMCID: PMC10653842 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01521-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Candida albicans is a commensal fungus that colonizes the human oral cavity and gastrointestinal tract but also causes mucosal as well as invasive disease. The expression of virulence traits in C. albicans clinical isolates is heterogeneous and the genetic basis of this heterogeneity is of high interest. The C. albicans reference strain SC5314 is highly invasive and expresses robust filamentation and biofilm formation relative to many other clinical isolates. Here, we show that SC5314 derivatives are heterozygous for the transcription factor Rob1 and contain an allele with a rare gain-of-function SNP that drives filamentation, biofilm formation, and virulence in a model of oropharyngeal candidiasis. These findings explain, in part, the outlier phenotype of the reference strain and highlight the role heterozygosity plays in the strain-to-strain variation of diploid fungal pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Juraj Kramara
- Department of Pediatrics, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Tomye Ollinger
- Department of Pediatrics, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Norma V. Solis
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute and Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, California, USA
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Robert Zarnowski
- Department of Medicine, Section of Infectious Disease, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Rohan S. Wakade
- Department of Pediatrics, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Min-Ju Kim
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Gabriel J. Weigel
- Department of Pediatrics, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Shen-Huan Liang
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Richard J. Bennett
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Melanie Wellington
- Department of Pediatrics, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - David R. Andes
- Department of Medicine, Section of Infectious Disease, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Mark A. Stamnes
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Scott G. Filler
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute and Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, California, USA
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Damian J. Krysan
- Department of Pediatrics, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
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21
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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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22
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Anderson FM, Visser ND, Amses KR, Hodgins-Davis A, Weber AM, Metzner KM, McFadden MJ, Mills RE, O'Meara MJ, James TY, O'Meara TR. Candida albicans selection for human commensalism results in substantial within-host diversity without decreasing fitness for invasive disease. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3001822. [PMID: 37205709 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Candida albicans is a frequent colonizer of human mucosal surfaces as well as an opportunistic pathogen. C. albicans is remarkably versatile in its ability to colonize diverse host sites with differences in oxygen and nutrient availability, pH, immune responses, and resident microbes, among other cues. It is unclear how the genetic background of a commensal colonizing population can influence the shift to pathogenicity. Therefore, we examined 910 commensal isolates from 35 healthy donors to identify host niche-specific adaptations. We demonstrate that healthy people are reservoirs for genotypically and phenotypically diverse C. albicans strains. Using limited diversity exploitation, we identified a single nucleotide change in the uncharacterized ZMS1 transcription factor that was sufficient to drive hyper invasion into agar. We found that SC5314 was significantly different from the majority of both commensal and bloodstream isolates in its ability to induce host cell death. However, our commensal strains retained the capacity to cause disease in the Galleria model of systemic infection, including outcompeting the SC5314 reference strain during systemic competition assays. This study provides a global view of commensal strain variation and within-host strain diversity of C. albicans and suggests that selection for commensalism in humans does not result in a fitness cost for invasive disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faith M Anderson
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Noelle D Visser
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Kevin R Amses
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Andrea Hodgins-Davis
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Alexandra M Weber
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Katura M Metzner
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Michael J McFadden
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Ryan E Mills
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Matthew J O'Meara
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Timothy Y James
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Michigan, 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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23
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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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24
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Druseikis M, Mottola A, Berman J. The Metabolism of Susceptibility: Clearing the FoG Between Tolerance and Resistance in Candida albicans. CURRENT CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2023; 10:36-46. [DOI: 10.1007/s40588-023-00189-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
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25
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Kakade P, Sircaik S, Maufrais C, Ene IV, Bennett RJ. Aneuploidy and gene dosage regulate filamentation and host colonization by Candida albicans. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2218163120. [PMID: 36893271 PMCID: PMC10089209 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2218163120] [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: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Aneuploidy is a frequent occurrence in fungal species where it can alter gene expression and promote adaptation to a variety of environmental cues. Multiple forms of aneuploidy have been observed in the opportunistic fungal pathogen Candida albicans, which is a common component of the human gut mycobiome but can escape this niche and cause life-threatening systemic disease. Using a barcode sequencing (Bar-seq) approach, we evaluated a set of diploid C. albicans strains and found that a strain carrying a third copy of chromosome (Chr) 7 was associated with increased fitness during both gastrointestinal (GI) colonization and systemic infection. Our analysis revealed that the presence of a Chr 7 trisomy resulted in decreased filamentation, both in vitro and during GI colonization, relative to isogenic euploid controls. A target gene approach demonstrated that NRG1, encoding a negative regulator of filamentation located on Chr 7, contributes to increased fitness of the aneuploid strain due to inhibition of filamentation in a gene dosage-dependent fashion. Together, these experiments establish how aneuploidy enables the reversible adaptation of C. albicans to its host via gene dosage-dependent regulation of morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pallavi Kakade
- Molecular Microbiology and Immunology Department, Brown University, Providence, RI02912
| | - Shabnam Sircaik
- Molecular Microbiology and Immunology Department, Brown University, Providence, RI02912
| | - Corinne Maufrais
- Institut Pasteur Bioinformatic Hub, Université Paris Cité, Paris75015, France
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Fungal Heterogeneity Lab, Paris75015, France
| | - Iuliana V. Ene
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Fungal Heterogeneity Lab, Paris75015, France
| | - Richard J. Bennett
- Molecular Microbiology and Immunology Department, Brown University, Providence, RI02912
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26
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Gong J, Chen XF, Fan X, Xu J, Zhang H, Li RY, Chen SCA, Kong F, Zhang S, Sun ZY, Kang M, Liao K, Guo DW, Wan Z, Hu ZD, Chu YZ, Zhao HM, Zou GL, Shen C, Geng YY, Wu WW, Wang H, Zhao F, Lu X, He LH, Liu GM, Xu YC, Zhang JZ, Xiao M. Emergence of Antifungal Resistant Subclades in the Global Predominant Phylogenetic Population of Candida albicans. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0380722. [PMID: 36700687 PMCID: PMC9927326 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03807-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Candida albicans remains the most common species causing invasive candidiasis. In this study, we present the population structure of 551 global C. albicans strains. Of these, the antifungal susceptibilities of 370 strains were tested. Specifically, 66.6% of the azole-nonsusceptible (NS)/non-wild-type (NWT) strains that were tested belonged to Clade 1. A phylogenetic analysis, a principal components analysis, the population structure, and a loss of heterozygosity events revealed two nested subclades in Clade 1, namely, Clade 1-R and Clade 1-R-α, that exhibited higher azole-NS/NWT rates (75.0% and 100%, respectively). In contrast, 6.4% (21/326) of the non-Clade 1-R isolates were NS/NWT to at least 1 of 4 azoles. Notably, all of the Clade 1-R-α isolates were pan-azole-NS/NWT that carried unique A114S and Y257H double substitutions in Erg11p and had the overexpression of ABC-type efflux pumps introduced by the substitution A736V in transcript factor Tac1p. It is worth noting that the Clade 1-R and Clade 1-R-α isolates were from different cities that are distributed over a large geographic span. Our study demonstrated the presence of specific phylogenetic subclades that are associated with antifungal resistance among C. albicans Clade 1, which calls for public attention on the monitoring of the future spread of these clones. IMPORTANCE Invasive candidiasis is the most common human fungal disease among hospitalized patients, and Candida albicans is the predominant pathogen. Considering the large number of infected cases and the limited alternative therapies, the azole-resistance of C. albicans brings a huge clinical threat. Here, our study suggested that antifungal resistance in C. albicans could also be associated with phylogenetic lineages. Specifically, it was revealed that more than half of the azole-resistant C. albicans strains belonged to the same clade. Furthermore, two nested subclades of the clade exhibited extremely high azole-resistance. It is worth noting that the isolates of two subclades were from different cities that are distributed over a large geographic span in China. This indicates that the azole-resistant C. albicans subclades may develop into serious public health concerns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Xin-Fei Chen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Sate Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Mechanisms Research and Precision Diagnosis of Invasive Fungal Diseases, Beijing, China
