1
|
Daneshnia F, Floyd DJ, Ryan AP, Ghahfarokhy PM, Ebadati A, Jusuf S, Munoz J, Jeffries NE, Elizabeth Yvanovich E, Apostolopoulou A, Perry AM, Lass-Flörl C, Birinci A, Hilmioğlu-Polat S, Ilkit M, Butler G, Nobile CJ, Arastehfar A, Mansour MK. Evaluation of outbreak persistence caused by multidrug-resistant and echinocandin-resistant Candida parapsilosis using multidimensional experimental and epidemiological approaches. Emerg Microbes Infect 2024; 13:2322655. [PMID: 38380673 PMCID: PMC10916928 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2024.2322655] [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: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
Candida parapsilosis is known to cause severe and persistent outbreaks in clinical settings. Patients infected with multidrug-resistant C. parapsilosis (MDR Cp) isolates were identified in a large Turkish hospital from 2017-2020. We subsequently identified three additional patients infected with MDR Cp isolates in 2022 from the same hospital and two echinocandin-resistant (ECR) isolates from a single patient in another hospital. The increasing number of MDR and ECR isolates contradicts the general principle that the severe fitness cost associated with these phenotypes could prevent their dominance in clinical settings. Here, we employed a multidimensional approach to systematically assess the fitness costs of MDR and ECR C. parapsilosis isolates. Whole-genome sequencing revealed a novel MDR genotype infecting two patients in 2022. Despite severe in vitro defects, the levels and tolerances of the biofilms of our ECR and MDR isolates were generally comparable to those of susceptible wild-type isolates. Surprisingly, the MDR and ECR isolates showed major alterations in their cell wall components, and some of the MDR isolates consistently displayed increased tolerance to the fungicidal activities of primary human neutrophils and were more immunoevasive during exposure to primary human macrophages. Our systemic infection mouse model showed that MDR and ECR C. parapsilosis isolates had comparable fungal burden in most organs relative to susceptible isolates. Overall, we observed a notable increase in the genotypic diversity and frequency of MDR isolates and identified MDR and ECR isolates potentially capable of causing persistent outbreaks in the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Farnaz Daneshnia
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Daniel J. Floyd
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Adam P. Ryan
- School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Pegah Mosharaf Ghahfarokhy
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, School of Natural Sciences, University of California – Merced, Merced, CA, USA
- Health Sciences Research Institute, University of California – Merced, Merced, CA, USA
| | - Arefeh Ebadati
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, School of Natural Sciences, University of California – Merced, Merced, CA, USA
| | - Sebastian Jusuf
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Julieta Munoz
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, School of Natural Sciences, University of California – Merced, Merced, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Anna Apostolopoulou
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Austin M. Perry
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, School of Natural Sciences, University of California – Merced, Merced, CA, USA
| | - Cornelia Lass-Flörl
- Medical University Innsbruck, Institute of Hygiene and Medical Microbiology, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Asuman Birinci
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ondokuz Mayıs University, Samsun, Türkiye
| | | | - Macit Ilkit
- Division of Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, Çukurova University, Adana, Türkiye
| | - Geraldine Butler
- School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Clarissa J. Nobile
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, School of Natural Sciences, University of California – Merced, Merced, CA, USA
- Health Sciences Research Institute, University of California – Merced, Merced, CA, USA
| | - Amir Arastehfar
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michael K. Mansour
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Bergin S, Doorley LA, Rybak JM, Wolfe KH, Butler G, Cuomo CA, Rogers PD. Analysis of clinical Candida parapsilosis isolates reveals copy number variation in key fluconazole resistance genes. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2024:e0161923. [PMID: 38712935 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01619-23] [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: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
