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Unexpected genomic variability in clinical and environmental strains of the pathogenic yeast Candida parapsilosis

Leszek P Pryszcz1, Tibor Németh, Attila Gácser

  • 1Bioinformatics and Genomics Programme, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona, Spain.

Genome Biology and Evolution
|November 22, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Emerging Candida parapsilosis infections are increasing globally. Genomic analysis of new strains reveals independent evolution and recombination, challenging the clonal expansion hypothesis for this fungal pathogen.

Area of Science:

  • Mycology
  • Genomics
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Invasive candidiasis is a major global health concern, with Candida albicans being the primary pathogen.
  • Emerging Candida species, particularly Candida parapsilosis, are increasingly implicated in infections.
  • Previous research suggested a clonal expansion of virulent Candida parapsilosis, but genomic data was limited.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the genomic basis of Candida parapsilosis evolution and virulence.
  • To test the hypothesis of a recent global expansion of a virulent clone.
  • To explore genomic variation and evolutionary dynamics in Candida parapsilosis.

Main Methods:

  • Sequencing of three additional Candida parapsilosis strains from clinical and environmental sources.
  • Comparative genomic analyses to identify patterns of variation.
  • Investigation of gene duplications and evidence of recombination.

Main Results:

  • Genomic variation patterns contradict the clonal expansion hypothesis.
  • Independent expansions of an arsenite transporter homolog were observed in all strains.
  • Evidence for recombination in Candida parapsilosis was identified for the first time.
  • Clinical isolates showed independent origins.

Conclusions:

  • The evolution of Candida parapsilosis is shaped by factors beyond simple clonal expansion.
  • Directional selection in the environment may influence the adaptation of Candida parapsilosis.
  • Recombination plays a role in the genome evolution of this important fungal pathogen.
Keywords:
Candidagenome comparisonpathogensrecombination

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