Nature Communications (Sep 2024)
Evolutionary origin and population diversity of a cryptic hybrid pathogen
- Jacob L. Steenwyk,
- Sonja Knowles,
- Rafael W. Bastos,
- Charu Balamurugan,
- David Rinker,
- Matthew E. Mead,
- Christopher D. Roberts,
- Huzefa A. Raja,
- Yuanning Li,
- Ana Cristina Colabardini,
- Patrícia Alves de Castro,
- Thaila Fernanda dos Reis,
- Adiyantara Gumilang,
- María Almagro-Molto,
- Alexandre Alanio,
- Dea Garcia-Hermoso,
- Endrews Delbaje,
- Laís Pontes,
- Camila Figueiredo Pinzan,
- Angélica Zaninelli Schreiber,
- David Canóvas,
- Rafael Sanchez Luperini,
- Katrien Lagrou,
- Egídio Torrado,
- Fernando Rodrigues,
- Nicholas H. Oberlies,
- Xiaofan Zhou,
- Gustavo H. Goldman,
- Antonis Rokas
Affiliations
- Jacob L. Steenwyk
- Howards Hughes Medical Institute and the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley
- Sonja Knowles
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
- Rafael W. Bastos
- Faculdade de Ciencias Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo
- Charu Balamurugan
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Biological Sciences, VU Station B #35-1634
- David Rinker
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Biological Sciences, VU Station B #35-1634
- Matthew E. Mead
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Biological Sciences, VU Station B #35-1634
- Christopher D. Roberts
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
- Huzefa A. Raja
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
- Yuanning Li
- Institute of Marine Science and Technology, Shandong University, 72 Binhai Road
- Ana Cristina Colabardini
- Faculdade de Ciencias Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo
- Patrícia Alves de Castro
- Faculdade de Ciencias Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo
- Thaila Fernanda dos Reis
- Faculdade de Ciencias Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo
- Adiyantara Gumilang
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Biological Sciences, VU Station B #35-1634
- María Almagro-Molto
- Max von Pettenkofer-Institut für Hygiene und Medizinische Mikrobiologie, Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig Maximilian University
- Alexandre Alanio
- Institut Pasteur, Paris Cité University, National Reference Center for Invasives Mycoses and Antifungals, Translational Mycology Research Group, Mycology Department
- Dea Garcia-Hermoso
- Institut Pasteur, Paris Cité University, National Reference Center for Invasives Mycoses and Antifungals, Translational Mycology Research Group, Mycology Department
- Endrews Delbaje
- Faculdade de Ciencias Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo
- Laís Pontes
- Faculdade de Ciencias Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo
- Camila Figueiredo Pinzan
- Faculdade de Ciencias Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo
- Angélica Zaninelli Schreiber
- School of Medical Sciences, State University of Campinas
- David Canóvas
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla
- Rafael Sanchez Luperini
- Faculdade de Ciencias Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo
- Katrien Lagrou
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
- Egídio Torrado
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, 4715-495 Braga, Portugal; ICVS/3B’s-PT Government Associate Laboratory
- Fernando Rodrigues
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, 4715-495 Braga, Portugal; ICVS/3B’s-PT Government Associate Laboratory
- Nicholas H. Oberlies
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
- Xiaofan Zhou
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, Integrative Microbiology Research Centre, South China Agricultural University
- Gustavo H. Goldman
- Faculdade de Ciencias Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo
- Antonis Rokas
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Biological Sciences, VU Station B #35-1634
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-52639-1
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 15,
no. 1
pp. 1 – 16
Abstract
Abstract Cryptic fungal pathogens pose disease management challenges due to their morphological resemblance to known pathogens. Here, we investigated the genomes and phenotypes of 53 globally distributed isolates of Aspergillus section Nidulantes fungi and found 30 clinical isolates—including four isolated from COVID-19 patients—were A. latus, a cryptic pathogen that originated via allodiploid hybridization. Notably, all A. latus isolates were misidentified. A. latus hybrids likely originated via a single hybridization event during the Miocene and harbor substantial genetic diversity. Transcriptome profiling of a clinical isolate revealed that both parental subgenomes are actively expressed and respond to environmental stimuli. Characterizing infection-relevant traits—such as drug resistance and growth under oxidative stress—revealed distinct phenotypic profiles among A. latus hybrids compared to parental and closely related species. Moreover, we identified four features that could aid A. latus taxonomic identification. Together, these findings deepen our understanding of the origin of cryptic pathogens.