We used whole-genome sequencing to analyze a collection of 35 fluconazole-resistant and 7 susceptible Candida parapsilosis isolates together with coverage analysis and GWAS techniques to identify new mechanisms of fluconazole resistance. Phylogenetic analysis shows that although the collection is diverse, two persistent clinical lineages were identified. We identified copy number variation (CNV) of two genes, ERG11 and CDR1B, in resistant isolates. Two strains have a CNV at the ERG11 locus; the entire ORF is amplified in one, and only the promoter region is amplified in the other. We show that the annotated telomeric gene CDR1B is actually an artifactual in silico fusion of two highly similar neighboring CDR genes due to an assembly error in the C. parapsilosis CDC317 reference genome. We report highly variable copy numbers of the CDR1B region across the collection. Several strains have increased the expansion of the two genes into a tandem array of new chimeric genes. Other strains have experienced a deletion between the two genes creating a single gene with a reciprocal chimerism. We find translocations, duplications, and gene conversion across the CDR gene family in the C. parapsilosis species complex, showing that it is a highly dynamic family.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sean Bergin
- School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Laura A Doorley
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Jeffrey M Rybak
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - 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
| | - Christina A Cuomo
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Molecular Microbiology and Immunology Department, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - P David Rogers
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Narayanan A, Reza MH, Sanyal K. Behind the scenes: Centromere-driven genomic innovations in fungal pathogens. PLoS Pathog 2024; 20:e1012080. [PMID: 38547101 PMCID: PMC10977804 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1012080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/02/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Aswathy Narayanan
- Molecular Mycology Laboratory, Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru, India
| | - Md. Hashim Reza
- Molecular Mycology Laboratory, Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru, India
| | - Kaustuv Sanyal
- Molecular Mycology Laboratory, Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru, India
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Bergin S, Doorley LA, Rybak JM, Wolfe KH, Butler G, Cuomo CA, Rogers PD. Analysis of clinical Candida parapsilosis isolates reveals copy number variation in key fluconazole resistance genes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.13.571446. [PMID: 38168157 PMCID: PMC10760152 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.13.571446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
We used whole-genome sequencing to analyse a collection of 35 fluconazole resistant and 7 susceptible Candida parapsilosis isolates together with coverage analysis and GWAS techniques to identify new mechanisms of fluconazole resistance. Phylogenetic analysis shows that although the collection is diverse, two probable outbreak groups were identified. We identified copy number variation of two genes, ERG11 and CDR1B, in resistant isolates. Two strains have a CNV at the ERG11 locus; the entire ORF is amplified in one, and only the promoter region is amplified in the other. We show the annotated telomeric gene CDR1B is actually an artefactual in silico fusion of two highly similar neighbouring CDR genes due to an assembly error in the C. parapsilosis CDC317 reference genome. We report highly variable copy numbers of the CDR1B region across the collection. Several strains have increased expansion of the two genes into a tandem array of new chimeric genes. Other strains have experienced a deletion between the two genes creating a single gene with a reciprocal chimerism. We find translocations, duplications, and gene conversion across the CDR gene family in the C. parapsilosis species complex, showing that it is a highly dynamic family.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sean Bergin
- School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Laura A Doorley
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Jeffrey M Rybak
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - 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
| | - Christina A Cuomo
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Molecular Microbiology and Immunology Department, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - P David Rogers
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Ma H, Ding W, Chen Y, Zhou J, Chen W, Lan C, Mao H, Li Q, Yan W, Su H. Centromere Plasticity With Evolutionary Conservation and Divergence Uncovered by Wheat 10+ Genomes. Mol Biol Evol 2023; 40:msad176. [PMID: 37541261 PMCID: PMC10422864 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msad176] [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: 04/09/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Centromeres (CEN) are the chromosomal regions that play a crucial role in maintaining genomic stability. The underlying highly repetitive DNA sequences can evolve quickly in most eukaryotes, and promote karyotype evolution. Despite their variability, it is not fully understood how these widely variable sequences ensure the homeostasis of centromere function. In this study, we investigated the genetics and epigenetics of CEN in a population of wheat lines from global breeding programs. We captured a high degree of sequences, positioning, and epigenetic variations in the large and complex wheat CEN. We found that most CENH3-associated repeats are Cereba element of retrotransposons and exhibit phylogenetic homogenization across different wheat lines, but the less-associated repeat sequences diverge on their own