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Diehl C, Pinzan CF, de Castro PA, Delbaje E, García Carnero LC, Sánchez-León E, Bhalla K, Kronstad JW, Kim DG, Doering TL, Alkhazraji S, Mishra NN, Ibrahim AS, Yoshimura M, Vega Isuhuaylas LA, Pham LTK, Yashiroda Y, Boone C, Dos Reis TF, Goldman GH. Brilacidin, a novel antifungal agent against Cryptococcus neoformans. mBio 2024:e0103124. [PMID: 38916308 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01031-24] [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: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Cryptococcus neoformans causes cryptococcosis, one of the most prevalent fungal diseases, generally characterized by meningitis. There is a limited and not very effective number of drugs available to combat this disease. In this manuscript, we show the host defense peptide mimetic brilacidin (BRI) as a promising antifungal drug against C. neoformans. BRI can affect the organization of the cell membrane, increasing the fungal cell permeability. We also investigated the effects of BRI against the model system Saccharomyces cerevisiae by analyzing libraries of mutants grown in the presence of BRI. In S. cerevisiae, BRI also affects the cell membrane organization, but in addition the cell wall integrity pathway and calcium metabolism. In vivo experiments show BRI significantly reduces C. neoformans survival inside macrophages and partially clears C. neoformans lung infection in an immunocompetent murine model of invasive pulmonary cryptococcosis. We also observed that BRI interacts with caspofungin (CAS) and amphotericin (AmB), potentiating their mechanism of action against C. neoformans. BRI + CAS affects endocytic movement, calcineurin, and mitogen-activated protein kinases. Our results indicate that BRI is a novel antifungal drug against cryptococcosis. IMPORTANCE Invasive fungal infections have a high mortality rate causing more deaths annually than tuberculosis or malaria. Cryptococcosis, one of the most prevalent fungal diseases, is generally characterized by meningitis and is mainly caused by two closely related species of basidiomycetous yeasts, Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii. There are few therapeutic options for treating cryptococcosis, and searching for new antifungal agents against this disease is very important. Here, we present brilacidin (BRI) as a potential antifungal agent against C. neoformans. BRI is a small molecule host defense peptide mimetic that has previously exhibited broad-spectrum immunomodulatory/anti-inflammatory activity against bacteria and viruses. BRI alone was shown to inhibit the growth of C. neoformans, acting as a fungicidal drug, but surprisingly also potentiated the activity of caspofungin (CAS) against this species. We investigated the mechanism of action of BRI and BRI + CAS against C. neoformans. We propose BRI as a new antifungal agent against cryptococcosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila Diehl
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Camila Figueiredo Pinzan
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Patrícia Alves de Castro
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Endrews Delbaje
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Laura C García Carnero
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Eddy Sánchez-León
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Kabir Bhalla
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - James W Kronstad
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Dong-Gyu Kim
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Tamara L Doering
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Sondus Alkhazraji
- Division of Infectious Diseases, The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Medical Center, Torrance, California, USA
| | - Nagendra N Mishra
- Division of Infectious Diseases, The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Medical Center, Torrance, California, USA
- David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Ashraf S Ibrahim
- Division of Infectious Diseases, The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Medical Center, Torrance, California, USA
- David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Mami Yoshimura
- RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Wako, Saitama, Japan
| | | | | | - Yoko Yashiroda
- RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Wako, Saitama, Japan
| | - Charles Boone
- RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Wako, Saitama, Japan
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Thaila Fernanda Dos Reis
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Gustavo H Goldman
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
- National Institute of Science and Technology in Human Pathogenic Fungi, São Paulo, Brazil
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Chi H, Yang Y, Zhang J, Liu D. A case of hypophysis with HIV negative cryptococcal meningitis. ZHONG NAN DA XUE XUE BAO. YI XUE BAN = JOURNAL OF CENTRAL SOUTH UNIVERSITY. MEDICAL SCIENCES 2023; 48:1419-1424. [PMID: 38044654 PMCID: PMC10929872 DOI: 10.11817/j.issn.1672-7347.2023.220441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
The clinical mortality of cryptococcal meningitis (CM) is high. There is no report of hypopituitarism associated with HIV negative CM so far. The patients with hypopituitarism complicated with CM are easy to be misdiagnosed and mistreated. A patient with hypopituitarism and HIV negative CM was admitted to Weihai Municipal Hospital on August 27, 2021. The patient was treated for 18 years after craniopharyngioma with headache for more than 2 months, nausea and vomiting for 4 days. MRI showed abnormal enhancement of the right basal ganglia, edema of surrounding tissue, and multiple striated enhancement of the bilateral cerebellar hemisphere. The smear of cerebrospinal fluid showed a large number of fungi and Cryptococcus. Culture of cerebrospinal fluid showed positive in Cryptococcus. The patient's HIV and syphilis antibodies were negative. The condition of the patient was improved after active antifungal therapy. The clinician should make a definite diagnosis and give early treatment as soon as possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiyan Chi
- PhD Candidate, Class of 2022, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan 250012.