| | - Xin Fan
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine and Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Juan Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Han Zhang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Sate Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Mechanisms Research and Precision Diagnosis of Invasive Fungal Diseases, Beijing, China
| | - Ruo-Yu Li
- Department of Dermatology, Beijing University First Hospital, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Molecular Diagnosis on Dermatoses, Beijing, China
- Research Center for Medical Mycology, Beijing University, Beijing, China
| | - Sharon C-A Chen
- Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Laboratory Services, Institute of Clinical Pathology and Medical Research, New South Wales Health Pathology, Westmead Hospital, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Fanrong Kong
- Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Laboratory Services, Institute of Clinical Pathology and Medical Research, New South Wales Health Pathology, Westmead Hospital, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Shu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Zi-Yong Sun
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Mei Kang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Kang Liao
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Da-Wen Guo
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Zhe Wan
- Department of Dermatology, Beijing University First Hospital, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Molecular Diagnosis on Dermatoses, Beijing, China
| | - Zhi-Dong Hu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Yun-Zhuo Chu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Hong-Mei Zhao
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The People's Hospital of Liaoning Province, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Gui-Ling Zou
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Chong Shen
- Center for Statistical Science, and Department of Industrial Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Yuan-Yuan Geng
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Wei-Wei Wu
- Department of Dermatology, the Fifth People's Hospital of Hainan Province, Haikou, Hainan, China
| | - He Wang
- Dynamiker Sub-center of Beijing Key Laboratory for Mechanisms Research and Precision Diagnosis of Invasive Fungal Disease, Tianjin, China
| | - Fei Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Xin Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Li-Hua He
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Gui-Ming Liu
- Beijing Agro-Biotechnology Research Center, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ying-Chun Xu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Sate Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Mechanisms Research and Precision Diagnosis of Invasive Fungal Diseases, Beijing, China
| | - Jian-Zhong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Meng Xiao
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Sate Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Mechanisms Research and Precision Diagnosis of Invasive Fungal Diseases, Beijing, China
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27
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Brown AJP. Fungal resilience and host-pathogen interactions: Future perspectives and opportunities. Parasite Immunol 2023; 45:e12946. [PMID: 35962618 PMCID: PMC10078341 DOI: 10.1111/pim.12946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
We are constantly exposed to the threat of fungal infection. The outcome-clearance, commensalism or infection-depends largely on the ability of our innate immune defences to clear infecting fungal cells versus the success of the fungus in mounting compensatory adaptive responses. As each seeks to gain advantage during these skirmishes, the interactions between host and fungal pathogen are complex and dynamic. Nevertheless, simply compromising the physiological robustness of fungal pathogens reduces their ability to evade antifungal immunity, their virulence, and their tolerance against antifungal therapy. In this article I argue that this physiological robustness is based on a 'Resilience Network' which mechanistically links and controls fungal growth, metabolism, stress resistance and drug tolerance. The elasticity of this network probably underlies the phenotypic variability of fungal isolates and the heterogeneity of individual cells within clonal populations. Consequently, I suggest that the definition of the fungal Resilience Network represents an important goal for the future which offers the clear potential to reveal drug targets that compromise drug tolerance and synergise with current antifungal therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alistair J P Brown
- Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology at the University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
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28
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Hovhannisyan H, Rodríguez A, Saus E, Vaneechoutte M, Gabaldón T. Multiplexed target enrichment of coding and non-coding transcriptomes enables studying Candida spp. infections from human derived samples. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1093178. [PMID: 36761895 PMCID: PMC9902369 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1093178] [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: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The study of transcriptomic interactions between host and pathogens in in vivo conditions is challenged by the low relative amounts of the pathogen RNA. Yeast opportunistic pathogens of the genus Candida can cause life-threatening systemic infections in immunocompromised patients, and are of growing medical concern. Four phylogenetically diverse species account for over 90% of Candida infections, and their specific interactions with various human tissues are still poorly understood. To enable in vivo transcriptomic analysis in these species, we designed and validated pan-Candida target capture probes to enrich protein-coding and non-coding transcriptomes. The probe-based enrichment approach outperformed enrichment based on differential lysis of host cells, and showed similar enrichment performance as an existing capture design, yet achieving better fidelity of expression levels, enabling species multiplexing and capturing of lncRNAs. In addition, we show that our probe-based enrichment strategy allows robust genotype-based identification of the infecting strain present in the sample.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hrant Hovhannisyan
- Life Sciences Department, Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), Barcelona, Spain,Mechanisms of Disease Department, Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Antonio Rodríguez
- Laboratory Bacteriology Research, Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Ester Saus
- Life Sciences Department, Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), Barcelona, Spain,Mechanisms of Disease Department, Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mario Vaneechoutte
- Laboratory Bacteriology Research, Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Toni Gabaldón
- Life Sciences Department, Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), Barcelona, Spain,Mechanisms of Disease Department, Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB), Barcelona, Spain,Department of Biomedicine and Life Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain,Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Passeig Lluís Companys 23, Barcelona, Spain,*Correspondence: Toni Gabaldón,
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29
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Patiño LH, Muñoz M, Ramírez AL, Vélez N, Escandón P, Parra-Giraldo CM, Ramírez JD. A Landscape of the Genomic Structure of Cryptococcus neoformans in Colombian Isolates. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:jof9020135. [PMID: 36836249 PMCID: PMC9959405 DOI: 10.3390/jof9020135] [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: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Cryptococcus neoformans species complexes are recognized as environmental fungi responsible for lethal meningoencephalitis in immunocompromised individuals. Despite the vast knowledge about the epidemiology and genetic diversity of this fungus in different regions of the world, more studies are necessary to comprehend the genomic profiles across South America, including Colombia, considered to be the second country with the highest number of Cryptococcosis. Here, we sequenced and analyzed the genomic architecture of 29 Colombian C. neoformans isolates and evaluated the phylogenetic relationship of these strains with publicly available C. neoformans genomes. The phylogenomic analysis showed that 97% of the isolates belonged to the VNI molecular type and the presence of sub-lineages and sub-clades. We evidenced a karyotype without changes, a low number of genes with copy number variations, and a moderate number of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Additionally, a difference in the number of SNPs between the sub-lineages/sub-clades was observed; some were involved in crucial fungi biological processes. Our study demonstrated the intraspecific divergence of C. neoformans in Colombia. These findings provide evidence that Colombian C. neoformans isolates do not probably require significant structural changes as adaptation mechanisms to the host. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report the whole genome sequence of Colombian C. neoformans isolates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luz Helena Patiño
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Biotecnología-UR (CIMBIUR), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá 111321, Colombia