way in each wheat line, implying specific mechanisms for selecting certain repeat types as functional core CEN. Furthermore, we observed that CENH3 nucleosome structures display looser wrapping of DNA termini on complex centromeric repeats, including the repositioned CEN. We also found that strict CENH3 nucleosome positioning and intrinsic DNA features play a role in determining centromere identity among different lines. Specific non-B form DNAs were substantially associated with CENH3 nucleosomes for the repositioned centromeres. These findings suggest that multiple mechanisms were involved in the adaptation of CENH3 nucleosomes that can stabilize CEN. Ultimately, we proposed a remarkable epigenetic plasticity of centromere chromatin within the diverse genomic context, and the high robustness is crucial for maintaining centromere function and genome stability in wheat 10+ lines as a result of past breeding selections.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Huan Ma
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Wentao Ding
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yiqian Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jingwei Zhou
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Wei Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Caixia Lan
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Hailiang Mao
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Qiang Li
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Wenhao Yan
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Handong Su
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Mierke F, Brink DP, Norbeck J, Siewers V, Andlid T. Functional genome annotation and transcriptome analysis of Pseudozyma hubeiensis BOT-O, an oleaginous yeast that utilizes glucose and xylose at equal rates. Fungal Genet Biol 2023; 166:103783. [PMID: 36870442 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2023.103783] [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: 05/06/2022] [Revised: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
Pseudozyma hubeiensis is a basidiomycete yeast that has the highly desirable traits for lignocellulose valorisation of being equally efficient at utilization of glucose and xylose, and capable of their co-utilization. The species has previously mainly been studied for its capacity to produce secreted biosurfactants in the form of mannosylerythritol lipids, but it is also an oleaginous species capable of accumulating high levels of triacylglycerol storage lipids during nutrient starvation. In this study, we aimed to further characterize the oleaginous nature of P. hubeiensis by evaluating metabolism and gene expression responses during storage lipid formation conditions with glucose or xylose as a carbon source. The genome of the recently isolated P. hubeiensis BOT-O strain was sequenced using MinION long-read sequencing and resulted in the most contiguous P. hubeiensis assembly to date with 18.95 Mb in 31 contigs. Using transcriptome data as experimental support, we generated the first mRNA-supported P. hubeiensis genome annotation and identified 6540 genes. 80% of the predicted genes were assigned functional annotations based on protein homology to other yeasts. Based on the annotation, key metabolic pathways in BOT-O were reconstructed, including pathways for storage lipids, mannosylerythritol lipids and xylose assimilation. BOT-O was confirmed to consume glucose and xylose at equal rates, but during mixed glucose-xylose cultivation glucose was found to be taken up faster. Differential expression analysis revealed that only a total of 122 genes were significantly differentially expressed at a cut-off of |log2 fold change| ≥ 2 when comparing cultivation on xylose with glucose, during exponential growth and during nitrogen-starvation. Of these 122 genes, a core-set of 24 genes was identified that were differentially expressed at all time points. Nitrogen-starvation resulted in a larger transcriptional effect, with a total of 1179 genes with significant expression changes at the designated fold change cut-off compared with exponential growth on either glucose or xylose.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Friederike Mierke
- Food and Nutrition Science, Department of Life Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden; Systems and Synthetic Biology, Department of Life Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Daniel P Brink
- Systems and Synthetic Biology, Department of Life Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden; Applied Microbiology, Department of Chemistry, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Joakim Norbeck
- Systems and Synthetic Biology, Department of Life Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Verena Siewers
- Systems and Synthetic Biology, Department of Life Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - Thomas Andlid