- Department of Endocrinology, Weihai Municipal Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University, Weihai Shandong 264200.
| | - Yachao Yang
- Department of Endocrinology, Weihai Municipal Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University, Weihai Shandong 264200.
| | - Jinbiao Zhang
- Department of Endocrinology, Weihai Municipal Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University, Weihai Shandong 264200
| | - Deshan Liu
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China.
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3
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Yadav V, Sun S, Heitman J. On the evolution of variation in sexual reproduction through the prism of eukaryotic microbes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2219120120. [PMID: 36867686 PMCID: PMC10013875 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2219120120] [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: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Almost all eukaryotes undergo sexual reproduction to generate diversity and select for fitness in their population pools. Interestingly, the systems by which sex is defined are highly diverse and can even differ between evolutionarily closely related species. While the most commonly known form of sex determination involves males and females in animals, eukaryotic microbes can have as many as thousands of different mating types for the same species. Furthermore, some species have found alternatives to sexual reproduction and prefer to grow clonally and yet undergo infrequent facultative sexual reproduction. These organisms are mainly invertebrates and microbes, but several examples are also present among vertebrates suggesting that alternative modes of sexual reproduction evolved multiple times throughout evolution. In this review, we summarize the sex-determination modes and variants of sexual reproduction found across the eukaryotic tree of life and suggest that eukaryotic microbes provide unique opportunities to study these processes in detail. We propose that understanding variations in modes of sexual reproduction can serve as a foundation to study the evolution of sex and why and how it evolved in the first place.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vikas Yadav
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC27710
| | - Sheng Sun
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC27710
| | - Joseph Heitman
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC27710
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4
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Evolution of yeast hybrids by aborted meiosis. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2022; 77:101980. [PMID: 36084497 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2022.101980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2022] [Revised: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Sterile hybrids are broadly considered evolutionary dead-ends because of their faulty sexual reproduction. While sterility in obligate sexual organisms is a clear constraint in perpetuating the species, some facultative sexual microbes such as yeasts can propagate asexually and maintain genome plasticity. Moreover, incomplete meiotic pathways in yeasts represent alternative routes to the standard meiosis that generates genetic combinations in the population and fuel adaptation. Here, we review how aborting meiosis promotes genome-wide allele shuffling in sterile Saccharomyces hybrids and describe approaches to identify evolved clones in a cell population. We further discuss possible implications of this process in generating phenotypic novelty and report cases of abortive meiosis across yeast species.
