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Venice F, Spina F, Davolos D, Ghignone S, Varese GC. The genomes of Scedosporium between environmental challenges and opportunism. IMA Fungus 2023; 14:25. [PMID: 38049914 PMCID: PMC10694956 DOI: 10.1186/s43008-023-00128-3] [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: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Emerging fungal pathogens are a global challenge for humankind. Many efforts have been made to understand the mechanisms underlying pathogenicity in bacteria, and OMICs techniques are largely responsible for those advancements. By contrast, our limited understanding of opportunism and antifungal resistance is preventing us from identifying, limiting and interpreting the emergence of fungal pathogens. The genus Scedosporium (Microascaceae) includes fungi with high tolerance to environmental pollution, whilst some species can be considered major human pathogens, such as Scedosporium apiospermum and Scedosporium boydii. However, unlike other fungal pathogens, little is known about the genome evolution of these organisms. We sequenced two novel genomes of Scedosporium aurantiacum and Scedosporium minutisporum isolated from extreme, strongly anthropized environments. We compared all the available Scedosporium and Microascaceae genomes, that we systematically annotated and characterized ex novo in most cases. The genomes in this family were integrated in a Phylum-level comparison to infer the presence of putative, shared genomic traits in filamentous ascomycetes with pathogenic potential. The analysis included the genomes of 100 environmental and clinical fungi, revealing poor evolutionary convergence of putative pathogenicity traits. By contrast, several features in Microascaceae and Scedosporium were detected that might have a dual role in responding to environmental challenges and allowing colonization of the human body, including chitin, melanin and other cell wall related genes, proteases, glutaredoxins and magnesium transporters. We found these gene families to be impacted by expansions, orthologous transposon insertions, and point mutations. With RNA-seq, we demonstrated that most of these anciently impacted genomic features responded to the stress imposed by an antifungal compound (voriconazole) in the two environmental strains S. aurantiacum MUT6114 and S. minutisporum MUT6113. Therefore, the present genomics and transcriptomics investigation stands on the edge between stress resistance and pathogenic potential, to elucidate whether fungi were pre-adapted to infect humans. We highlight the strengths and limitations of genomics applied to opportunistic human pathogens, the multifactoriality of pathogenicity and resistance to drugs, and suggest a scenario where pressures other than anthropic contributed to forge filamentous human pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Venice
- Department of Life Sciences and System Biology, University of Turin, Viale Mattioli 25, 10125, Turin, Italy
| | - Federica Spina
- Department of Life Sciences and System Biology, University of Turin, Viale Mattioli 25, 10125, Turin, Italy
| | - Domenico Davolos
- Department of Technological Innovations and Safety of Plants, Products and Anthropic Settlements (DIT), INAIL, Research Area, Via R. Ferruzzi 38/40, 00143, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Ghignone
- Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection (IPSP), SS Turin-National Research Council (CNR), Viale Mattioli 25, 10125, Turin, Italy
| | - Giovanna Cristina Varese
- Department of Life Sciences and System Biology, University of Turin, Viale Mattioli 25, 10125, Turin, Italy.