- Food and Nutrition Science, Department of Life Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Tlais AZA, Rantsiou K, Filannino P, Cocolin LS, Cavoski I, Gobbetti M, Di Cagno R. Ecological linkages between biotechnologically relevant autochthonous microorganisms and phenolic compounds in sugar apple fruit (Annona squamosa L.). Int J Food Microbiol 2023; 387:110057. [PMID: 36563533 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2022.110057] [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: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Our study investigated the potential of Annona squamosa (L.) fruit as a reservoir of yeasts and lactic acid bacteria having biotechnological implications, and phenolics capable of modifying the ecology of microbial consortia. Only a single species of lactic acid bacteria (Enterococcus faecalis) was identified, while Annona fruit seemed to be a preferred niche for yeasts (Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Hanseniaspora uvarum), which were differentially distributed in the fruit. In order to identify ecological implications for inherent phenolics, the antimicrobial potential of water- and methanol/water-soluble extracts from peel and pulp was studied. Pulp extracts did not show any antimicrobial activity against the microbial indicators, while some Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus saprophyticus, Listeria monocytogenes, Bacillus megaterium) were susceptible to peel extracts. Among lactic acid bacteria used as indicators, only Lactococcus lactis and Weissella cibaria were inhibited. The chemical profiling of methanol/water-soluble phenolics from Annona peel reported a full panel of 41 phenolics, mainly procyanidins and catechin derivatives. The antimicrobial activity was associated to specific compounds (procyanidin dimer type B [isomer 1], rutin [isomer 2], catechin diglucopyranoside), in addition to unidentified catechin derivatives. E. faecalis, which was detected in the epiphytic microbiota, was well adapted to the phenolics from the peel. Peel phenolics had a growth-promoting effect toward the autochthonous yeasts S. cerevisiae and H. uvarum.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Kalliopi Rantsiou
- Department of Agricultural, Forest, and Food Science, University of Turin, Grugliasco, Torino, Italy
| | - Pasquale Filannino
- Department of Soil, Plant and Food Science, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70126 Bari, Italy.
| | - Luca Simone Cocolin
- Department of Agricultural, Forest, and Food Science, University of Turin, Grugliasco, Torino, Italy
| | - Ivana Cavoski
- CIHEAM-MAIB, Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari, 70010 Valenzano, Bari, Italy
| | - Marco Gobbetti
- Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Libera Università di Bolzano, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
| | - Raffaella Di Cagno
- Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Libera Università di Bolzano, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Genetic Diversity of Human Fungal Pathogens. CURRENT CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s40588-023-00188-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/15/2023]
|
9
|
CRISPR-Cas9 Editing Induces Loss of Heterozygosity in the Pathogenic Yeast Candida parapsilosis. mSphere 2022; 7:e0039322. [PMID: 36416551 PMCID: PMC9769790 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00393-22] [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] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic manipulation is often used to study gene function. However, unplanned genome changes (including single nucleotide polymorphisms [SNPs], aneuploidy, and loss of heterozygosity [LOH]) can affect the phenotypic traits of the engineered strains. Here, we compared the effect of classical deletion methods (replacing target alleles with selectable markers by homologous recombination) with CRISPR-Cas9 editing in the diploid human-pathogenic yeast Candida parapsilosis. We sequenced the genomes of 9 isolates that were modified using classic recombination methods and 12 that were edited using CRISPR-Cas9. As a control, the genomes of eight isolates that were transformed with a Cas9-expressing plasmid in the absence of a guide RNA were also sequenced. Following gene manipulation using classic homologous recombination, only one strain exhibited extensive LOH near the targeted gene (8.9 kb), whereas another contained multiple LOH events not associated with the intended modification. In contrast, large regions of LOH (up to >1,100 kb) were observed in most CRISPR-Cas9-edited strains. LOH most commonly occurred adjacent to the Cas9 cut site and extended to the telomere in four isolates. In two isolates, we observed LOH on chromosomes that were not targeted by CRISPR-Cas9. Among the CRISPR-edited isolates, two exhibited cysteine and methionine auxotrophy caused by LOH at a heterozygous site in MET10, approximately 11 and 157 kb downstream from the Cas9 target site, respectively. C. parapsilosis isolates have relatively low levels of heterozygosity. However, our results show that mutation complementation to confirm observed phenotypes is required when using CRISPR-Cas9. IMPORTANCE CRISPR-Cas9 has greatly streamlined gene editing and is now the gold standard and first choice for genetic engineering. However, we show that in diploid species, extra care should be taken in confirming the cause of any phenotypic changes observed. We show that the Cas9-induced double-strand break is often associated with loss of heterozygosity in the asexual diploid human fungal pathogen Candida parapsilosis. This can result in deleterious heterozygous variants (e.g., stop gain in one allele) becoming homozygous, resulting in unplanned phenotypic changes. Our results stress the importance of mutation complementation even when using CRISPR-Cas9.