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5
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Bozdag GO, Ono J. Evolution and molecular bases of reproductive isolation. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2022; 76:101952. [PMID: 35849861 PMCID: PMC10210581 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2022.101952] [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: 04/14/2022] [Revised: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The most challenging problem in speciation research is disentangling the relative strength and order in which different reproductive barriers evolve. Here, we review recent developments in the study of reproductive isolation in yeasts. With over a thousand genome-sequenced isolates readily available for testing the viability, sterility, and fitness of both intraspecies and interspecies hybrid crosses, Saccharomyces yeasts are an ideal model to study such fundamental questions. Our survey demonstrates that, while chromosomal-level mutations are widespread at the intraspecific level, anti-recombination-driven chromosome missegregation is the primary reproductive barrier between species. Finally, despite their strength, all of these postzygotic barriers can be resolved through the asexual life history of hybrids.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Ozan Bozdag
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA. https://twitter.com/ozan_g_b
| | - Jasmine Ono
- Centre for Life's Origins and Evolution, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
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6
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Priest SJ, Yadav V, Roth C, Dahlmann TA, Kück U, Magwene PM, Heitman J. Uncontrolled transposition following RNAi loss causes hypermutation and antifungal drug resistance in clinical isolates of Cryptococcus neoformans. Nat Microbiol 2022; 7:1239-1251. [PMID: 35918426 PMCID: PMC10840647 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-022-01183-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Cryptococcus neoformans infections cause approximately 15% of AIDS-related deaths owing to a combination of limited antifungal therapies and drug resistance. A collection of clinical and environmental C. neoformans isolates were assayed for increased mutation rates via fluctuation analysis, and we identified two hypermutator C. neoformans clinical isolates with increased mutation rates when exposed to the combination of rapamycin and FK506. Sequencing of drug target genes found that Cnl1 transposon insertions conferred the majority of resistance to rapamycin and FK506 and could also independently cause resistance to 5-fluoroorotic acid and the clinically relevant antifungal 5-flucytosine. Whole-genome sequencing revealed both hypermutator genomes harbour a nonsense mutation in the RNA-interference component ZNF3 and hundreds of Cnl1 elements organized into massive subtelomeric arrays on each of the fourteen chromosomes. Quantitative trait locus mapping in 28 progeny derived from a cross between a hypermutator and wild-type identified a locus associated with hypermutation that included znf3. CRISPR editing of the znf3 nonsense mutation abolished hypermutation and restored small-interfering-RNA production. We conclude that hypermutation and drug resistance in these clinical isolates result from RNA-interference loss and accumulation of Cnl1 elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shelby J Priest
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Vikas Yadav
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Cullen Roth
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- University Program in Genetics and Genomics, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Tim A Dahlmann
- Allgemeine und Molekulare Botanik, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Ulrich Kück
- Allgemeine und Molekulare Botanik, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | | | - Joseph Heitman
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
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7
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Theelen B, Mixão V, Ianiri G, Goh JPZ, Dijksterhuis J, Heitman J, Dawson TL, Gabaldón T, Boekhout T. Multiple Hybridization Events Punctuate the Evolutionary Trajectory of Malassezia furfur. mBio 2022; 13:e0385321. [PMID: 35404119 PMCID: PMC9040865 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03853-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Malassezia species are important fungal skin commensals and are part of the normal microbiota of humans and other animals. However, under certain circumstances these fungi can also display a pathogenic behavior. For example, Malassezia furfur is a common commensal of human skin and yet is often responsible for skin disorders but also systemic infections. Comparative genomics analysis of M. furfur revealed that some isolates have a hybrid origin, similar to several other recently described hybrid fungal pathogens. Because hybrid species exhibit genomic plasticity that can impact phenotypes, we sought to elucidate the genomic evolution and phenotypic characteristics of M. furfur hybrids in comparison to their parental lineages. To this end, we performed a comparative genomics analysis between hybrid strains and their presumptive parental lineages and assessed phenotypic characteristics. Our results provide evidence that at least two distinct hybridization events occurred between the same parental lineages and that the parental strains may have originally been hybrids themselves. Analysis of the mating-type locus reveals that M. furfur has a pseudobipolar mating system and provides evidence that after sexual liaisons of mating compatible cells, hybridization involved cell-cell fusion leading to a diploid/aneuploid state. This study provides new insights into the evolutionary trajectory of M. furfur and contributes with valuable genomic resources for future pathogenicity studies. IMPORTANCEMalassezia furfur is a common commensal member of human/animal microbiota that is also associated with several pathogenic states. Recent studies report