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Marek A, Meijer EFJ, Tartari E, Zakhour J, Chowdhary A, Voss A, Kanj SS, Bal AM. Environmental monitoring for filamentous fungal pathogens in hematopoietic cell transplant units. Med Mycol 2023; 61:myad103. [PMID: 37793805 DOI: 10.1093/mmy/myad103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The incidence of invasive fungal disease (IFD) is on the rise due to increasing numbers of highly immunocompromized patients. Nosocomial IFD remains common despite our better understanding of its risk factors and pathophysiology. High-efficiency particulate air filtration with or without laminar air flow, frequent air exchanges, a positive pressure care environment, and environmental hygiene, amongst other measures, have been shown to reduce the mould burden in the patient environment. Environmental monitoring for moulds in areas where high-risk patients are cared for, such as hematopoietic cell transplant units, has been considered an adjunct to other routine environmental precautions. As a collaborative effort between authors affiliated to the Infection Prevention and Control Working Group and the Fungal Infection Working Group of the International Society of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (ISAC), we reviewed the English language literature and international guidance to describe the evidence behind the need for environmental monitoring for filamentous fungi as a quality assurance approach with an emphasis on required additional precautions during periods of construction. Many different clinical sampling approaches have been described for air, water, and surface sampling with significant variation in laboratory methodologies between reports. Importantly, there are no agreed-upon thresholds that correlate with an increase in the clinical risk of mould infections. We highlight important areas for future research to assure a safe environment for highly immunocompromized patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Marek
- Department of Microbiology, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Glasgow, UK
- Infection Control Working Group, International Society of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy
| | - Eelco F J Meijer
- Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital (CWZ), Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Radboudumc-CWZ Center of Expertise for Mycology, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Fungal Infection Working Group, International Society of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy
| | - Ermira Tartari
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Malta, Msida, Malta
- Infection Control Working Group, International Society of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy
| | - Johnny Zakhour
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine and Center for Infectious Diseases Research, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Anuradha Chowdhary
- Medical Mycology Unit, Department of Microbiology, Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
- National Reference Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistance in Fungal Pathogens, Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
- Fungal Infection Working Group, International Society of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy
| | - Andreas Voss
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Infection Control Working Group, International Society of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy
| | - Souha S Kanj
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine and Center for Infectious Diseases Research, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon
- Fungal Infection Working Group, International Society of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy
| | - Abhijit M Bal
- Department of Microbiology, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow, UK
- Fungal Infection Working Group, International Society of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy
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Spruijtenburg B, Rudramurthy SM, Meijer EFJ, van Haren MHI, Kaur H, Chakrabarti A, Meis JF, de Groot T. Application of Novel Short Tandem Repeat Typing for Wickerhamomyces anomalus Reveals Simultaneous Outbreaks within a Single Hospital. Microorganisms 2023; 11:1525. [PMID: 37375027 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11061525] [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: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Wickerhamomyces anomalus, previously known as Candida pelliculosa, occasionally causes candidemia in humans, primarily infecting neonates, and infants. The mortality rate of these invasive infections is high, and isolates with a reduced susceptibility to fluconazole have been reported. W. anomalus outbreaks are regularly reported in healthcare facilities, especially in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). In order to rapidly genotype isolates with a high-resolution, we developed and applied a short tandem repeat (STR) typing scheme for W. anomalus. Six STR markers were selected and amplified in two multiplex PCRs, M3 and M6, respectively. In total, 90 W. anomalus isolates were typed, leading to the identification of 38 different genotypes. Four large clusters were found, unveiling simultaneous outbreak events spread across multiple units within the same hospital. STR typing results of 11 isolates were compared to whole-genome sequencing (WGS) single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) calling, and the identified genotypic relationships were highly concordant. We performed antifungal susceptibility testing of these isolates, and a reduced susceptibility to fluconazole was found for two (2.3%) isolates. ERG11 genes of these two isolates were examined using WGS data, which revealed a novel I469L substitution in one isolate. By constructing a homology model for W. anomalus ERG11p, the substitution was found in close proximity to the fluconazole binding site. In summary, we showed multiple W. anomalus outbreak events by applying a novel STR genotyping scheme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bram Spruijtenburg
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital, 6532 SZ Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Centre of Expertise in Mycology, Radboud University Medical Center/Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital, 6532 SZ Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Shivaprakash M Rudramurthy