Collapse
|
10
|
O’Brien CE, Zhai B, Ola M, Bergin SA, Ó Cinnéide E, O’Connor Í, Rolling T, Miranda E, Babady NE, Hohl TM, Butler G. Identification of a novel Candida metapsilosis isolate reveals multiple hybridization events. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2022; 12:jkab367. [PMID: 34791169 PMCID: PMC8727981 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkab367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Candida metapsilosis is a member of the Candida parapsilosis species complex, a group of opportunistic human pathogens. Of all the members of this complex, C. metapsilosis is the least virulent, and accounts for a small proportion of invasive Candida infections. Previous studies established that all C. metapsilosis isolates are hybrids, originating from a single hybridization event between two lineages, parent A and parent B. Here, we use MinION and Illumina sequencing to characterize a C. metapsilosis isolate that originated from a separate hybridization. One of the parents of the new isolate is very closely related to parent A. However, the other parent (parent C) is not the same as parent B. Unlike C. metapsilosis AB isolates, the C. metapsilosis AC isolate has not undergone introgression at the mating type-like locus. In addition, the A and C haplotypes are not fully collinear. The C. metapsilosis AC isolate has undergone loss of heterozygosity with a preference for haplotype A, indicating that this isolate is in the early stages of genome stabilization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Caoimhe E O’Brien
- School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Bing Zhai
- Infectious Disease Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Immunology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Mihaela Ola
- School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Sean A Bergin
- School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Eoin Ó Cinnéide
- School of Medicine, Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Ísla O’Connor
- School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Thierry Rolling
- Infectious Disease Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Immunology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Edwin Miranda
- Infectious Disease Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Immunology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - N Esther Babady
- Infectious Disease Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Immunology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Tobias M Hohl
- Infectious Disease Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Immunology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10007, USA
| | - Geraldine Butler
- School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas9 technology radically changed the approach to genetic manipulation of both medically and industrially relevant Candida species, as attested by the ever-increasing number of applications to the study of pathogenesis, drug resistance, gene expression, and host pathogen interaction and drug discovery. Here, we describe the use of plasmid-based systems for high efficiency CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing into any strain of four non-albicans Candida species, namely, Candida parapsilosis, Candida orthopsilosis, Candida metapsilosis, and Candida tropicalis. The plasmids pCP-tRNA and pCT-tRNA contain all the elements necessary for expressing the CRISPR-Cas9 machinery, and they can be used in combination with a repair template for disrupting gene function by insertion of a premature stop codon or by gene deletion. The plasmids are easily lost in the absence of selection, allowing scarless gene editing and minimizing detrimental effects of prolonged Cas9 expression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Lombardi
- School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
| | - Geraldine Butler
- School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Schultz JC, Cao M, Mejia A, Zhao H. CUT&RUN Identifies Centromeric DNA Regions of Rhodotorula toruloides IFO0880. FEMS Yeast Res 2021; 21:6460484. [PMID: 34902017 DOI: 10.1093/femsyr/foab066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Rhodotorula toruloides has been increasingly explored as a host for bioproduction of lipids, fatty acid derivatives, and terpenoids. Various genetic tools have been developed, but neither a centromere nor an autonomously replicating sequence (ARS), both necessary elements for stable episomal plasmid maintenance, have yet been reported. In this study, Cleavage Under Targets and Release Using Nuclease (CUT&RUN), a method used for genome-wide mapping DNA-protein interactions, was used to identify R. toruloides IFO0880 genomic regions associated with the centromeric histone H3 protein Cse4, a marker of centromeric DNA. Fifteen putative centromeres ranging from 8 to 19 kb in length were identified and analyzed, and four were tested for, but did not show, ARS activity. These centromeric sequences contained below average GC content, corresponded to transcriptional cold-spots, were primarily nonrepetitive, and shared some vestigial transposon-related sequences but otherwise did not show significant sequence conservation. Future efforts to identify an ARS in this yeast can utilize these centromeric DNA sequences to improve the stability of episomal plasmids derived from putative ARS elements.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J Carl Schultz