| | - Marina Muñoz
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Biotecnología-UR (CIMBIUR), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá 111321, Colombia
| | - Angie Lorena Ramírez
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Biotecnología-UR (CIMBIUR), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá 111321, Colombia
| | - Nórida Vélez
- Unidad de Proteómica y Micosis Humanas, Grupo de Investigación en Enfermedades Infecciosas, Departamento de Microbiología, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá 111321, Colombia
- Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28001 Madrid, Spain
| | - Patricia Escandón
- Grupo de Microbiología, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Bogotá 111321, Colombia
| | - Claudia-Marcela Parra-Giraldo
- Unidad de Proteómica y Micosis Humanas, Grupo de Investigación en Enfermedades Infecciosas, Departamento de Microbiología, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá 111321, Colombia
- Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28001 Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan David Ramírez
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Biotecnología-UR (CIMBIUR), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá 111321, Colombia
- Molecular Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Pathology, Molecular and Cell-Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Correspondence: or ; Tel.: +1-(332)-2344161
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30
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Todd RT, Soisangwan N, Peters S, Kemp B, Crooks T, Gerstein A, Selmecki A. Antifungal Drug Concentration Impacts the Spectrum of Adaptive Mutations in Candida albicans. Mol Biol Evol 2023; 40:6989826. [PMID: 36649220 PMCID: PMC9887641 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msad009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Invasive fungal infections are a leading global cause of human mortality. Only three major classes of antifungal drugs are widely used, and resistance to all three classes can arise rapidly. The most widely prescribed antifungal drug, fluconazole, disseminates rapidly and reaches a wide range of concentrations throughout the body. The impact of drug concentration on the spectrum and effect of mutations acquired during adaptation is not known for any fungal pathogen, and how the specific level of a given stress influences the distribution of beneficial mutations has been poorly explored in general. We evolved 144 lineages from three genetically distinct clinical isolates of Candida albicans to four concentrations of fluconazole (0, 1, 8, and 64 μg/ml) and performed comprehensive phenotypic and genomic comparisons of ancestral and evolved populations. Adaptation to different fluconazole concentrations resulted in distinct adaptive trajectories. In general, lineages evolved to drug concentrations close to their MIC50 (the level of drug that reduces growth by 50% in the ancestor) tended to rapidly evolve an increased MIC50 and acquired distinct segmental aneuploidies and copy number variations. By contrast, lineages evolved to drug concentrations above their ancestral MIC50 tended to acquire a different suite of mutational changes and increased in drug tolerance (the ability of a subpopulation of cells to grow slowly above their MIC50). This is the first evidence that different concentrations of drug can select for different genotypic and phenotypic outcomes in vitro and may explain observed in vivo drug response variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert T Todd
- Present address: Department of Biology, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York
| | | | - Sam Peters
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Bailey Kemp
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Taylor Crooks
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Aleeza Gerstein
- Department of Microbiology, The University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada,Department of Statistics, The University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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31
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Jaitly P, Legrand M, Das A, Patel T, Chauvel M, Maufrais C, d’Enfert C, Sanyal K. A phylogenetically-restricted essential cell cycle progression factor in the human pathogen Candida albicans. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4256. [PMID: 35869076 PMCID: PMC9307598 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31980-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Chromosomal instability caused by cell division errors is associated with antifungal drug resistance in fungal pathogens. Here, we identify potential mechanisms underlying such instability by conducting an overexpression screen monitoring chromosomal stability in the human fungal pathogen Candida albicans. Analysis of ~1000 genes uncovers six chromosomal stability (CSA) genes, five of which are related to cell division genes of other organisms. The sixth gene, CSA6, appears to be present only in species belonging to the CUG-Ser clade, which includes C. albicans and other human fungal pathogens. The protein encoded by CSA6 localizes to the spindle pole bodies, is required for exit from mitosis, and induces a checkpoint-dependent metaphase arrest upon overexpression. Thus, Csa6 is an essential cell cycle progression factor that is restricted to the CUG-Ser fungal clade, and could therefore be explored as a potential antifungal target. Chromosomal instability caused by cell division errors is associated with antifungal drug resistance in fungal pathogens. Here, Jaitly et al. identify several genes involved in chromosomal stability in Candida albicans, including a phylogenetically restricted gene encoding an essential cell-cycle progression factor.
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32
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Rizzo M, Soisangwan N, Vega-Estevez S, Price RJ, Uyl C, Iracane E, Shaw M, Soetaert J, Selmecki A, Buscaino A. Stress combined with loss of the Candida albicans SUMO protease Ulp2 triggers selection of aneuploidy via a two-step process. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010576. [PMID: 36574460 PMCID: PMC9829183 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
A delicate balance between genome stability and instability ensures genome integrity while generating genetic diversity, a critical step for evolution. Indeed, while excessive genome instability is harmful, moderated genome instability can drive adaptation to novel environments by maximising genetic variation. Candida albicans, a human fungal pathogen that colonises different parts of the human body, adapts rapidly and frequently to different hostile host microenvironments. In this organism, the ability to generate large-scale genomic variation is a key adaptative mechanism triggering dangerous infections even in the presence of antifungal drugs. Understanding how fitter novel karyotypes are selected is key to determining how C. albicans and other microbial pathogens establish infections. Here, we identified the SUMO protease Ulp2 as a regulator of C. albicans genome integrity through genetic screening. Deletion of ULP2 leads to increased genome instability, enhanced genome variation and reduced fitness in the absence of additional stress. The combined stress caused by the lack of ULP2 and antifungal drug treatment leads to the selection of adaptive segmental aneuploidies that partially rescue the fitness defects of ulp2Δ/Δ cells. Short and long-read genomic sequencing demonstrates that these novel genotypes are selected via a two-step process leading to the formation of novel chromosomal fragments with breakpoints at microhomology regions and DNA repeats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marzia Rizzo
- University of Kent, School of Biosciences, Kent Fungal Group, Canterbury Kent, United Kingdom
| | - Natthapon Soisangwan
- University of Minnesota, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Samuel Vega-Estevez
- University of Kent, School of Biosciences, Kent Fungal Group, Canterbury Kent, United Kingdom
| | | | - Chloe Uyl
- University of Kent, School of Biosciences, Kent Fungal Group, Canterbury Kent, United Kingdom
| | - Elise Iracane
- University of Kent, School of Biosciences, Kent Fungal Group, Canterbury Kent, United Kingdom
| | - Matt Shaw
- University of Kent, School of Biosciences, Kent Fungal Group, Canterbury Kent, United Kingdom
| | - Jan Soetaert
- Blizard Advanced Light Microscopy (BALM), Queen Mary University of London, United Kingdom
| | - Anna Selmecki
- University of Minnesota, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Alessia Buscaino
- University of Kent, School of Biosciences, Kent Fungal Group, Canterbury Kent, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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33
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Avramovska O, Smith AC, Rego E, Hickman MA. Tetraploidy accelerates adaptation under drug selection in a fungal pathogen. FRONTIERS IN FUNGAL BIOLOGY 2022; 3:984377. [PMID: 37746235 PMCID: PMC10512305 DOI: 10.3389/ffunb.2022.984377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Baseline ploidy significantly impacts evolutionary trajectories and, specifically, tetraploidy is associated with higher rates of adaptation relative to haploidy and diploidy. While the majority of experimental evolution studies investigating ploidy use the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerivisiae, the fungal pathogen Candida albicans is a powerful system to investigate ploidy dynamics, particularly in the context of acquiring antifungal drug resistance. C. albicans laboratory and clinical strains are predominantly diploid, but have been isolated as haploid and polyploid. Here, we evolved diploid and tetraploid C. albicans for ~60 days in the antifungal drug caspofungin. Tetraploid-evolved lines adapted faster than diploid-evolved lines and reached higher levels of caspofungin resistance. While diploid-evolved lines generally maintained their initial genome size, tetraploid-evolved lines rapidly underwent genome-size reductions and did so prior to caspofungin adaptation. While clinical resistance was largely due to mutations in FKS1, these mutations were caused by substitutions in diploid, and indels in tetraploid isolates. Furthermore, fitness costs in the absence of drug selection were significantly less in tetraploid-evolved lines compared to the diploid-evolved lines. Taken together, this work supports a model of adaptation in which the tetraploid state is transient but its ability to rapidly transition ploidy states improves adaptive outcomes and may drive drug resistance in fungal pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ognenka Avramovska