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh 160012, India
| | - Eelco F J Meijer
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital, 6532 SZ Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Centre of Expertise in Mycology, Radboud University Medical Center/Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital, 6532 SZ Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Merlijn H I van Haren
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital, 6532 SZ Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Harsimran Kaur
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh 160012, India
| | - Arunaloke Chakrabarti
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh 160012, India
| | - Jacques F Meis
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital, 6532 SZ Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Centre of Expertise in Mycology, Radboud University Medical Center/Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital, 6532 SZ Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department I of Internal Medicine, University of Cologne, Excellence Center for Medical Mycology, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Theun de Groot
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital, 6532 SZ Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Centre of Expertise in Mycology, Radboud University Medical Center/Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital, 6532 SZ Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Li X, Muñoz JF, Gade L, Argimon S, Bougnoux ME, Bowers JR, Chow NA, Cuesta I, Farrer RA, Maufrais C, Monroy-Nieto J, Pradhan D, Uehling J, Vu D, Yeats CA, Aanensen DM, d’Enfert C, Engelthaler DM, Eyre DW, Fisher MC, Hagen F, Meyer W, Singh G, Alastruey-Izquierdo A, Litvintseva AP, Cuomo CA. Comparing genomic variant identification protocols for Candida auris. Microb Genom 2023; 9:mgen000979. [PMID: 37043380 PMCID: PMC10210944 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Genomic analyses are widely applied to epidemiological, population genetic and experimental studies of pathogenic fungi. A wide range of methods are employed to carry out these analyses, typically without including controls that gauge the accuracy of variant prediction. The importance of tracking outbreaks at a global scale has raised the urgency of establishing high-accuracy pipelines that generate consistent results between research groups. To evaluate currently employed methods for whole-genome variant detection and elaborate best practices for fungal pathogens, we compared how 14 independent variant calling pipelines performed across 35 Candida auris isolates from 4 distinct clades and evaluated the performance of variant calling, single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) counts and phylogenetic inference results. Although these pipelines used different variant callers and filtering criteria, we found high overall agreement of SNPs from each pipeline. This concordance correlated with site quality, as SNPs discovered by a few pipelines tended to show lower mapping quality scores and depth of coverage than those recovered by all pipelines. We observed that the major differences between pipelines were due to variation in read trimming strategies, SNP calling methods and parameters, and downstream filtration criteria. We calculated specificity and sensitivity for each pipeline by aligning three isolates with chromosomal level assemblies and found that the GATK-based pipelines were well balanced between these metrics. Selection of trimming methods had a greater impact on SAMtools-based pipelines than those using GATK. Phylogenetic trees inferred by each pipeline showed high consistency at the clade level, but there was more variability between isolates from a single outbreak, with pipelines that used more stringent cutoffs having lower resolution. This project generated two truth datasets useful for routine benchmarking of C. auris variant calling, a consensus VCF of genotypes discovered by 10 or more pipelines across these 35 diverse isolates and variants for 2 samples identified from whole-genome alignments. This study provides a foundation for evaluating SNP calling pipelines and developing best practices for future fungal genomic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Li
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - José F. Muñoz
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Lalitha Gade
- Mycotic Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US Department of Health and Human Services, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA
| | - Silvia Argimon
- Centre for Genomic Pathogen Surveillance, Big Data Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Marie-Elisabeth Bougnoux
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, INRAE, USC2019, Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, Paris, France
- Université Paris Cité, Hôpital Necker-Enfants-Malades, Unité de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Jolene R. Bowers
- Translational Genomics Research Institute, Pathogen and Microbiome Division, Flagstaff, AZ 86005, USA
| | - Nancy A. Chow
- Mycotic Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US Department of Health and Human Services, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA
| | - Isabel Cuesta
- Mycology Reference Laboratory, National Centre for Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rhys A. Farrer
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
- Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4PY, UK
| | - Corinne Maufrais
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, INRAE, USC2019, Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, Paris, France
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS USR 3756, Hub de Bioinformatique et Biostatistique, Paris, France
| | - Juan Monroy-Nieto
- Translational Genomics Research Institute, Pathogen and Microbiome Division, Flagstaff, AZ 86005, USA
| | - Dibyabhaba Pradhan
- All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi, 110029, India
| | - Jessie Uehling
- Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97330, USA
| | - Duong Vu
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584CT, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Corin A. Yeats
