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Ma X, Yang W, Yang A, Chen D, Wang C, Ling S, Cao S, Zuo Z, Wang Y, Zhong Z, Peng G, He M, Gu Y. Metabolome and Transcriptome Combinatory Profiling Reveals Fluconazole Resistance Mechanisms of Trichosporon asahii and the Role of Farnesol in Fluconazole Tolerance. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2798. [PMID: 38004810 PMCID: PMC10672884 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11112798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 11/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Trichosporon asahii is a basidiomycete yeast that is pathogenic to humans and animals, and fluconazole-resistant strains have recently increased. Farnesol secreted by fungi is a factor that causes variations in fluconazole resistance; however, few studies have explored the underlying mechanisms. Therefore, this study aims to delineate the fluconazole resistance mechanisms of T. asahii and explore farnesol's effects on these processes. A comparative metabolome-transcriptome analysis of untreated fluconazole-sensitive (YAN), fluconazole-resistant (PB) T. asahii strains, and 25 μM farnesol-treated strains (YAN-25 and PB-25, respectively) was performed. The membrane lipid-related genes and metabolites were upregulated in the PB vs. YAN and PB-25 vs. PB comparisons. Farnesol demonstrated strain-dependent mechanisms underlying fluconazole tolerance between the YAN and PB strains, and upregulated and downregulated efflux pumps in PB-25 and YAN-25 strains, respectively. Membrane lipid-related metabolites were highly correlated with transporter-coding genes. Fluconazole resistance in T. asahii was induced by membrane lipid bio-synthesis activation. Farnesol inhibited fluconazole resistance in the sensitive strain, but enhanced resistance in the resistant strain by upregulating efflux pump genes and membrane lipids. This study offers valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying fungal drug resistance and provides guidance for future research aimed at developing more potent antifungal drugs for clinical use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoping Ma
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; (W.Y.); (A.Y.); (S.C.); (Z.Z.); (Y.W.); (Z.Z.); (G.P.); (M.H.)
| | - Wanling Yang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; (W.Y.); (A.Y.); (S.C.); (Z.Z.); (Y.W.); (Z.Z.); (G.P.); (M.H.)
| | - Aining Yang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; (W.Y.); (A.Y.); (S.C.); (Z.Z.); (Y.W.); (Z.Z.); (G.P.); (M.H.)
| | - Dong Chen
- Sichuan Provincial Center for Animal Disease Prevention and Control, Chengdu 610041, China;
| | - Chengdong Wang
- China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, Chengdu 611800, China; (C.W.); (S.L.)
| | - Shanshan Ling
- China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, Chengdu 611800, China; (C.W.); (S.L.)
| | - Sanjie Cao
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; (W.Y.); (A.Y.); (S.C.); (Z.Z.); (Y.W.); (Z.Z.); (G.P.); (M.H.)
| | - Zhicai Zuo
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; (W.Y.); (A.Y.); (S.C.); (Z.Z.); (Y.W.); (Z.Z.); (G.P.); (M.H.)
| | - Ya Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; (W.Y.); (A.Y.); (S.C.); (Z.Z.); (Y.W.); (Z.Z.); (G.P.); (M.H.)
| | - Zhijun Zhong
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; (W.Y.); (A.Y.); (S.C.); (Z.Z.); (Y.W.); (Z.Z.); (G.P.); (M.H.)
| | - Guangneng Peng
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; (W.Y.); (A.Y.); (S.C.); (Z.Z.); (Y.W.); (Z.Z.); (G.P.); (M.H.)
| | - Ming He
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; (W.Y.); (A.Y.); (S.C.); (Z.Z.); (Y.W.); (Z.Z.); (G.P.); (M.H.)
- China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, Chengdu 611800, China; (C.W.); (S.L.)
| | - Yu Gu
- College of Life Sciences, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
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ERG11 Analysis among Clinical Isolates of Trichosporon asahii with Different Azole Susceptibility Profiles. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2022; 66:e0110122. [PMID: 36374073 PMCID: PMC9765002 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01101-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
We analyzed a cohort of Trichosporon asahii strains with different MICs of fluconazole and voriconazole and evaluated the presence of ERG11 mutations. ERG11 mutation conferring an amino acid change was found and its resistance potential was evaluated by cloning into Saccharomyces cerevisiae susceptible host strain. Transformants were not resistant to either fluconazole nor voriconazole. Our results suggest that ERG11 variants exist among T. asahii isolates, but are not responsible for resistance phenotypes.