involvement of Malassezia species in Crohn's disease, a type of inflammatory bowel disease, pancreatic cancer progression, and exacerbation of cystic fibrosis. A recent genomics analysis of M. furfur revealed the existence of hybrid isolates and identified their putative parental lineages. In this study, we explored the genomic and phenotypic features of these hybrids in comparison to their putative parental lineages. Our results revealed the existence of a pseudobipolar mating system in this species and showed evidence for the occurrence of multiple hybridization events in the evolutionary trajectory of M. furfur. These findings significantly advance our understanding of the evolution of this commensal microbe and are relevant for future studies exploring the role of hybridization in the adaptation to new niches or environments, including the emergence of pathogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bart Theelen
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Verónica Mixão
- Life Sciences Department, Barcelona Supercomputing Center, Barcelona, Spain
- Mechanisms of Disease Programme, Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Giuseppe Ianiri
- Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy
| | - Joleen Pei Zhen Goh
- A*STAR Skin Research Labs (A*SRL), Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore
| | - Jan Dijksterhuis
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Joseph Heitman
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Thomas L. Dawson
- A*STAR Skin Research Labs (A*SRL), Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore
- Center for Cell Death, Injury and Regeneration, Departments of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Toni Gabaldón
- Life Sciences Department, Barcelona Supercomputing Center, Barcelona, Spain
- Mechanisms of Disease Programme, Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Barcelona, Spain
- Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Teun Boekhout
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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8
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Michelotti LA, Sun S, Heitman J, James TY. Clonal evolution in serially passaged Cryptococcus neoformans × deneoformans hybrids reveals a heterogenous landscape of genomic change. Genetics 2022; 220:iyab142. [PMID: 34849836 PMCID: PMC8733418 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyab142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryptococcus neoformans × deneoformans hybrids (also known as serotype AD hybrids) are basidiomycete yeasts that are common in a clinical setting. Like many hybrids, the AD hybrids are largely locked at the F1 stage and are mostly unable to undergo normal meiotic reproduction. However, these F1 hybrids, which display a high (∼10%) sequence divergence are known to genetically diversify through mitotic recombination and aneuploidy, and this diversification may be adaptive. In this study, we evolved a single AD hybrid genotype in six diverse environments by serial passaging and then used genome resequencing of evolved clones to determine evolutionary mechanisms of adaptation. The evolved clones generally increased fitness after passaging, accompanied by an average of 3.3 point mutations, 2.9 loss of heterozygosity (LOH) events, and 0.7 trisomic chromosomes per clone. LOH occurred through nondisjunction of chromosomes, crossing over consistent with break-induced replication, and gene conversion, in that order of prevalence. The breakpoints of these recombination events were significantly associated with regions of the genome with lower sequence divergence between the parents and clustered in sub-telomeric regions, notably in regions that had undergone introgression between the two parental species. Parallel evolution was observed, particularly through repeated homozygosity via nondisjunction, yet there was little evidence of environment-specific parallel change for either LOH, aneuploidy, or mutations. These data show that AD hybrids have both a remarkable genomic plasticity and yet are challenged in the ability to recombine through sequence divergence and chromosomal rearrangements, a scenario likely limiting the precision of adaptive evolution to novel environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas A Michelotti
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Sheng Sun
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Joseph Heitman
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Timothy Y James
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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Schotanus K, Yadav V, Heitman J. Epigenetic dynamics of centromeres and neocentromeres in Cryptococcus deuterogattii. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009743. [PMID: 34464380 PMCID: PMC8407549 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Deletion of native centromeres in the human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus deuterogattii leads to neocentromere formation. Native centromeres span truncated transposable elements, while neocentromeres do not and instead span actively expressed genes. To explore the epigenetic organization of neocentromeres, we analyzed the distribution of the heterochromatic histone modification H3K9me2, 5mC DNA methylation and the euchromatin mark H3K4me2. Native centromeres are enriched for both H3K9me2 and 5mC DNA methylation marks and are devoid of H3K4me2, while neocentromeres do not exhibit any of these features. Neocentromeres in cen10Δ mutants are unstable and chromosome-chromosome fusions occur. After chromosome fusion, the neocentromere is inactivated and the native centromere of the chromosome fusion partner remains as the sole, active centromere. In the present study, the active centromere of a fused chromosome was deleted to investigate if epigenetic memory promoted the re-activation of the inactive neocentromere. Our results show that the inactive neocentromere is not re-activated and instead a novel neocentromere forms directly adjacent to the deleted centromere of the fused chromosome. To study the impact of transcription on