- Centre for Genomic Pathogen Surveillance, Big Data Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - David M. Aanensen
- Centre for Genomic Pathogen Surveillance, Big Data Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Christophe d’Enfert
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, INRAE, USC2019, Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, Paris, France
| | - David M. Engelthaler
- Translational Genomics Research Institute, Pathogen and Microbiome Division, Flagstaff, AZ 86005, USA
| | - David W. Eyre
- NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Matthew C. Fisher
- MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Ferry Hagen
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584CT, Utrecht, Netherlands
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Wieland Meyer
- Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia
| | - Gagandeep Singh
- All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi, 110029, India
| | - Ana Alastruey-Izquierdo
- Mycology Reference Laboratory, National Centre for Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Anastasia P. Litvintseva
- Mycotic Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US Department of Health and Human Services, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA
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Khari A, Biswas B, Gangwar G, Thakur A, Puria R. Candida auris biofilm: a review on model to mechanism conservation. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther 2023; 21:295-308. [PMID: 36755419 DOI: 10.1080/14787210.2023.2179036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Candida auris is included in the fungal infection category 'critical' by WHO because of associated high drug tolerance and spread at an alarming rate which if remains untouched may result in serious outbreaks. Since its discovery in 2009, several assiduous efforts by mycologists across the world have deciphered its biology including growth physiology, drug tolerance, biofilm formation, etc. The differential response of various strains from different clades poses a hurdle in drawing a final conclusion. AREAS COVERED This review provides brief insights into the understanding of C. auris biofilm. It includes information on various models developed to understand the biofilms and conservation of different signaling pathways. Significant development has been made in the recent past with the generation of relevant in vivo and ex vivo models. The role of signaling pathways in the development of biofilm is largely unknown. EXPERT OPINION The selection of an appropriate model system is a must for the accuracy and reproducibility of results. The conservation of major signaling pathways in C. auris with respect to C. albicans and S. cerevisiae highlights that initial inputs acquired from orthologs will be valuable in getting insights into the mechanism of biofilm formation and associated pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arsha Khari
- School of Biotechnology, Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida, India
| | | | | | - Anil Thakur
- Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Faridabad, India
| | - Rekha Puria
- School of Biotechnology, Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida, India
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Katsiari M, Mavroidi A, Kesesidis N, Palla E, Zourla K, Ntorlis K, Konstantinidis K, Laskou M, Strigklis K, Sakkalis A, Nikolaou C, Platsouka ED, Karakasiliotis I, Vrioni G, Tsakris A. Emergence of Clonally-Related South Asian Clade I Clinical Isolates of Candida auris in a Greek COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:jof9020243. [PMID: 36836357 PMCID: PMC9964037 DOI: 10.3390/jof9020243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Candida auris has recently emerged as a multidrug-resistant yeast implicated in various healthcare-associated invasive infections and hospital outbreaks. In the current study, we report the first five intensive care unit (ICU) cases affected by C. auris isolates in Greece, during October 2020-January 2022. The ICU of the hospital was converted to a COVID-19 unit on 25 February 2021, during the third wave of COVID-19 in Greece. Identification of the isolates was confirmed by Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Time of Flight mass spectroscopy (MALDI-TOF]. Antifungal susceptibility testing was performed by the EUCAST broth microdilution method. Based on the tentative CDC MIC breakpoints, all five C. auris isolates were resistant to fluconazole (≥32 μg/mL), while three of them exhibited resistance to amphotericin B (≥2 μg/mL). The environmental screening also revealed the dissemination of C. auris in the ICU. Molecular characterization of C. auris clinical and environmental isolates was performed by MultiLocus Sequence Typing (MLST) of a set of four genetic loci, namely ITS, D1/D2, RPB1 and RPB2, encoding for the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) of the ribosomal subunit, the large ribosomal subunit region and the RNA polymerase II largest subunit, respectively. MLST analysis showed that all isolates possessed identical sequences in the four genetic loci and clustered with the South Asian clade I strains. Additionally, PCR amplification and sequencing of the CJJ09_001802 genetic locus, encoding for the "nucleolar protein 58" that contains clade-specific repeats was performed. Sanger sequence analysis of the TCCTTCTTC repeats within CJJ09_001802 locus also assigned the C. auris isolates to the South Asian clade I. Our study confirms that C. auris is an emerging yeast pathogen in our region, especially in the setting of the ongoing COVID-19 worldwide pandemic. Adherence to strict infection control is needed to restrain further spread of the pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Katsiari
- Intensive Care Unit, Konstantopouleio-Patission General Hospital, 14233 Athens, Greece
| | - Angeliki Mavroidi
- Department of Microbiology, Konstantopouleio-Patission General Hospital, 14233 Athens, Greece
| | - Nikolaos Kesesidis
- Laboratory of Biology, Department of Medicine, Democritus University of Thrace, 68100 Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - Eleftheria Palla
- Department of Microbiology, Konstantopouleio-Patission General Hospital, 14233 Athens, Greece
| | - Konstantina Zourla
