Revealing the Virulence Potential of Clinical and Environmental Aspergillus fumigatus Isolates Using Whole-Genome Sequencing
Aspergillus fumigatus is considered a common causative agent of human fungal infections. A restricted number of virulence factors have been described, and none of them lead to a differentiation in the virulence level among different strains. Variations in the virulence phenotype depending on the iso...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2019-09-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Microbiology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmicb.2019.01970/full |
| _version_ | 1819110384873766912 |
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| author | Fabiola Puértolas-Balint Fabiola Puértolas-Balint John W. A. Rossen Claudy Oliveira dos Santos Monika M. A. Chlebowicz Erwin C. Raangs Maarten L. van Putten Pedro J. Sola-Campoy Li Han Martina Schmidt Martina Schmidt Silvia García-Cobos |
| author_facet | Fabiola Puértolas-Balint Fabiola Puértolas-Balint John W. A. Rossen Claudy Oliveira dos Santos Monika M. A. Chlebowicz Erwin C. Raangs Maarten L. van Putten Pedro J. Sola-Campoy Li Han Martina Schmidt Martina Schmidt Silvia García-Cobos |
| author_sort | Fabiola Puértolas-Balint |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Aspergillus fumigatus is considered a common causative agent of human fungal infections. A restricted number of virulence factors have been described, and none of them lead to a differentiation in the virulence level among different strains. Variations in the virulence phenotype depending on the isolate origin, measured as survival percentage in animal infection models, have been previously reported. In this study, we analyzed the whole-genome sequence of A. fumigatus isolates from clinical and environmental origins to determine their virulence genetic content. The sample included four isolates sequenced at the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), three clinical (two of them isolated from the same patient) and the experimental strain B5233, and the draft genomes of one reference strain, two environmental and two clinical isolates obtained from a public database. The fungal genomes were screened for the presence of virulence-related genes (VRGs) using an in-house database of 244 genes related to thermotolerance, resistance to immune responses, cell wall formation, nutrient uptake, signaling and regulation, and production of toxins and secondary metabolites and allergens. In addition, we performed a variant calling analysis to compare the isolates sequenced at the UMCG and investigated their genetic relatedness using the TRESP (Tandem Repeats located within Exons of Surface Protein coding genes) genotyping method. We neither observed a difference in the virulence genetic content between the clinical isolates causing an invasive infection and a colonizing clinical isolate nor between isolates from the clinical and environmental origin. The four novel A. fumigatus sequences had a different TRESP genotype and a total number of genetic variants ranging from 48,590 to 68,352. In addition, a comparative genomics analysis showed the presence of single nucleotide polymorphisms in VRGs and repetitive genetic elements located next to VRG groups, which could influence the regulation of these genes. In conclusion, our genomic analysis revealed a high genetic diversity between environmental and clinical A. fumigatus isolates, as well as between clinical isolates from the same patient, indicating an infection with a mixed-population in the latter case. However, all isolates had a similar virulence genetic content, demonstrating their pathogenic potential at least at the genomic level. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T03:40:52Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4fe20831b9324b4bb4e7b02fbf613f27 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-302X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T03:40:52Z |
| publishDate | 2019-09-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Microbiology |
| spelling | doaj.art-4fe20831b9324b4bb4e7b02fbf613f272022-12-21T18:40:15ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Microbiology1664-302X2019-09-011010.3389/fmicb.2019.01970467029Revealing the Virulence Potential of Clinical and Environmental Aspergillus fumigatus Isolates Using Whole-Genome SequencingFabiola Puértolas-Balint0Fabiola Puértolas-Balint1John W. A. Rossen2Claudy Oliveira dos Santos3Monika M. A. Chlebowicz4Erwin C. Raangs5Maarten L. van Putten6Pedro J. Sola-Campoy7Li Han8Martina Schmidt9Martina Schmidt10Silvia García-Cobos11University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Groningen, NetherlandsUniversity of Groningen, Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Groningen, NetherlandsUniversity of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Groningen, NetherlandsUniversity of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Groningen, NetherlandsUniversity