Genome Evolution and Innovation across the Four Major Lineages of Cryptococcus gattii.
Rhys A FarrerChristopher A DesjardinsSharadha SakthikumarSharvari GujjaSakina SaifQiandong ZengYuan ChenKerstin VoelzJoseph HeitmanRobin C MayMatthew C FisherChristina A CuomoPublished in: mBio (2015)
The genetic differences between phenotypically different pathogens provide clues to the underlying mechanisms of those traits and can lead to new drug targets and improved treatments for those diseases. In this paper, we compare 16 genomes belonging to four highly differentiated lineages of Cryptococcus gattii, which cause pulmonary infections in otherwise healthy humans and other animals. Half of these lineages have not had their genomes previously assembled and annotated. We identified 15 ancestral rearrangements in the genome and over 700 genes that are unique to one or more lineages, many of which are associated with virulence. In addition, we found evidence for recent transcontinental spread, mitochondrial genetic exchange, and positive selection in multidrug transporters. Our results suggest that gene expansion/contraction and positive selection are diversifying the mechanisms of pathogenicity across this species complex.
Keyphrases
- genome wide
- dna methylation
- copy number
- biofilm formation
- escherichia coli
- antimicrobial resistance
- pseudomonas aeruginosa
- staphylococcus aureus
- drug resistant
- oxidative stress
- gene expression
- emergency department
- cystic fibrosis
- drug induced
- genome wide identification
- transcription factor
- gram negative
- smooth muscle
- candida albicans