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Amanda C. Smith
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Division of Viral Disease, CDC Foundation, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Emily Rego
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
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34
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Bergin SA, Zhao F, Ryan AP, Müller CA, Nieduszynski CA, Zhai B, Rolling T, Hohl TM, Morio F, Scully J, Wolfe KH, Butler G. Systematic Analysis of Copy Number Variations in the Pathogenic Yeast Candida parapsilosis Identifies a Gene Amplification in RTA3 That is Associated with Drug Resistance. mBio 2022; 13:e0177722. [PMID: 36121151 PMCID: PMC9600344 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01777-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
We analyzed the genomes of 170 C. parapsilosis isolates and identified multiple copy number variations (CNVs). We identified two genes, RTA3 (CPAR2_104610) and ARR3 (CPAR2_601050), each of which was the target of multiple independent amplification events. Phylogenetic analysis shows that most of these amplifications originated only once. For ARR3, which encodes a putative arsenate transporter, 8 distinct CNVs were identified, ranging in size from 2.3 kb to 10.5 kb with 3 to 23 copies. For RTA3, 16 distinct CNVs were identified, ranging in size from 0.3 kb to 4.5 kb with 2 to ~50 copies. One unusual amplification resulted in a DUP-TRP/INV-DUP structure similar to some human CNVs. RTA3 encodes a putative phosphatidylcholine (PC) floppase which is known to regulate the inward translocation of PC in Candida albicans. We found that an increased copy number of RTA3 correlated with resistance to miltefosine, an alkylphosphocholine drug that affects PC metabolism. Additionally, we conducted an adaptive laboratory evolution experiment in which two C. parapsilosis isolates were cultured in increasing concentrations of miltefosine. Two genes, CPAR2_303950 and CPAR2_102700, coding for putative PC flippases homologous to S. cerevisiae DNF1 gained homozygous protein-disrupting mutations in the evolved strains. Overall, our results show that C. parapsilosis can gain resistance to miltefosine, a drug that has recently been granted orphan drug designation approval by the United States Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of invasive candidiasis, through both CNVs or loss-of-function alleles in one of the flippase genes. IMPORTANCE Copy number variations (CNVs) are an important source of genomic diversity that have been associated with drug resistance. We identify two unusual CNVs in the human fungal pathogen Candida parapsilosis. Both target a single gene (RTA3 or ARR3), and they have occurred multiple times in multiple isolates. The copy number of RTA3, a putative floppase that controls the inward translocation of lipids in the cell membrane, correlates with resistance to miltefosine, a derivative of phosphatidylcholine (PC) that was originally developed as an anticancer drug. In 2021, miltefosine was designated an orphan drug by the United States Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of invasive candidiasis. Importantly, we find that resistance to miltefosine is also caused by mutations in flippases, which control the outward movement of lipids, and that many C. parapsilosis isolates are prone to easily acquiring an increased resistance to miltefosine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean A. Bergin
- School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Fang Zhao
- School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Adam P. Ryan
- School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Carolin A. Müller
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Conrad A. Nieduszynski
- Earlham Institute, Norwich, United Kingdom
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Bing Zhai
- Infectious Disease Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
- Immunology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
- Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Thierry Rolling
- Infectious Disease Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
- Immunology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Tobias M. Hohl
- Infectious Disease Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
- Immunology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA
| | - Florent Morio
- Nantes Université, CHU de Nantes, Cibles et Médicaments des Infections et de l'Immunité, IICiMed, Nantes, France
| | - Jillian Scully
- School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Kenneth H. Wolfe
- School of Medicine, Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Geraldine Butler
- School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
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35
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Kukurudz RJ, Chapel M, Wonitowy Q, Adamu Bukari AR, Sidney B, Sierhuis R, Gerstein AC. Acquisition of cross-azole tolerance and aneuploidy in Candida albicans strains evolved to posaconazole. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2022; 12:jkac156. [PMID: 35881695 PMCID: PMC9434289 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkac156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
A number of in vitro studies have examined the acquisition of drug resistance to the triazole fluconazole, a first-line treatment for many Candida infections. Much less is known about posaconazole, a newer triazole. We conducted the first in vitro experimental evolution of replicates from 8 diverse strains of Candida albicans in a high level of the fungistatic drug posaconazole. Approximately half of the 132 evolved replicates survived 50 generations of evolution, biased toward some of the strain backgrounds. We found that although increases in drug resistance were rare, increases in drug tolerance (the slow growth of a subpopulation of cells in a level of drug above the resistance level) were common across strains. We also found that adaptation to posaconazole resulted in widespread cross-tolerance to other azole drugs. Widespread aneuploidy was observed in evolved replicates from some strain backgrounds. Trisomy of at least one of chromosomes 3, 6, and R was identified in 11 of 12 whole-genome sequenced evolved SC5314 replicates. These findings document rampant evolved cross-tolerance among triazoles and highlight that increases in drug tolerance can evolve independently of drug resistance in a diversity of C. albicans strain backgrounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebekah J Kukurudz
- Department of Microbiology, The University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Madison Chapel
- Department of Microbiology, The University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Quinn Wonitowy
- Department of Microbiology, The University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| | | | - Brooke Sidney
- Department of Microbiology, The University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Riley Sierhuis
- Department of Microbiology, The University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Aleeza C Gerstein
- Department of Microbiology, The University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
- Department of Statistics, The University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
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Anticandidal and Antibiofilm Effect of Synbiotics including Probiotics and Inulin-Type Fructans. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:antibiotics11081135. [PMID: 36010004 PMCID: PMC9405293 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11081135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: There is great interest in the search for new alternatives to antimicrobial drugs, and the use of synbiotics is a promising approach to this problem. This study evaluated the growth inhibition and antibiofilm activity of the short-chain fatty acids produced by Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus and Pediococcus acidilactici in combination with inulin-type fructans against Candida albicans. Methods: The growth inhibition of Candida was evaluated using microdilution analysis in 96-well microtiter plates; different concentrations of cell-free supernatants of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus and Pediococcus acidilactici were exposed to Candida albicans. The antibiofilm assessment was carried out using the crystal violet staining assay. The short-chain fatty acids were analyzed by gas chromatography. Results: The clinically isolated Candida albicans interacted with supernatants from Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus and Pediococcus acidilactici and showed significant growth inhibition and antibiofilm formation versus the controls. Lactate and acetic acid were elevated in the supernatants. The results suggest that the supernatants obtained from the synbiotic combinations of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus and Pediococcus acidilactici with inulin-type fructans can inhibit the growth and biofilm formation against a clinically isolated Candida albicans strain. Conclusions: These results suggest that synbiotic formulations could be a promising alternative to antifungal drugs in candidiasis therapy.
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The teenage years of yeast population genomics trace history, admixing and getting wilder. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2022; 75:101942. [PMID: 35753210 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2022.101942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Population genomics studies the evolutionary processes that shape intraspecies genetic variations. In this review, I explore the insights into yeast-population genomics that have emerged from recent advances in sequencing. Genomes of the model Saccharomyces cerevisiae and many new yeast species from around the world are being used to address various aspects of population biology, including geographical origin, the level of introgression, domestication signatures, and outcrossing frequency. New long-read sequencing has enabled a greater capacity to quantify these variations at a finer resolution from complete de novo genomes at the population scale to phasing subgenomes of different origins. These resources provide a platform to dissect the relationship between phenotypes across environmental niches.