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Idnurm A, Xu M. Identification of the ergC gene involved in polyene drug sensitivity in the Mucorales species Phycomyces blakesleeanus. Mol Biol Rep 2021; 49:981-987. [PMID: 34741705 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-021-06917-6] [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: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/30/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A strain of Phycomyces blakesleeanus (Mucorales, Mucoromycota) that was previously isolated after ultraviolet mutagenesis has altered responses to polyene antifungal drugs, sterol profiles, and phototropism of its sporangia. In this study, the genetic basis for these changes was sought. METHODS AND RESULTS Two base pair substitutions were identified in the mutant within a P. blakelesleeanus gene that is homologous to others characterized from fungi, such as the Saccharomyces cerevisiae ERG3 gene, encoding sterol Δ5,6-desaturase. The polyene resistance and growth reduction phenotypes co-segregated with mutations in the gene in genetic crosses. The P. blakelesleeanus wild type ergC gene complemented a S. cerevisiae deletion strain of ERG3. CONCLUSIONS This gene discovery may contribute towards better antifungal use in treating mucormycoses diseases caused by related species in the order Mucorales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Idnurm
- School of BioSciences, the University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia.
| | - Melvin Xu
- School of BioSciences, the University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
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Proteomic analysis of serial isolates of Trichosporon asahii identifies host-specific adaptations using the TMT/MRM approach. J Proteomics 2021; 245:104309. [PMID: 34153541 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2021.104309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Revised: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The opportunistic fungal pathogen Trichosporon asahii (T. asahii) is an important causal agent of mortality in immunocompromised patients and associated with frequent relapses, even with sufficient antifungal treatment. Investigating the proteomes of initial and recurrent isolates may help to identify within-host adaptive changes. In this study, using tandem mass tag (TMT)-labeling combined with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) technology, we analyzed the proteomes of two T. asahii strains that were isolated 15 years apart from the same patient who suffered initial and recurrent episodes of systemic disseminated trichosporonosis. A total of 597 differentially expressed proteins were identified. Functional analysis showed that the increased proteins were primarily concentrated on peptide/protein/energy/drug metabolism and translation. Most of the results were determined to be consistent with the findings of phenotypic assays, such as tests for drug susceptibility, temperature growth, biofilm formation, melanization and paromomycin assays. Moreover, we performed multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mass spectrometry to verify 27 candidate proteins, and the results of this experiment were also highly consistent with the results of the TMT analysis. Therefore, to the best of our knowledge, these data provide the first molecular evidence of how the T. asahii proteome changes related to host-specific adaptation during human infection. SIGNIFICANCE: Systemic infection with Trichosporon asahii (T. asahii) has recently been recognized as an important causal agent of mortality in immunocompromised patients. Although triazole treatment usually works efficiently in the early phase of infection, many patients relapse. Hence, comparative analyses of the proteomics of initial and recurrent isolates may reveal evidence of adaptive changes within the host. Our study demonstrates that the recurrent strain has undergone proteomic changes using tandem mass tag (TMT)-labeling combined with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Moreover, the results of phenotypic assays, including drug susceptibility, temperature growth, biofilm formation, melanization and paromomycin assays, were highly consistent with the proteomic changes, and multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) verification also showed similar trends to the TMT results. In summary, our study is the first to investigate the adaptation of T. asahii under pressure from antifungal chemotherapy and host immune responses.
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Arastehfar A, de Almeida Júnior JN, Perlin DS, Ilkit M, Boekhout T, Colombo AL. Multidrug-resistant Trichosporon species: underestimated fungal pathogens posing imminent threats in clinical settings. Crit Rev Microbiol 2021; 47:679-698. [PMID: 34115962 DOI: 10.1080/1040841x.2021.1921695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Species of Trichosporon and related genera are widely used in biotechnology and, hence, many species have their genome sequenced. Importantly, yeasts of the genus Trichosporon have been increasingly identified as a cause of life-threatening invasive trichosporonosis (IT) in humans and are associated with an exceptionally high mortality rate. Trichosporon spp. are intrinsically resistant to frontline antifungal agents, which accounts for numerous reports of therapeutic failure when echinocandins are used to treat IT. Moreover, these fungi have low sensitivity to polyenes and azoles and, therefore, are potentially regarded as multidrug-resistant pathogens. However, despite the clinical importance of Trichosporon spp., our understanding of their antifungal resistance mechanisms is quite limited. Furthermore, antifungal susceptibility testing is not standardized, and there is a lack of interpretive epidemiological cut-off values for minimal inhibitory concentrations to distinguish non-wild type Trichosporon isolates. The route of infection remains obscure and detailed clinical and environmental studies are required to determine whether the Trichosporon infections are endogenous or exogenous in nature. Although our knowledge on effective IT treatments is rather limited and future randomized clinical trials are required to identify the best antifungal agent, the current paradigm advocates the use of voriconazole, removal of central venous catheters and recovery from neutropenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Arastehfar
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, NJ, USA
| | - João N de Almeida Júnior
- Laboratorio de Micologia Medica (LIM 53), Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Laboratório Central (LIM 03), Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - David S Perlin
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, NJ, USA
| | - Macit Ilkit
- Division of Mycology, University of Çukurova, Adana, Turkey
| | - Teun Boekhout
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Arnaldo Lopes Colombo
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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