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, U.S. Department of Energy Center for Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI), Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, United States
| | - Mingfeng Cao
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, U.S. Department of Energy Center for Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI), Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, United States
| | - Andrea Mejia
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, U.S. Department of Energy Center for Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI), Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, United States
| | - Huimin Zhao
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, U.S. Department of Energy Center for Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI), Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, United States.,Departments of Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, United States
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Stable Positions of Epigenetically Inherited Centromeres in the Emerging Fungal Pathogen Candida auris and Its Relatives. mBio 2021; 12:e0103621. [PMID: 34225489 PMCID: PMC8406142 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01036-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Candida auris is an emerging fungal pathogen that is thermotolerant and often resistant to standard antifungal treatments. To trace its evolutionary history, the Sanyal lab conducted a comparative genomic study focusing on the positions of centromeres in C. auris and eight other species from the Clavispora/Candida clade of yeasts (A. Narayanan et al., mBio 12:e00905-12, 2021). These researchers discovered that these species possess small regional centromeres that are highly stable, having remained in the same syntenic positions for over 100 million years. This stability is remarkable, given the lack of a conserved sequence underlying the centromeres and the relative ease with which other yeasts form neocentromeres. Thus, this work provides an opportunity to investigate the molecular mechanism of centromere inheritance in a genetically tractable and medically important yeast.
Collapse
|
14
|
Torres DE, Thomma BPHJ, Seidl MF. Transposable Elements Contribute to Genome Dynamics and Gene Expression Variation in the Fungal Plant Pathogen Verticillium dahliae. Genome Biol Evol 2021; 13:evab135. [PMID: 34100895 PMCID: PMC8290119 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evab135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are a major source of genetic and regulatory variation in their host genome and are consequently thought to play important roles in evolution. Many fungal and oomycete plant pathogens have evolved dynamic and TE-rich genomic regions containing genes that are implicated in host colonization and adaptation. TEs embedded in these regions have typically been thought to accelerate the evolution of these genomic compartments, but little is known about their dynamics in strains that harbor them. Here, we used whole-genome sequencing data of 42 strains of the fungal plant pathogen Verticillium dahliae to systematically identify polymorphic TEs that may be implicated in genomic as well as in gene expression variation. We identified 2,523 TE polymorphisms and characterize a subset of 8% of the TEs as polymorphic elements that are evolutionary younger, less methylated, and more highly expressed when compared with the remaining 92% of the total TE complement. As expected, the polyrmorphic TEs are enriched in the adaptive genomic regions. Besides, we observed an association of polymorphic TEs with pathogenicity-related genes that localize nearby and that display high expression levels. Collectively, our analyses demonstrate that TE dynamics in V. dahliae contributes to genomic variation, correlates with expression of pathogenicity-related genes, and potentially impacts the evolution of adaptive genomic regions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David E Torres
- Theoretical Biology and Bioinformatics Group, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
- Laboratory of Phytopathology, Wageningen University and Research, The Netherlands
| | - Bart P H J Thomma
- Laboratory of Phytopathology, Wageningen University and Research, The Netherlands
- Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Cologne, Germany
| | - Michael F Seidl