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Multiple Stochastic Parameters Influence Genome Dynamics in a Heterozygous Diploid Eukaryotic Model. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8070650. [PMID: 35887406 PMCID: PMC9323731 DOI: 10.3390/jof8070650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The heterozygous diploid genome of Candida albicans displays frequent genomic rearrangements, in particular loss-of-heterozygosity (LOH) events, which can be seen on all eight chromosomes and affect both laboratory and clinical strains. LOHs, which are often the consequence of DNA damage repair, can be observed upon stresses reminiscent of the host environment, and result in homozygous regions of various sizes depending on the molecular mechanisms at their origins. Recent studies have shed light on the biological importance of these frequent and ubiquitous LOH events in C. albicans. In diploid Saccharomyces cerevisiae, LOH facilitates the passage of recessive beneficial mutations through Haldane’s sieve, allowing rapid evolutionary adaptation. This also appears to be true in C. albicans, where the full potential of an adaptive mutation is often only observed upon LOH, as illustrated in the case of antifungal resistance and niche adaptation. To understand the genome-wide dynamics of LOH events in C. albicans, we constructed a collection of 15 strains, each one carrying a LOH reporter system on a different chromosome arm. This system involves the insertion of two fluorescent marker genes in a neutral genomic region on both homologs, allowing spontaneous LOH events to be detected by monitoring the loss of one of the fluorescent markers using flow cytometry. Using this collection, we observed significant LOH frequency differences between genomic loci in standard laboratory growth conditions; however, we further demonstrated that comparable heterogeneity was also observed for a given genomic locus between independent strains. Additionally, upon exposure to stress, three outcomes could be observed in C. albicans, where individual strains displayed increases, decreases, or no effect of stress in terms of LOH frequency. Our results argue against a general stress response triggering overall genome instability. Indeed, we showed that the heterogeneity of LOH frequency in C. albicans is present at various levels, inter-strain, intra-strain, and inter-chromosomes, suggesting that LOH events may occur stochastically within a cell, though the genetic background potentially impacts genome stability in terms of LOH throughout the genome in both basal and stress conditions. This heterogeneity in terms of genome stability may serve as an important adaptive strategy for the predominantly clonal human opportunistic pathogen C. albicans, by quickly generating a wide spectrum of genetic variation combinations potentially permitting subsistence in a rapidly evolving environment.
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Using genomics to understand the mechanisms of virulence and drug resistance in fungal pathogens. Biochem Soc Trans 2022; 50:1259-1268. [PMID: 35713390 PMCID: PMC9246328 DOI: 10.1042/bst20211123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Revised: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Fungal pathogens pose an increasingly worrying threat to human health, food security and ecosystem diversity. To tackle fungal infections and improve current diagnostic and therapeutic tools it is necessary to understand virulence and antifungal drug resistance mechanisms in diverse species. Recent advances in genomics approaches have provided a suitable framework to understand these phenotypes, which ultimately depend on genetically encoded determinants. In this work, we review how the study of genome sequences has been key to ascertain the bases of virulence and drug resistance traits. We focus on the contribution of comparative genomics, population genomics and directed evolution studies. In addition, we discuss how different types of genomic mutations (small or structural variants) contribute to intraspecific differences in virulence or drug resistance. Finally, we review current challenges in the field and anticipate future directions to solve them. In summary, this work provides a short overview of how genomics can be used to understand virulence and drug resistance in fungal pathogens.
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Swidergall M, LeibundGut-Landmann S. Immunosurveillance of Candida albicans commensalism by the adaptive immune system. Mucosal Immunol 2022; 15:829-836. [PMID: 35778599 PMCID: PMC9385492 DOI: 10.1038/s41385-022-00536-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The fungal microbiota (mycobiota) is an integral part of the microbial community colonizing the body surfaces and is involved in many key aspects of human physiology, while an imbalance of the fungal communities, termed fungal dysbiosis, has been described in pathologies ranging from infections to inflammatory bowel disease. Commensal organisms, such as the fungus Candida albicans, induce antigen-specific immune responses that maintain immune homeostasis. Adaptive immune mechanisms are vital in this process, while deficiencies in adaptive immunity are linked to fungal infections. We start to understand the mechanisms by which a shift in mycobiota composition, in particular in C. albicans abundance, is linked to immunopathological conditions. This review discusses the mechanisms that ensure continuous immunosurveillance of C. albicans during mucosal colonization, how these protective adaptive immune responses can also promote immunopathology, and highlight therapeutic advances against C. albicans-associated disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Swidergall
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, USA
- The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, USA
- David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Salomé LeibundGut-Landmann
- Section of Immunology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
- Institute of Experimental Immunology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
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41
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Ruiz-Castilla FJ, Ruiz Pérez FS, Ramos-Moreno L, Ramos J. Candida albicans Potassium Transporters. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23094884. [PMID: 35563275 PMCID: PMC9105532 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23094884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Potassium is basic for life. All living organisms require high amounts of intracellular potassium, which fulfils multiple functions. To reach efficient potassium homeostasis, eukaryotic cells have developed a complex and tightly regulated system of transporters present both in the plasma membrane and in the membranes of internal organelles that allow correct intracellular potassium content and distribution. We review the information available on the pathogenic yeast Candida albicans. While some of the plasma membrane potassium transporters are relatively well known and experimental data about their nature, function or regulation have been published, in the case of most of the transporters present in intracellular membranes, their existence and even function have just been deduced because of their homology with those present in other yeasts, such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Finally, we analyse the possible links between pathogenicity and potassium homeostasis. We comment on the possibility of using some of these transporters as tentative targets in the search for new antifungal drugs.