centromere stability, the actively expressed URA5 gene was introduced into the CENP-A bound regions of a native centromere. The introduction of the URA5 gene led to a loss of CENP-A from the native centromere, and a neocentromere formed adjacent to the native centromere location. Remarkably, the inactive, native centromere remained enriched for heterochromatin, yet the integrated gene was expressed and devoid of H3K9me2. A cumulative analysis of multiple CENP-A distribution profiles revealed centromere drift in C. deuterogattii, a previously unreported phenomenon in fungi. The CENP-A-binding shifted within the ORF-free regions and showed a possible association with a truncated transposable element. Taken together, our findings reveal that neocentromeres in C. deuterogattii are highly unstable and are not marked with an epigenetic memory, distinguishing them from native centromeres. Linear eukaryotic chromosomes require a specific chromosomal region, the centromere, where the macromolecular kinetochore protein complex assembles. In most organisms, centromeres are located in gene-free, repeat-rich chromosomal regions and may or may not be associated with heterochromatic epigenetic marks. We report that the native centromeres of the human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus deuterogattii are enriched with heterochromatin marks. Deleting a centromere in C. deuterogattii results in formation of neocentromeres that span genes. In some cases, neocentromeres are unstable leading to chromosome-chromosome fusions and neocentromere inactivation. These neocentromeres, unlike native centromeres, lack any of the tested heterochromatic marks or any epigenetic memory. We also found that neocentromere formation can be triggered not only by deletion of the native centromere but also by disrupting its function via insertion of a gene. These results show that neocentromere dynamics in this fungal pathogen are unique among organisms studied so far. Our results also revealed key differences between epigenetics of native centromeres between C. deuterogattii and its sister species, C. neoformans. These finding provide an opportunity to test and study the evolution of centromeres, as well as neocentromeres, in this species complex and how it might contribute to their genome evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klaas Schotanus
- Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Vikas Yadav
- Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Joseph Heitman
- Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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10
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Boekhout T, Aime MC, Begerow D, Gabaldón T, Heitman J, Kemler M, Khayhan K, Lachance MA, Louis EJ, Sun S, Vu D, Yurkov A. The evolving species concepts used for yeasts: from phenotypes and genomes to speciation networks. FUNGAL DIVERS 2021; 109:27-55. [PMID: 34720775 PMCID: PMC8550739 DOI: 10.1007/s13225-021-00475-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Here we review how evolving species concepts have been applied to understand yeast diversity. Initially, a phenotypic species concept was utilized taking into consideration morphological aspects of colonies and cells, and growth profiles. Later the biological species concept was added, which applied data from mating experiments. Biophysical measurements of DNA similarity between isolates were an early measure that became more broadly applied with the advent of sequencing technology, leading to a sequence-based species concept using comparisons of parts of the ribosomal DNA. At present phylogenetic species concepts that employ sequence data of rDNA and other genes are universally applied in fungal taxonomy, including yeasts, because various studies revealed a relatively good correlation between the biological species concept and sequence divergence. The application of genome information is becoming increasingly common, and we strongly recommend the use of complete, rather than draft genomes to improve our understanding of species and their genome and genetic dynamics. Complete genomes allow in-depth comparisons on the evolvability of genomes and, consequently, of the species to which they belong. Hybridization seems a relatively common phenomenon and has been observed in all major fungal lineages that contain yeasts. Note that hybrids may greatly differ in their post-hybridization development. Future in-depth studies, initially using some model species or complexes may shift the traditional species concept as isolated clusters of genetically compatible isolates to a cohesive speciation network in which such clusters are interconnected by genetic processes, such as hybridization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teun Boekhout
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - M. Catherine Aime
- Dept Botany and Plant Pathology, College of Agriculture, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA
| | - Dominik Begerow
- Evolution of Plants and Fungi, Ruhr-University Bochum, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Toni Gabaldón
- Barcelona Supercomputing Centre (BSC–CNS), Jordi Girona, 29, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Baldiri Reixac, 10, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Joseph Heitman
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710 USA
| | - Martin Kemler
- Evolution of Plants and Fungi, Ruhr-University Bochum, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Kantarawee Khayhan
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Phayao, Phayao, 56000 Thailand
| | - Marc-André Lachance
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5B7 Canada
| | - Edward J. Louis
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, Genetic Architecture of Complex Traits, University of Leicester, Leicester, LE1 7RH UK
| | - Sheng Sun
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710 USA
| | - Duong Vu
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Andrey Yurkov
- German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Leibniz Institute DSMZ, Brunswick, Germany
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