Know the enemy and know yourself: Addressing cryptic fungal pathogens of humans and beyond

Steenwyk, Jacob L.; Rokas, Antonis; Goldman, Gustavo H.

doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1011704

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…Indeed, cryptic speciation has been reported for several human fungal pathogens including C. albicans [91,92], Aspergillus fumigatus [93] and brasiliensis [93]. Cryptic fungal pathogens may pose significant identification and management challenges due to their morphological resemblance to known genotypes/species while harbouring unique genetic, and infection-relevant traits [94]. ADMIXTURE analysis estimated that 24 ancestral populations probably existed in the Qatari samples and about half of the isolates showed mixed ancestry (Fig.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Indeed, cryptic speciation has been reported for several human fungal pathogens including C. albicans [91, 92], Aspergillus fumigatus [93] and Paracoccidioides brasiliensis [93]. Cryptic fungal pathogens may pose significant identification and management challenges due to their morphological resemblance to known genotypes/species while harbouring unique genetic, antifungal and infection-relevant traits [94].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Population genomic analyses reveal high diversity, recombination and nosocomial transmission among Candida glabrata (Nakaseomyces glabrata) isolates causing invasive infections

Wang,

Xu,

Ben Abid

et al. 2024

Microbial Genomics

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Candida glabrata is a commensal yeast of the gastrointestinal tract and skin of humans. However, it causes opportunistic infections in immunocompromised patients, and is the second most common Candida pathogen causing bloodstream infections. Although there are many studies on the epidemiology of C. glabrata infections, the fine- and large-scale geographical nature of C. glabrata remain incompletely understood. Here we investigated both the fine- and large-scale population structure of C. glabrata through genome sequencing of 80 clinical isolates obtained from six tertiary hospitals in Qatar and by comparing with global collections. Our fine-scale analyses revealed high genetic diversity within the Qatari population of C. glabrata and identified signatures of recombination, inbreeding and clonal expansion within and between hospitals, including evidence for nosocomial transmission among coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. In addition to signatures of recombination at the population level, both MATa and MATα alleles were detected in most hospitals, indicating the potential for sexual reproduction in clinical environments. Comparisons with global samples showed that the Qatari C. glabrata population was very similar to those from other parts of the world, consistent with the significant role of recent anthropogenic activities in shaping its population structure. Genome-wide association studies identified both known and novel genomic variants associated with reduced susceptibilities to fluconazole, 5-flucytosine and echinocandins. Together, our genomic analyses revealed the diversity, transmission patterns and antifungal drug resistance mechanisms of C. glabrata in Qatar as well as the relationships between Qatari isolates and those from other parts of the world.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Population genomic analyses reveal high diversity, recombination and nosocomial transmission among Candida glabrata (Nakaseomyces glabrata) isolates causing invasive infections

Wang,

Xu,

Ben Abid

et al. 2024

Microbial Genomics

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“…Here, A. sydowii is found to be highly prevalent in clinical samples, mainly involved in onychomycosis, as reported before [ 6 ]. A. creber and A. versicolor were isolated from similar sources such as nails, skin or the respiratory tract, all of which are exposed to aerosols frequently contain spores of Versicolores species [ 24 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While only one proven invasive aspergillosis due to A. sydowii has been described to date [ 20 ], it is more often reported for the closely related A. versicolor [ 21 – 23 ]. Morphologically, it is challenging to discriminate A. sydowii from related species in the Versicolores series [ 2 , 24 ]. Moreover, the taxonomy of the series underwent significant changes during the last decades, with the most recent change to reduce the series to four species, namely A. versicolor, A. creber, A. sydowii and A. subversicolor [ 25 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Susceptibility Testing of Environmental and Clinical Aspergillus sydowii Demonstrates Potent Activity of Various Antifungals

Spruijtenburg,

Rezusta,

Houbraken

et al. 2024

Mycopathologia

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The genus Aspergillus consists of a vast number of medically and environmentally relevant species. Aspergillus species classified in series Versicolores are ubiquitous in the environment and include the opportunistic pathogen Aspergillus sydowii, which is associated with onychomycosis and superficial skin infections. Despite frequent clinical reports of A. sydowii and related series Versicolores species, antifungal susceptibility data are scarce, hampering optimal treatment choices and subsequent patient outcomes. Here, we employed antifungal susceptibility testing (AFST) based on microbroth dilution on a set of 155 series Versicolores strains using the common antifungals amphotericin B, itraconazole, voriconazole, posaconazole, isavuconazole and micafungin with the addition of luliconazole and olorofim. All strains were identified using partial calmodulin gene sequencing, with 145 being A. sydowii, seven A. creber and three A. versicolor, using the latest taxonomic insights. Overall, tested antifungals were potent against the entire strain collection. In comparison to A. fumigatus, azole and amphotericin B MICs were slightly elevated for some strains. AFST with luliconazole and olorofim, here reported for the first time, displayed the highest in vitro activity, making these antifungals interesting alternative drugs but clinical studies are warranted for future therapeutic use.

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“…The deadliest infections are invasive in nature, with pulmonary aspergillosis being the most common and most deadly type 5 . Although many species of Aspergillus are capable of causing disease, Aspergillus fumigatus is the one most frequently seen in the clinic and is considered the primary etiological agent of invasive aspergillosis [6][7][8][9][10][11] .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Strain heterogeneity in a non-pathogenic fungus highlights factors contributing to virulence

Rinker,

Sauters,

Steffen

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Fungal pathogens exhibit extensive strain heterogeneity, including variation in virulence. Whether closely related non-pathogenic species also exhibit strain heterogeneity remains unknown. Here, we comprehensively characterized the pathogenic potentials (i.e., the ability to cause morbidity and mortality) of 16 diverse strains ofAspergillus fischeri, a non-pathogenic close relative of the major pathogenAspergillus fumigatus.In vitroimmune response assays andin vivovirulence assays using a mouse model of pulmonary aspergillosis showed thatA. fischeristrains varied widely in their pathogenic potential. Furthermore, pangenome analyses suggest thatA. fischerigenomic and phenotypic diversity is even greater. Genomic, transcriptomic, and metabolomic profiling identified several pathways and secondary metabolites associated with variation in virulence. Notably, strain virulence was associated with the simultaneous presence of the secondary metabolites hexadehydroastechrome and gliotoxin. We submit that examining the pathogenic potentials of non-pathogenic close relatives is key for understanding the origins of fungal pathogenicity.

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Know the enemy and know yourself: Addressing cryptic fungal pathogens of humans and beyond

Cited by 6 publications

References 20 publications

Population genomic analyses reveal high diversity, recombination and nosocomial transmission among Candida glabrata (Nakaseomyces glabrata) isolates causing invasive infections

Population genomic analyses reveal high diversity, recombination and nosocomial transmission among Candida glabrata (Nakaseomyces glabrata) isolates causing invasive infections

Susceptibility Testing of Environmental and Clinical Aspergillus sydowii Demonstrates Potent Activity of Various Antifungals

Strain heterogeneity in a non-pathogenic fungus highlights factors contributing to virulence

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