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42
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Lemberg C, Martinez de San Vicente K, Fróis-Martins R, Altmeier S, Tran VDT, Mertens S, Amorim-Vaz S, Rai LS, d’Enfert C, Pagni M, Sanglard D, LeibundGut-Landmann S. Candida albicans commensalism in the oral mucosa is favoured by limited virulence and metabolic adaptation. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010012. [PMID: 35404986 PMCID: PMC9041809 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
As part of the human microbiota, the fungus Candida albicans colonizes the oral cavity and other mucosal surfaces of the human body. Commensalism is tightly controlled by complex interactions of the fungus and the host to preclude fungal elimination but also fungal overgrowth and invasion, which can result in disease. As such, defects in antifungal T cell immunity render individuals susceptible to oral thrush due to interrupted immunosurveillance of the oral mucosa. The factors that promote commensalism and ensure persistence of C. albicans in a fully immunocompetent host remain less clear. Using an experimental model of C. albicans oral colonization in mice we explored fungal determinants of commensalism in the oral cavity. Transcript profiling of the oral isolate 101 in the murine tongue tissue revealed a characteristic metabolic profile tailored to the nutrient poor conditions in the stratum corneum of the epithelium where the fungus resides. Metabolic adaptation of isolate 101 was also reflected in enhanced nutrient acquisition when grown on oral mucosa substrates. Persistent colonization of the oral mucosa by C. albicans also correlated inversely with the capacity of the fungus to induce epithelial cell damage and to elicit an inflammatory response. Here we show that these immune evasive properties of isolate 101 are explained by a strong attenuation of a number of virulence genes, including those linked to filamentation. De-repression of the hyphal program by deletion or conditional repression of NRG1 abolished the commensal behaviour of isolate 101, thereby establishing a central role of this factor in the commensal lifestyle of C. albicans in the oral niche of the host. The oral microbiota represents an important part of the human microbiota and includes several hundreds to several thousands of bacterial and fungal species. One of the most prominent fungus colonizing the oral cavity is the yeast Candida albicans. While the presence of C. albicans usually remains unnoticed, the fungus can under certain circumstances cause lesions on the lining of the mouth referred to as oral thrush or contribute to other common oral diseases such as caries. Maintaining C. albicans commensalism in the oral mucosa is therefore of utmost importance for oral health and overall wellbeing. While overt fungal growth and disease is limited by immunosurveillance mechanisms during homeostasis, C. albicans strives to survive and evades elimination from the host. Here, we show that while commensalism in the oral cavity is characterized by a restricted fungal virulence and hyphal program, enforcing filamentation in a commensal isolate is sufficient for driving pathogenicity and fungus-induced inflammation in the oral mucosa thwarting persistent colonization. Our results further support a critical role for specialized nutrient acquisition allowing the fungus to thrive in the nutrient poor environment of the squamous epithelium. Together, this work revealed key determinants of C. albicans commensalism in the oral niche.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Lemberg
- Section of Immunology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
- Institute of Experimental Immunology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Kontxi Martinez de San Vicente
- Section of Immunology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
- Institute of Experimental Immunology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Ricardo Fróis-Martins
- Section of Immunology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
- Institute of Experimental Immunology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Simon Altmeier
- Section of Immunology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
- Institute of Experimental Immunology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Van Du T. Tran
- Vital-IT Group, SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sarah Mertens
- Section of Immunology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
- Institute of Experimental Immunology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Sara Amorim-Vaz
- Institute of Microbiology, University of Lausanne and University Hospital Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Laxmi Shanker Rai
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, INRAE, USC2019, Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, Paris, France
| | - Christophe d’Enfert
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, INRAE, USC2019, Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, Paris, France
| | - Marco Pagni
- Vital-IT Group, SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Dominique Sanglard
- Institute of Microbiology, University of Lausanne and University Hospital Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Salomé LeibundGut-Landmann
- Section of Immunology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
- Institute of Experimental Immunology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
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43
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Genome plasticity in Candida albicans: A cutting-edge strategy for evolution, adaptation, and survival. INFECTION, GENETICS AND EVOLUTION : JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY GENETICS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2022; 99:105256. [PMID: 35231665 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2022.105256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Revised: 09/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Candida albicans is the most implicated fungal species that grows as a commensal or opportunistic pathogen in the human host. It is associated with many life-threatening infections, especially in immunocompromised persons. The genome of Candida albicans is very flexible and can withstand a wide assortment of variations in a continuously changing environment. Thus, genome plasticity is central to its adaptation and has long been of considerable interest. C. albicans has a diploid heterozygous genome that is highly dynamic and can display variation from small to large scale chromosomal rearrangement and aneuploidy, which have implications in drug resistance, virulence, and pathogenicity. This review presents an up-to-date overview of recent genomic studies involving C. albicans. It discusses the accumulating evidence that shows how mitotic recombination events, ploidy dynamics, aneuploidy, and loss of heterozygosity (LOH) influence evolution, adaptation, and survival in C. albicans. Understanding the factors that affect the genome is crucial for a proper understanding of species and rapid development and adjustment of therapeutic strategies to mitigate their spread.
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44
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Li XV, Leonardi I, Putzel GG, Semon A, Fiers WD, Kusakabe T, Lin WY, Gao IH, Doron I, Gutierrez-Guerrero A, DeCelie MB, Carriche GM, Mesko M, Yang C, Naglik JR, Hube B, Scherl EJ, Iliev ID. Immune regulation by fungal strain diversity in inflammatory bowel disease. Nature 2022; 603:672-678. [PMID: 35296857 PMCID: PMC9166917 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04502-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 57.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The fungal microbiota (mycobiota) is an integral part of the complex multikingdom microbial community colonizing the mammalian gastrointestinal tract and has an important role in immune regulation1-6. Although aberrant changes in the mycobiota have been linked to several diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease3-9, it is currently unknown whether fungal species captured by deep sequencing represent living organisms and whether specific fungi have functional consequences for disease development in affected individuals. Here we developed a translational platform for the functional analysis of the mycobiome at the fungal-strain- and patient-specific level. Combining high-resolution mycobiota sequencing, fungal culturomics and genomics, a CRISPR-Cas9-based fungal strain editing system, in vitro functional immunoreactivity assays and in vivo models, this platform enables the examination of host-fungal crosstalk in the human gut. We discovered a rich genetic diversity of opportunistic Candida albicans strains that dominate the colonic mucosa of patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Among these human-gut-derived isolates, strains with high immune-cell-damaging capacity (HD strains) reflect the disease features of individual patients with ulcerative colitis and aggravated intestinal inflammation in vivo through IL-1β-dependent mechanisms. Niche-specific inflammatory immunity and interleukin-17A-producing T helper cell (TH17 cell) antifungal responses by HD strains in the gut were dependent on the C. albicans-secreted peptide toxin candidalysin during the transition from a benign commensal to a pathobiont state. These findings reveal the strain-specific nature of host-fungal interactions in the human gut and highlight new diagnostic and therapeutic targets for diseases of inflammatory origin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin V Li
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology Division, Joan and Sanford I. Weill Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
- The Jill Roberts Institute for Research in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Irina Leonardi
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology Division, Joan and Sanford I. Weill Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
- The Jill Roberts Institute for Research in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gregory G Putzel
- The Jill Roberts Institute for Research in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alexa Semon
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology Division, Joan and Sanford I. Weill Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
- The Jill Roberts Institute for Research in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - William D Fiers
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology Division, Joan and Sanford I. Weill Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
- The Jill Roberts Institute for Research in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Takato Kusakabe
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology Division, Joan and Sanford I. Weill Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
- The Jill Roberts Institute for Research in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Woan-Yu Lin
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology Division, Joan and Sanford I. Weill Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
- The Jill Roberts Institute for Research in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
- Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Iris H Gao
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology Division, Joan and Sanford I. Weill Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
- The Jill Roberts Institute for Research in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
- Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Itai Doron
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology Division, Joan and Sanford I. Weill Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
- The Jill Roberts Institute for Research in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alejandra Gutierrez-Guerrero
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology Division, Joan and Sanford I. Weill Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
- The Jill Roberts Institute for Research in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Meghan B DeCelie
- The Jill Roberts Institute for Research in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Guilhermina M Carriche
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology Division, Joan and Sanford I. Weill Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
- The Jill Roberts Institute for Research in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Marissa Mesko
- The Jill Roberts Institute for Research in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Chen Yang
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Julian R Naglik
- Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Bernhard Hube
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knoell Institute, Jena, Germany
- Institute of Microbiology, FriedrichSchiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Ellen J Scherl
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology Division, Joan and Sanford I. Weill Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
- The Jill Roberts Center for Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Iliyan D Iliev
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology Division, Joan and Sanford I. Weill Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA.
- The Jill Roberts Institute for Research in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA.
- Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA.