of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Groningen, NetherlandsUniversity of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Groningen, NetherlandsUniversity of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Groningen, NetherlandsReference and Research Laboratory on Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Infections, National Microbiology Centre, Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, SpainInstitute of Disease Control and Prevention, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, ChinaUniversity of Groningen, Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Groningen, NetherlandsUniversity Medical Center Groningen, Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD, Groningen, NetherlandsUniversity of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Groningen, NetherlandsAspergillus fumigatus is considered a common causative agent of human fungal infections. A restricted number of virulence factors have been described, and none of them lead to a differentiation in the virulence level among different strains. Variations in the virulence phenotype depending on the isolate origin, measured as survival percentage in animal infection models, have been previously reported. In this study, we analyzed the whole-genome sequence of A. fumigatus isolates from clinical and environmental origins to determine their virulence genetic content. The sample included four isolates sequenced at the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), three clinical (two of them isolated from the same patient) and the experimental strain B5233, and the draft genomes of one reference strain, two environmental and two clinical isolates obtained from a public database. The fungal genomes were screened for the presence of virulence-related genes (VRGs) using an in-house database of 244 genes related to thermotolerance, resistance to immune responses, cell wall formation, nutrient uptake, signaling and regulation, and production of toxins and secondary metabolites and allergens. In addition, we performed a variant calling analysis to compare the isolates sequenced at the UMCG and investigated their genetic relatedness using the TRESP (Tandem Repeats located within Exons of Surface Protein coding genes) genotyping method. We neither observed a difference in the virulence genetic content between the clinical isolates causing an invasive infection and a colonizing clinical isolate nor between isolates from the clinical and environmental origin. The four novel A. fumigatus sequences had a different TRESP genotype and a total number of genetic variants ranging from 48,590 to 68,352. In addition, a comparative genomics analysis showed the presence of single nucleotide polymorphisms in VRGs and repetitive genetic elements located next to VRG groups, which could influence the regulation of these genes. In conclusion, our genomic analysis revealed a high genetic diversity between environmental and clinical A. fumigatus isolates, as well as between clinical isolates from the same patient, indicating an infection with a mixed-population in the latter case. However, all isolates had a similar virulence genetic content, demonstrating their pathogenic potential at least at the genomic level.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmicb.2019.01970/fullAspergillus fumigatusvirulencewhole-genome sequencingclinical and environmental isolatesgene database |
| spellingShingle | Fabiola Puértolas-Balint Fabiola Puértolas-Balint John W. A. Rossen Claudy Oliveira dos Santos Monika M. A. Chlebowicz Erwin C. Raangs Maarten L. van Putten Pedro J. Sola-Campoy Li Han Martina Schmidt Martina Schmidt Silvia García-Cobos Revealing the Virulence Potential of Clinical and Environmental Aspergillus fumigatus Isolates Using Whole-Genome Sequencing Frontiers in Microbiology Aspergillus fumigatus virulence whole-genome sequencing clinical and environmental isolates gene database |
| title | Revealing the Virulence Potential of Clinical and Environmental Aspergillus fumigatus Isolates Using Whole-Genome Sequencing |
| title_full | Revealing the Virulence Potential of Clinical and Environmental Aspergillus fumigatus Isolates Using Whole-Genome Sequencing |
| title_fullStr | Revealing the Virulence Potential of Clinical and Environmental Aspergillus fumigatus Isolates Using Whole-Genome Sequencing |
| title_full_unstemmed | Revealing the Virulence Potential of Clinical and Environmental Aspergillus fumigatus Isolates Using Whole-Genome Sequencing |
| title_short | Revealing the Virulence Potential of Clinical and Environmental Aspergillus fumigatus Isolates Using Whole-Genome Sequencing |
| title_sort | revealing the virulence potential of clinical and environmental aspergillus fumigatus isolates using whole genome sequencing |
| topic | Aspergillus fumigatus virulence whole-genome sequencing clinical and environmental isolates gene database |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmicb.2019.01970/full |
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