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Genomic insights into the host specific adaptation of the Pneumocystis genus

Ousmane H Cissé1, Liang Ma2, John P Dekker3,4

  • 1Critical Care Medicine Department, NIH Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, USA. ousmane.cisse@nih.gov.

Communications Biology
|March 9, 2021
PubMed

Insights

This study sequenced Pneumocystis genomes from various mammals to understand host specificity. Findings reveal insights into the evolution of Pneumocystis jirovecii, the fungus causing human Pneumocystis pneumonia.

Area of Science:

  • Fungal genomics
  • Evolutionary biology
  • Host-pathogen interactions

Background:

  • Pneumocystis jirovecii causes human Pneumocystis pneumonia, with limited knowledge of other mammalian Pneumocystis species.
  • The molecular basis of host specificity in Pneumocystis is unknown due to in vitro culture limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the evolutionary adaptations and host specificity of Pneumocystis species.
  • To compare genomes of Pneumocystis from diverse mammalian hosts.

Main Methods:

  • Whole genome sequencing of Pneumocystis from macaques, rabbits, dogs, and rats.
  • Comparative genomic analysis with existing human, mouse, and rat Pneumocystis genomes.

Main Results:

  • Enabled robust phylogenetic analysis and identification of genetic features related to host adaptation.
  • Provided insights into the evolutionary history and speciation timing of Pneumocystis relative to their mammalian hosts.

Conclusions:

  • Genomic data offers a deeper understanding of Pneumocystis evolution.
  • Highlights the unique evolutionary path of Pneumocystis jirovecii, the only species capable of infecting humans.

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