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45
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Mozzachiodi S, Bai FY, Baldrian P, Bell G, Boundy-Mills K, Buzzini P, Čadež N, Riffo FC, Dashko S, Dimitrov R, Fisher KJ, Gibson BR, Gouliamova D, Greig D, Heistinger L, Hittinger CT, Jecmenica M, Koufopanou V, Landry CR, Mašínová T, Naumova ES, Opulente D, Peña JJ, Petrovič U, Tsai IJ, Turchetti B, Villarreal P, Yurkov A, Liti G, Boynton P. Yeasts from temperate forests. Yeast 2022; 39:4-24. [PMID: 35146791 DOI: 10.1002/yea.3699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Yeasts are ubiquitous in temperate forests. While this broad habitat is well-defined, the yeasts inhabiting it and their life cycles, niches, and contributions to ecosystem functioning are less understood. Yeasts are present on nearly all sampled substrates in temperate forests worldwide. They associate with soils, macroorganisms, and other habitats, and no doubt contribute to broader ecosystem-wide processes. Researchers have gathered information leading to hypotheses about yeasts' niches and their life cycles based on physiological observations in the laboratory as well as genomic analyses, but the challenge remains to test these hypotheses in the forests themselves. Here we summarize the habitat and global patterns of yeast diversity, give some information on a handful of well-studied temperate forest yeast genera, discuss the various strategies to isolate forest yeasts, and explain temperate forest yeasts' contributions to biotechnology. We close with a summary of the many future directions and outstanding questions facing researchers in temperate forest yeast ecology. Yeasts present an exciting opportunity to better understand the hidden world of microbial ecology in this threatened and global habitat.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Feng-Yan Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Petr Baldrian
- Laboratory of Environmental Microbiology, Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Praha 4, Czech Republic
| | - Graham Bell
- Biology Department and Redpath Museum, McGill University, Québec, Canada
| | - Kyria Boundy-Mills
- Department of Food Science and Technology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Pietro Buzzini
- Department of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences & Industrial Yeasts Collection DBVPG, University of Perugia, Italy
| | - Neža Čadež
- Biotechnical Faculty, Food Science and Technology Department, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Francisco Cubillos Riffo
- Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Facultad de Química y Biología, Departamento de Biología, Santiago, Chile.,Millennium Institute for Integrative Biology (iBio), Santiago, Chile
| | - Sofia Dashko
- DSM Food Specialties, Center for Food Innovation, AX, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Roumen Dimitrov
- Institute of Microbiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Kaitlin J Fisher
- Laboratory of Genetics, Wisconsin Energy Institute, DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, Center for Genomic Science Innovation, J. F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Brian R Gibson
- Technische Universität Berlin, Institute of Food Technology and Food Chemistry, Chair of Brewing and Beverage Technology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Dilnora Gouliamova
- Institute of Microbiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Duncan Greig
- Centre for Life's Origins and Evolution, University College London, London, UK
| | - Lina Heistinger
- ETH Zurich, Department of Biology, Institute of Biochemistry, Switzerland
| | - Chris Todd Hittinger
- Laboratory of Genetics, Wisconsin Energy Institute, DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, Center for Genomic Science Innovation, J. F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | | | | | - Christian R Landry
- Département de Biochimie, de Microbiologie et de Bio-informatique, Faculté des Sciences et de Génie, Université Laval, Canada.,Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes, Université Laval, Canada.,PROTEO, Le regroupement québécois de recherche sur la fonction, l'ingénierie et les applications des protéines, Université Laval, Canada.,Centre de Recherche sur les Données Massives, Université Laval, Canada.,Département de Biologie, Faculté des Sciences et de Génie, Université Laval, Canada
| | - Tereza Mašínová
- Laboratory of Environmental Microbiology, Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Praha 4, Czech Republic
| | - Elena S Naumova
- State Research Institute of Genetics and Selection of Industrial Microorganisms of National Research Centre "Kurchatov Institute", Moscow, Russia
| | - Dana Opulente
- Department of Biology, Villanova University, Villanova, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | - Uroš Petrovič
- Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Biology, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.,Jožef Stefan Institute, Department of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | | | - Benedetta Turchetti
- Department of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences & Industrial Yeasts Collection DBVPG, University of Perugia, Italy
| | - Pablo Villarreal
- Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Facultad de Química y Biología, Departamento de Biología, Santiago, Chile.,Millennium Institute for Integrative Biology (iBio), Santiago, Chile
| | - Andrey Yurkov
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Gianni Liti
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, INSERM, IRCAN, Nice, France
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46
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Mishra A, Forche A, Anderson MZ. Parasexuality of Candida Species. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:796929. [PMID: 34966696 PMCID: PMC8711763 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.796929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
While most fungi have the ability to reproduce sexually, multiple independent lineages have lost meiosis and developed parasexual cycles in its place. Emergence of parasexual cycles is particularly prominent in medically relevant fungi from the CUG paraphyletic group of Candida species. Since the discovery of parasex in C. albicans roughly two decades ago, it has served as the model for Candida species. Importantly, parasex in C. albicans retains hallmarks of meiosis including genetic recombination and chromosome segregation, making it a potential driver of genetic diversity. Furthermore, key meiotic genes play similar roles in C. albicans parasex and highlights parallels between these processes. Yet, the evolutionary role of parasex in Candida adaptation and the extent of resulting genotypic and phenotypic diversity remain as key knowledge gaps in this facultative reproductive program. Here, we present our current understanding of parasex, the mechanisms governing its regulation, and its relevance to Candida biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhishek Mishra
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Anja Forche
- Department of Biology, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME, United States
| | - Matthew Z Anderson
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States.,Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
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47
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McDonough LD, Mishra AA, Tosini N, Kakade P, Penumutchu S, Liang SH, Maufrais C, Zhai B, Taur Y, Belenky P, Bennett RJ, Hohl TM, Koh AY, Ene IV. Candida albicans Isolates 529L and CHN1 Exhibit Stable Colonization of the Murine Gastrointestinal Tract. mBio 2021; 12:e0287821. [PMID: 34724818 PMCID: PMC8561340 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02878-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Candida albicans is a pathobiont that colonizes multiple niches in the body including the gastrointestinal (GI) tract but is also responsible for both mucosal and systemic infections. Despite its prevalence as a human commensal, the murine GI tract is generally refractory to colonization with the C. albicans reference isolate SC5314. Here, we identify two C. albicans isolates, 529L and CHN1, that stably colonize the murine GI tract in three different animal facilities under conditions where SC5314 is lost from this niche. Analysis of the bacterial microbiota did not show notable differences among mice colonized with the three C. albicans strains. We compared the genotypes and phenotypes of these three strains and identified thousands of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and multiple phenotypic differences, including their ability to grow and filament in response to nutritional cues. Despite striking filamentation differences under laboratory conditions, however, analysis of cell morphology in the GI tract revealed that the three isolates exhibited similar filamentation properties in this in vivo niche. Notably, we found that SC5314 is more sensitive to the antimicrobial peptide CRAMP, and the use of CRAMP-deficient mice modestly increased the ability of SC5314 to colonize the GI tract relative to CHN1 and 529L. These studies provide new insights into how strain-specific differences impact C. albicans traits in the host and advance CHN1 and 529L as relevant strains to study C. albicans pathobiology in its natural host niche. IMPORTANCE Understanding how fungi colonize the GI tract is increasingly recognized as highly relevant to human health. The animal models used to study Candida albicans commensalism commonly rely on altering the host microbiome (via antibiotic treatment or defined diets) to establish successful GI colonization by the C. albicans reference isolate SC5314. Here, we characterize two C. albicans isolates that can colonize the murine GI tract without antibiotic treatment and can therefore be used as tools for studying fungal commensalism. Importantly, experiments were replicated in three different animal facilities and utilized three different mouse strains. Differential colonization between fungal isolates was not associated with alterations in the bacterial microbiome but rather with distinct responses to CRAMP, a host antimicrobial peptide. This work emphasizes the importance of C. albicans intraspecies variation as well as host antimicrobial defense mechanisms in defining the outcome of commensal interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liam D. McDonough