- Department of Microbiology, Konstantopouleio-Patission General Hospital, 14233 Athens, Greece
| | - Kyriakos Ntorlis
- Intensive Care Unit, Konstantopouleio-Patission General Hospital, 14233 Athens, Greece
| | - Konstantinos Konstantinidis
- Laboratory of Biology, Department of Medicine, Democritus University of Thrace, 68100 Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - Maria Laskou
- Intensive Care Unit, Konstantopouleio-Patission General Hospital, 14233 Athens, Greece
| | | | - Anastasios Sakkalis
- Intensive Care Unit, Konstantopouleio-Patission General Hospital, 14233 Athens, Greece
| | - Charikleia Nikolaou
- Intensive Care Unit, Konstantopouleio-Patission General Hospital, 14233 Athens, Greece
| | - Evangelia D. Platsouka
- Department of Microbiology, Konstantopouleio-Patission General Hospital, 14233 Athens, Greece
| | - Ioannis Karakasiliotis
- Laboratory of Biology, Department of Medicine, Democritus University of Thrace, 68100 Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - Georgia Vrioni
- Department of Microbiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 75 MikrasAsias Street, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Athanasios Tsakris
- Department of Microbiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 75 MikrasAsias Street, 11527 Athens, Greece
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +30-210-7462011
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Spruijtenburg B, van Haren MHI, Chowdhary A, Meis JF, de Groot T. Development and Application of a Short Tandem Repeat Multiplex Typing Assay for Candida tropicalis. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0461822. [PMID: 36715547 PMCID: PMC10100945 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.04618-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Candida tropicalis is a clinically important yeast that causes candidemia in humans with a high mortality rate. The yeast primarily infects immunocompromised patients, and causes outbreaks in health care facilities. Antifungal resistant isolates have been reported. We developed a short tandem repeat (STR) typing scheme for C. tropicalis to enable fast, cost-effective, and high-resolution genotyping. For the development of the typing scheme, 6 novel STR markers were selected, combined into 2 multiplex PCRs. In total, 117 C. tropicalis isolates were typed, resulting in the identification of 104 different genotypes. Subsequently, the outcome of STR typing of 10 isolates was compared to single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) calling from whole-genome sequencing (WGS). Isolates with more than 111 SNPs were differentiated by the typing assay. Two isolates, which were identical according to SNP analysis, were separated by STR typing in 1 marker. To test specificity, the STR typing was applied to 15 related yeast species, and we found no amplification of these targets. For reproducibility testing, 2 isolates were independently typed five times, which showed identical results in each experiment. In summary, we developed a reliable and multiplex STR genotyping for C. tropicalis, which was found to correlate well to SNP calling by WGS. WGS analysis from and extensive collection of isolates is required to establish the precise resolution of this STR assay. IMPORTANCE Candida tropicalis frequently causes candidemia in immunocompromised patients. C. tropicalis infections have a high mortality rate, and the yeast is able to cause outbreaks in health care facilities. Further, antifungal resistant isolates are on the rise. Genotyping is necessary to investigate potential outbreaks. Here, we developed and applied a STR genotyping scheme in order to rapidly genotype isolates with a high-resolution. WGS SNP outcomes were highly comparable with STR typing results. Altogether, we developed a rapid, high-resolution, and specific STR genotyping scheme for C. tropicalis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bram Spruijtenburg
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Centre of Expertise in Mycology, Radboud University Medical Center/Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Merlijn H. I. van Haren
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Anuradha Chowdhary
- Medical Mycology Unit, Department of Medical Microbiology, Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Jacques F. Meis
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Centre of Expertise in Mycology, Radboud University Medical Center/Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department I of Internal Medicine, University of Cologne, Excellence Center for Medical Mycology, Cologne, Germany
| | - Theun de Groot
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Centre of Expertise in Mycology, Radboud University Medical Center/Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Description and Genome Characterization of Three Novel Fungal Strains Isolated from Mars 2020 Mission-Associated Spacecraft Assembly Facility Surfaces-Recommendations for Two New Genera and One Species. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 9:jof9010031. [PMID: 36675851 PMCID: PMC9864340 DOI: 10.3390/jof9010031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Revised: 12/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) spacecraft assembly facilities are monitored for the presence of any bacteria or fungi that might conceivably survive a transfer to an extraterrestrial environment. Fungi present a broad and diverse range of phenotypic and functional traits to adapt to extreme conditions, hence the detection of fungi and subsequent eradication of them are needed to prevent forward contamination for future NASA missions. During the construction and assembly for the Mars 2020 mission, three fungal strains with unique morphological and phylogenetic properties were isolated from spacecraft assembly facilities. The reconstruction of phylogenetic trees based on several gene loci (ITS, LSU, SSU, RPB, TUB, TEF1) using multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) and whole genome sequencing (WGS) analyses supported the hypothesis that these were novel species. Here we report the genus or species-level classification of these three novel strains via a polyphasic approach using phylogenetic analysis, colony and cell morphology, and comparative analysis of WGS. The strain FJI-L9-BK-P1 isolated