Origin of fungal hybrids with pathogenic potential from warm seawater environments

Hybridisation is a common event in yeasts often leading to genomic variability and adaptation. The yeast Candida orthopsilosis is a human-associated opportunistic pathogen belonging to the Candida parapsilosis species complex. Most C. orthopsilosis clinical isolates are hybrids resulting from at lea...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Olmo, Valentina del, Mixão, Verónica, Fotedar, Rashmi, Saus, Ester, Al Malki, Amina, Księżopolska, Ewa, Nuñez Rodriguez, Juan Carlos, Boekhout, Teun, Gabaldon, Toni
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2023
País:España
Institución:Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)
Repositorio:UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPC
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:upcommons.upc.edu:2117/396025
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/2117/396025
https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-42679-4
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Hybridisation
Candida
Fungal evolution
Fungal genetics
Fungal pathogenesis
Pathogens
Water microbiology
Simulació per ordinador
Genòmica
Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Informàtica::Aplicacions de la informàtica::Bioinformàtica
Descripción
Sumario:Hybridisation is a common event in yeasts often leading to genomic variability and adaptation. The yeast Candida orthopsilosis is a human-associated opportunistic pathogen belonging to the Candida parapsilosis species complex. Most C. orthopsilosis clinical isolates are hybrids resulting from at least four independent crosses between two parental lineages, of which only one has been identified. The rare presence or total absence of parentals amongst clinical isolates is hypothesised to be a consequence of a reduced pathogenicity with respect to their hybrids. Here, we sequence and analyse the genomes of environmental C. orthopsilosis strains isolated from warm marine ecosystems. We find that a majority of environmental isolates are hybrids, phylogenetically closely related to hybrid clinical isolates. Furthermore, we identify the missing parental lineage, thus providing a more complete overview of the genomic evolution of this species. Additionally, we discover phenotypic differences between the two parental lineages, as well as between parents and hybrids, under conditions relevant for pathogenesis. Our results suggest a marine origin of C. orthopsilosis hybrids, with intrinsic pathogenic potential, and pave the way to identify pre-existing environmental adaptations that rendered hybrids more prone than parental lineages to colonise and infect the mammalian host.