- Theoretical Biology and Bioinformatics Group, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Narayanan A, Vadnala RN, Ganguly P, Selvakumar P, Rudramurthy SM, Prasad R, Chakrabarti A, Siddharthan R, Sanyal K. Functional and Comparative Analysis of Centromeres Reveals Clade-Specific Genome Rearrangements in Candida auris and a Chromosome Number Change in Related Species. mBio 2021; 12:e00905-21. [PMID: 33975937 PMCID: PMC8262905 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00905-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The thermotolerant multidrug-resistant ascomycete Candida auris rapidly emerged since 2009 causing systemic infections worldwide and simultaneously evolved in different geographical zones. The molecular events that orchestrated this sudden emergence of the killer fungus remain mostly elusive. Here, we identify centromeres in C. auris and related species, using a combined approach of chromatin immunoprecipitation and comparative genomic analyses. We find that C. auris and multiple other species in the Clavispora/Candida clade shared a conserved small regional GC-poor centromere landscape lacking pericentromeres or repeats. Further, a centromere inactivation event led to karyotypic alterations in this species complex. Interspecies genome analysis identified several structural chromosomal changes around centromeres. In addition, centromeres are found to be rapidly evolving loci among the different geographical clades of the same species of C. auris Finally, we reveal an evolutionary trajectory of the unique karyotype associated with clade 2 that consists of the drug-susceptible isolates of C. aurisIMPORTANCECandida auris, the killer fungus, emerged as different geographical clades, exhibiting multidrug resistance and high karyotype plasticity. Chromosomal rearrangements are known to play key roles in the emergence of new species, virulence, and drug resistance in pathogenic fungi. Centromeres, the genomic loci where microtubules attach to separate the sister chromatids during cell division, are known to be hot spots of breaks and downstream rearrangements. We identified the centromeres in C. auris and related species to study their involvement in the evolution and karyotype diversity reported in C. auris We report conserved centromere features in 10 related species and trace the events that occurred at the centromeres during evolution. We reveal a centromere inactivation-mediated chromosome number change in these closely related species. We also observe that one of the geographical clades, the East Asian clade, evolved along a unique trajectory, compared to the other clades and related species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aswathy Narayanan
- Molecular Mycology Laboratory, Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, India
| | - Rakesh Netha Vadnala
- Computational Biology, The Institute of Mathematical Sciences/HBNI, Chennai, India
| | - Promit Ganguly
- Molecular Mycology Laboratory, Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, India
| | - Pavitra Selvakumar
- Computational Biology, The Institute of Mathematical Sciences/HBNI, Chennai, India
| | - Shivaprakash M Rudramurthy
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Rajendra Prasad
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Haryana, Haryana, India
| | - Arunaloke Chakrabarti
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Rahul Siddharthan
- Computational Biology, The Institute of Mathematical Sciences/HBNI, Chennai, India
| | - Kaustuv Sanyal
- Molecular Mycology Laboratory, Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, India
- Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Seidl MF, Kramer HM, Cook DE, Fiorin GL, van den Berg GCM, Faino L, Thomma BPHJ. Repetitive Elements Contribute to the Diversity and Evolution of Centromeres in the Fungal Genus Verticillium. mBio 2020; 11:e01714-20. [PMID: 32900804 PMCID: PMC7482064 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01714-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Centromeres are chromosomal regions that are crucial for chromosome segregation during mitosis and meiosis, and failed centromere formation can contribute to chromosomal anomalies. Despite this conserved function, centromeres differ significantly between and even within species. Thus far, systematic studies into the organization and evolution of fungal centromeres remain scarce. In this study, we identified the centromeres in each of the 10 species of the fungal genus Verticillium and characterized their organization and evolution. Chromatin immunoprecipitation of the centromere-specific histone CenH3 (ChIP-seq) and chromatin conformation capture (Hi-C) followed by high-throughput sequencing identified eight conserved, large (∼150-kb), AT-, and repeat-rich regional centromeres that are embedded in heterochromatin in the plant pathogen Verticillium dahliae Using Hi-C, we similarly identified repeat-rich centromeres in the other Verticillium species. Strikingly, a single degenerated long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposon is strongly associated with centromeric regions in some but not all Verticillium species. Extensive chromosomal rearrangements occurred during Verticillium evolution, of which some could be linked to centromeres, suggesting that centromeres