from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory Spacecraft Assembly Facility (JPL-SAF) exhibited a putative phylogenetic relationship with the strain Aaosphaeria arxii CBS175.79 but showed distinct morphology and microscopic features. Another JPL-SAF strain, FJII-L3-CM-DR1, was phylogenetically distinct from members of the family Trichomeriaceae and exhibited morphologically different features from the genera Lithohypha and Strelitziana. The strain FKI-L1-BK-DR1 isolated from the Kennedy Space Center facility was identified as a member of Dothideomycetes incertae sedis and is closely related to the family Kirschsteiniotheliaceae according to a phylogenetic analysis. The polyphasic taxonomic approach supported the recommendation for establishing two novel genera and one novel species. The names Aaosphaeria pasadenensis (FJI-L9-BK-P1 = NRRL 64424 = DSM 114621), Pasadenomyces melaninifex (FJII-L3-CM-DR1 = NRRL 64433 = DSM 114623), and Floridaphiala radiotolerans (FKI-L1-BK-DR1 = NRRL 64434 = DSM 114624) are proposed as type species. Furthermore, resistance to ultraviolet-C and presence of specific biosynthetic gene cluster(s) coding for metabolically active compounds are unique to these strains.
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de Groot T, Spruijtenburg B, Parnell LA, Chow NA, Meis JF. Optimization and Validation of Candida auris Short Tandem Repeat Analysis. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0264522. [PMID: 36190407 PMCID: PMC9603409 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02645-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Candida auris is an easily transmissible yeast with resistance to different antifungal compounds. Outbreaks of C. auris are mostly observed in intensive care units. To take adequate measures during an outbreak, it is essential to understand the transmission route, which requires isolate genotyping. In 2019, a short tandem repeat (STR) genotyping analysis was developed for C. auris. To determine the discriminatory power of this method, we performed STR analysis of 171 isolates with known whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data using Illumina reads, and we compared their resolutions. We found that STR analysis separated the 171 isolates into four clades (clades I to IV), as was also seen with WGS analysis. Then, to improve the separation of isolates in clade IV, the STR assay was optimized by the addition of 2 STR markers. With this improved STR assay, a total of 32 different genotypes were identified, while all isolates with differences of >50 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were separated by at least 1 STR marker. Altogether, we optimized and validated the C. auris STR panel for clades I to IV and established its discriminatory power, compared to WGS SNP analysis using Illumina reads. IMPORTANCE The emerging fungal pathogen Candida auris poses a threat to public health, mainly causing outbreaks in intensive care units. Genotyping is essential for investigating potential outbreaks and preventing further spread. Previously, we developed a STR genotyping scheme for rapid and high-resolution genotyping, and WGS SNP outcomes for some isolates were compared to STR data. Here, we compared WGS SNP and STR outcomes for a larger sample cohort. Also, we optimized the resolution of this typing scheme with the addition of 2 STR markers. Altogether, we validated and optimized this rapid, reliable, and high-resolution typing scheme for C. auris.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theun de Groot
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Centre of Expertise in Mycology, Radboud University Medical Center/Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Bram Spruijtenburg
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Centre of Expertise in Mycology, Radboud University Medical Center/Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Lindsay A. Parnell
- Mycotic Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Nancy A. Chow
- Mycotic Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Jacques F. Meis
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Centre of Expertise in Mycology, Radboud University Medical Center/Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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10
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Spruijtenburg B, Badali H, Abastabar M, Mirhendi H, Khodavaisy S, Sharifisooraki J, Armaki MT, de Groot T, Meis JF. Confirmation of fifth Candida auris clade by whole genome sequencing. Emerg Microbes Infect 2022; 11:2405-2411. [PMID: 36154919 PMCID: PMC9586689 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2022.2125349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Candida auris has emerged globally as a multidrug-resistant pathogen causing outbreaks in health care facilities. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) analysis has identified four major clades, while earlier WGS data from a single Iranian isolate suggested the existence of a potential fifth clade. Here, we confirm the existence of this fifth clade by providing WGS data of another four Iranian isolates. These clade V isolates differed less than 100 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) between each other, while they were separated from the other clades by more than 200,000 SNPs. Two of these isolates were resistant to fluconazole and were found to harbour mutations in the TAC1b and ERG11 genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bram Spruijtenburg
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands .,Centre of Expertise in Mycology Radboud University Medical Center/Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Hamid Badali
- Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Mahdi Abastabar
- Invasive Fungi Research Center, Communicable Diseases Institute, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Hossein Mirhendi
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Sadegh Khodavaisy
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, Faculty of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Joobin Sharifisooraki
- Health Reproductive Research Center, Sari Branch, Islamic Azad University, Sari, Mazandaran, Iran
| | - Mojtaba Taghizadeh Armaki
- Department of Medical Mycology and Parasitology, School of Medicine, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.