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Animesh A. Mishra
- Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Nicholas Tosini
- Infectious Disease Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
- Immunology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Pallavi Kakade
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Swathi Penumutchu
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Shen-Huan Liang
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | | | - Bing Zhai
- Infectious Disease Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
- Immunology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Ying Taur
- Infectious Disease Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA
| | - Peter Belenky
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Richard J. Bennett
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Tobias M. Hohl
- Infectious Disease Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
- Immunology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA
| | - Andrew Y. Koh
- Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
- Harold C. Simmons Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Iuliana V. Ene
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
- Department of Mycology, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
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48
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Chin YW, Shin SC, Han S, Jang HW, Kim HJ. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated Inactivation of arginase in a yeast strain isolated from Nuruk and its impact on the whole genome. J Biotechnol 2021; 341:163-167. [PMID: 34601018 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2021.09.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Despite the advantages of CRISPR/Cas9 technology in the food industry, controversy over its off-target effects exists. We engineered an industrial Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain isolated from a Korean rice wine starter, Nuruk, using CRISPR/Cas9 to decrease ethyl carbamate (EC) formation. We disrupted the CAR1 gene encoding arginase, which plays a key role in EC formation. Subsequently, we compared the whole genome of the engineered strain to that of the wild type by analyzing heterozygous and homozygous mutations through variant calling. Homozygous mutations in the genome of the engineered strains were identified as the target mutations in CAR1 induced by CRISPR/Cas9, and no other off-target effects were observed. Our findings have critical implications for the use of CRISRP/Cas9 technology in yeasts in the food industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Young-Wook Chin
- Research Group of Traditional Food, Research Division of Strategic Food Technology, Korea Food Research Institute, Wanju-gun 55365, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Chul Shin
- Division of Polar Life Sciences, Korea Polar Research Institute, Incheon 21990, Republic of Korea
| | - Suk Han
- Graduate School of International Agricultural Technology, Seoul National University, Pyeongchang 25354, Republic of Korea
| | - Hae Won Jang
- Research Group of Traditional Food, Research Division of Strategic Food Technology, Korea Food Research Institute, Wanju-gun 55365, Republic of Korea; Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, Sungshin Women's University, Seoul 01133, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyo Jin Kim
- Research Group of Traditional Food, Research Division of Strategic Food Technology, Korea Food Research Institute, Wanju-gun 55365, Republic of Korea; Graduate School of International Agricultural Technology, Seoul National University, Pyeongchang 25354, Republic of Korea; Institutes of Green Bio Science and Technology, Seoul National University, Pyeongchang 25354, Republic of Korea.
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49
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Szarvas J, Rebelo AR, Bortolaia V, Leekitcharoenphon P, Schrøder Hansen D, Nielsen HL, Nørskov-Lauritsen N, Kemp M, Røder BL, Frimodt-Møller N, Søndergaard TS, Coia JE, Østergaard C, Westh H, Aarestrup FM. Danish Whole-Genome-Sequenced Candida albicans and Candida glabrata Samples Fit into Globally Prevalent Clades. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:jof7110962. [PMID: 34829249 PMCID: PMC8622182 DOI: 10.3390/jof7110962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Candida albicans and Candida glabrata are opportunistic fungal pathogens with increasing incidence worldwide and higher-than-expected prevalence in Denmark. We whole-genome sequenced yeast isolates collected from Danish Clinical Microbiology Laboratories to obtain an overview of the Candida population in the country. The majority of the 30 C. albicans isolates were found to belong to three globally prevalent clades, and, with one exception, the remaining isolates were also predicted to cluster with samples from other geographical locations. Similarly, most of the eight C. glabrata isolates were predicted to be prevalent subtypes. Antifungal susceptibility testing proved all C. albicans isolates to be susceptible to both azoles and echinocandins. Two C. glabrata isolates presented azole-resistant phenotypes, yet all were susceptible to echinocandins. There is no indication of causality between population structure and resistance phenotypes for either species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judit Szarvas
- Division for Global Surveillance, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark; (A.R.R.); (V.B.); (P.L.); (F.M.A.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Ana Rita Rebelo
- Division for Global Surveillance, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark; (A.R.R.); (V.B.); (P.L.); (F.M.A.)
| | - Valeria Bortolaia
- Division for Global Surveillance, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark; (A.R.R.); (V.B.); (P.L.); (F.M.A.)
| | - Pimlapas Leekitcharoenphon
- Division for Global Surveillance, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark; (A.R.R.); (V.B.); (P.L.); (F.M.A.)
| | | | - Hans Linde Nielsen
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Aalborg University Hospital, 9100 Aalborg, Denmark;
| | | | - Michael Kemp
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Odense University Hospital, 5000 Odense, Denmark;
| | - Bent Løwe Røder
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Slagelse Hospital, 4200 Slagelse, Denmark;
| | | | | | - John Eugenio Coia
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Sydvestjysk Hospital, 6700 Esbjerg, Denmark;
| | - Claus Østergaard
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Vejle Hospital, 7100 Vejle, Denmark;
| | - Henrik Westh
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Hvidovre Hospital, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark;
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Frank Møller Aarestrup
- Division for Global Surveillance, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark; (A.R.R.); (V.B.); (P.L.); (F.M.A.)
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50
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Geng Y, Wu W, Li R, Xu J, Gu R, Lu J, Zheng W, Zhao F, Zhang J, Gong J. Founder Effects Contribute to the Population Genetic Structure of the Major Dermatophytosis Pathogen Trichophyton rubrum on Hainan Island, China. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol 2021; 14:1569-1577. [PMID: 34737596 PMCID: PMC8558103 DOI: 10.2147/ccid.s329569] [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: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Background Founder events have been observed among numerous plants and animal species living on oceanic islands due to the geographic separation of these islands and the small amount of original life they harbor. However, there has been little research on the ecological characteristics of pathogenic microorganisms on islands. Trichophyton rubrum ranks the most common isolated dermatophyte causing dermatophytosis in clinic and has become an epidemic strain worldwide in recent decades. Objective To study the phylogenetic characteristics and the distribution pattern of genetic polymorphism of T. rubrum in China, which further provide theoretical basis for the prevention and control of T. rubrum. Methods In the present study, we sequenced and analyzed the genetic characteristics of 204 T. rubrum isolates from Hainan Island and other sites in China. Phylogenetic analysis and genetic polymorphisms were studied based on a total of 41,409 high-quality whole-genome SNPs. Results The majority of the isolates from Hainan Island clustered together. Mixed T. rubrum population differentiation was observed among the strains of different geographical origins. In addition, the genetic diversity (π) of the Hainan isolates was low and showed no significant difference from that of isolates from other sites. Conclusion This study is the first to discuss general ecological and evolutionary principles related to pathogenic fungi. Our findings reveal a founder effect during the origination of T. rubrum on Hainan Island and provide guidance regarding prevention and treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Geng
- National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Weiwei Wu
- Department of Dermatology, The Fifth People's Hospital of Hainan Province, Haikou, People's Republic of China.,National Clinical Research Center for Skin and Immune Disease, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Rouyu Li
- Department of Dermatology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Molecular Diagnosis on Dermatoses, Beijing, People's Republic of China.,Research Center for Medical Mycology, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Juan Xu
- National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Ruixue Gu
- National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiejie Lu
- Department of Dermatology, The Fifth People's Hospital of Hainan Province, Haikou, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenai Zheng
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Fifth People's Hospital of Hainan Province, Haikou, People's Republic of China
| | - Fei Zhao
- National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianzhong Zhang
- National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Jie Gong
- National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, People's Republic of China
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