contributed to chromosomal evolution. The size and organization of centromeres differ considerably between species, and centromere size was found to correlate with the genome-wide repeat content. Overall, our study highlights the contribution of repetitive elements to the diversity and rapid evolution of centromeres within the fungal genus VerticilliumIMPORTANCE The genus Verticillium contains 10 species of plant-associated fungi, some of which are notorious pathogens. Verticillium species evolved by frequent chromosomal rearrangements that contribute to genome plasticity. Centromeres are instrumental for separation of chromosomes during mitosis and meiosis, and failed centromere functionality can lead to chromosomal anomalies. Here, we used a combination of experimental techniques to identify and characterize centromeres in each of the Verticillium species. Intriguingly, we could strongly associate a single repetitive element to the centromeres of some of the Verticillium species. The presence of this element in the centromeres coincides with increased centromere sizes and genome-wide repeat expansions. Collectively, our findings signify a role of repetitive elements in the function, organization, and rapid evolution of centromeres in a set of closely related fungal species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael F Seidl
- Theoretical Biology & Bioinformatics, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Laboratory of Phytopathology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - H Martin Kramer
- Laboratory of Phytopathology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - David E Cook
- Laboratory of Phytopathology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands
- Plant Pathology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
| | - Gabriel L Fiorin
- Laboratory of Phytopathology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | | | - Luigi Faino
- Laboratory of Phytopathology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands
- Environmental Biology Department, Sapienza Università di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | - Bart P H J Thomma
- Laboratory of Phytopathology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands
- University of Cologne, Institute for Plant Sciences, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), Cologne, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Guin K, Chen Y, Mishra R, Muzaki SRBM, Thimmappa BC, O'Brien CE, Butler G, Sanyal A, Sanyal K. Spatial inter-centromeric interactions facilitated the emergence of evolutionary new centromeres. eLife 2020; 9:e58556. [PMID: 32469306 PMCID: PMC7292649 DOI: 10.7554/elife.58556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Centromeres of Candida albicans form on unique and different DNA sequences but a closely related species, Candida tropicalis, possesses homogenized inverted repeat (HIR)-associated centromeres. To investigate the mechanism of centromere type transition, we improved the fragmented genome assembly and constructed a chromosome-level genome assembly of C. tropicalis by employing PacBio sequencing, chromosome conformation capture sequencing (3C-seq), chromoblot, and genetic analysis of engineered aneuploid strains. Further, we analyzed the 3D genome organization using 3C-seq data, which revealed spatial proximity among the centromeres as well as telomeres of seven chromosomes in C. tropicalis. Intriguingly, we observed evidence of inter-centromeric translocations in the common ancestor of C. albicans and C. tropicalis. Identification of putative centromeres in closely related Candida sojae, Candida viswanathii and Candida parapsilosis indicates loss of ancestral HIR-associated centromeres and establishment of evolutionary new centromeres (ENCs) in C. albicans. We propose that spatial proximity of the homologous centromere DNA sequences facilitated karyotype rearrangements and centromere type transitions in human pathogenic yeasts of the CUG-Ser1 clade.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Krishnendu Guin
- Molecular Mycology Laboratory, Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific ResearchBangaloreIndia
| | - Yao Chen
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological UniversitySingaporeSingapore
| | - Radha Mishra
- Molecular Mycology Laboratory, Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific ResearchBangaloreIndia
| | | | - Bhagya C Thimmappa
- Molecular Mycology Laboratory, Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific ResearchBangaloreIndia
| | - Caoimhe E O'Brien
- School Of Biomolecular & Biomed Science, Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College DublinDublinIreland
| | - Geraldine Butler
- School Of Biomolecular & Biomed Science, Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College DublinDublinIreland
| | - Amartya Sanyal
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological UniversitySingaporeSingapore
| | - Kaustuv Sanyal
- Molecular Mycology Laboratory, Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific ResearchBangaloreIndia
| |
Collapse
|