| | - Theun de Groot
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands .,Centre of Expertise in Mycology Radboud University Medical Center/Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jacques F Meis
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands .,Centre of Expertise in Mycology Radboud University Medical Center/Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands .,Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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11
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Abstract
Candida auris is an emerging yeast species that has the unique characteristics of patient skin colonization and rapid transmission within healthcare facilities and the ability to rapidly develop antifungal resistance. When C. auris first started appearing in clinical microbiology laboratories, it could only be identified using DNA sequencing. In the decade since its first identification outside of Japan there have been many improvements in the detection of C. auris. These include the expansion of MALDI-TOF databases to include C. auris, the development of both laboratory-developed tests and commercially available kits for its detection, and special CHROMagar for identification from laboratory specimens. Here we discuss the current tools and resources that are available for C. auris identification and detection.
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12
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Bagal UR, Phan J, Welsh RM, Misas E, Wagner D, Gade L, Litvintseva AP, Cuomo CA, Chow NA. MycoSNP: A Portable Workflow for Performing Whole-Genome Sequencing Analysis of Candida auris. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2517:215-228. [PMID: 35674957 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2417-3_17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Candida auris is an urgent public health threat characterized by high drug-resistant rates and rapid spread in healthcare settings worldwide. As part of the C. auris response, molecular surveillance has helped public health officials track the global spread and investigate local outbreaks. Here, we describe whole-genome sequencing analysis methods used for routine C. auris molecular surveillance in the United States; methods include reference selection, reference preparation, quality assessment and control of sequencing reads, read alignment, and single-nucleotide polymorphism calling and filtration. We also describe the newly developed pipeline MycoSNP, a portable workflow for performing whole-genome sequencing analysis of fungal organisms including C. auris.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ujwal R Bagal
- Mycotic Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - John Phan
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Rory M Welsh
- Mycotic Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Elizabeth Misas
- Mycotic Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - Lalitha Gade
- Mycotic Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - Christina A Cuomo
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Nancy A Chow
- Mycotic Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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13
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de Jong AW, Francisco EC, de Almeida JN, Brandão IB, Pereira FM, Dias PHP, de Miranda Costa MM, de Souza Jordão RT, Vu D, Colombo AL, Hagen F. Nanopore Genome Sequencing and Variant Analysis of the Susceptible Candida auris Strain L1537/2020, Salvador, Brazil. Mycopathologia 2021; 186:883-887. [PMID: 34669105 PMCID: PMC8527438 DOI: 10.1007/s11046-021-00593-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Candida auris has been reported worldwide, but only in December 2020, the first strain from a COVID-19 patient in Brazil was isolated. Here, we describe the genome sequence of this susceptible C. auris strain and performed variant analysis of the genetic relatedness with strains from other geographic localities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Auke W de Jong
- Department of Medical Mycology, Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, NL-3584CT, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Elaine C Francisco
- Department of Medical Mycology, Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, NL-3584CT, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Laboratório Especial de Micologia, Disciplina de Infectologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - João Nóbrega de Almeida
- Laboratório Especial de Micologia, Disciplina de Infectologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Igor B Brandão
- Comissão de Controle de Infecção Hospitalar, Hospital de Bahia, Salvador, Brazil
| | | | - Pedro H Presta Dias
- Centro de Informações Estratégicas de Vigilância em Saúde da Bahia, Salvador, Brazil
| | | | | | - Duong Vu
- Department of Medical Mycology, Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, NL-3584CT, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Arnaldo L Colombo
- Laboratório Especial de Micologia, Disciplina de Infectologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ferry Hagen
- Department of Medical Mycology, Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, NL-3584CT, Utrecht, The Netherlands. .,Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands. .,Department of Dermatology, Jining No. 1 People's Hospital, Shandong, China.
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