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Multilocus Sequence Typing Reveals Extensive Genetic Diversity of the Emerging Fungal Pathogen Scedosporium aurantiacum.

ABSTRACT: Scedosporium spp. are the second most prevalent filamentous fungi after Aspergillus spp. recovered from cystic fibrosis (CF) patients in various regions of the world. Although invasive infection is uncommon prior to lung transplantation, fungal colonization may be a risk factor for invasive disease with attendant high mortality post-transplantation. Abundant in the environment, Scedosporium aurantiacum has emerged as an important fungal pathogen in a range of clinical settings. To investigate the population genetic structure of S. aurantiacum, a MultiLocus Sequence Typing (MLST) scheme was developed, screening 24 genetic loci for polymorphisms on a tester strain set. The six most polymorphic loci were selected to form the S. aurantiacum MLST scheme: actin (ACT), calmodulin (CAL), elongation factor-1α (EF1α), RNA polymerase subunit II (RPB2), manganese superoxide dismutase (SOD2), and β-tubulin (TUB). Among 188 global clinical, veterinary, and environmental strains, 5 to 18 variable sites per locus were revealed, resulting in 8 to 23 alleles per locus. MLST analysis observed a markedly high genetic diversity, reflected by 159 unique sequence types. Network analysis revealed a separation between Australian and non-Australian strains. Phylogenetic analysis showed two major clusters, indicating correlation with geographic origin. Linkage disequilibrium analysis revealed evidence of recombination. There was no clustering according to the source of the strains: clinical, veterinary, or environmental. The high diversity, especially amongst the Australian strains, suggests that S. aurantiacum may have originated within the Australian continent and was subsequently dispersed to other regions, as shown by the close phylogenetic relationships between some of the Australian sequence types and those found in other parts of the world. The MLST data are accessible at http://mlst.mycologylab.org. This is a joined publication of the ISHAM/ECMM working groups on "Scedosporium/Pseudallescheria Infections" and "Fungal Respiratory Infections in Cystic Fibrosis".

SUBMITTER: Harun A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8744116 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:The filamentous fungus Scedosporium aurantiacum and the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa are opportunistic pathogens isolated from lungs of the cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. P. aeruginosa has been known to suppress the growth of a number of CF related fungi such as Aspergillus fumigatus, Candida albicans, and Cryptococcus neoformans. However, the interactions between P. aeruginosa and S. aurantiacum have not been investigated in depth. Hence we assessed the effect of P. aeruginosa reference strain PAO1 and two clinical isolates PASS1 and PASS2 on the growth of two clinical S. aurantiacum isolates WM 06.482 and WM 08.202 using solid plate assays and liquid cultures, in a synthetic medium mimicking the nutrient condition in the CF sputum. Solid plate assays showed a clear inhibition of growth of both S. aurantiacum strains when cultured with P. aeruginosa strains PASS1 and PAO1. The inhibitory effect was confirmed by confocal microscopy. In addition to using chemical fluorescent stains, strains tagged with yfp (P. aeruginosa PASS1) and mCherry (S. aurantiacum WM 06.482) were created to facilitate detailed microscopic observations on strain interaction. To our knowledge, this is the first study describing successful genetic transformation of S. aurantiacum. Inhibition of growth was observed only in co-cultures of P. aeruginosa and S. aurantiacum; the cell fractions obtained from independent bacterial monocultures failed to initiate a response against the fungus. In the liquid co-cultures, biofilm forming P. aeruginosa strains PASS1 and PAO1 displayed higher inhibition of fungal growth when compared to PASS2. No change was observed in the inhibition pattern when direct cell contact between the bacterial and fungal strains was prevented using a separation membrane suggesting the involvement of extracellular metabolites in the fungal inhibition. However, one of the most commonly described bacterial virulence factors, pyocyanin, had no effect against either of the S. aurantiacum strains. This study shows that P. aeruginosa has a substantial inhibitory effect on the growth of the recently described CF fungal pathogen S. aurantiacum. The findings also highlighted that P. aeruginosa biofilm formation is important but not crucial for inhibiting the growth of S. aurantiacum in a lung- mimicking environment.

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Multilocus Sequence Typing Reveals Extensive Genetic Diversity of the Emerging Fungal Pathogen Scedosporium aurantiacum.

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