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El apareamiento entre personas del mismo sexo y el origen del brote de Cryptococcus gattii en la isla de Vancouver
James A Fraser1, Steven S Giles, Emily C Wenink
1Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA.
Nature
|October 14, 2005
Resumen
Los brotes de Cryptococcus gattii revelan que la reproducción del mismo sexo puede crear clones de hongos hipervirulentos. Esta estrategia de apareamiento críptico ayuda a la expansión del patógeno en nuevos entornos y la producción de esporas.
Área de la Ciencia:
- Microbiología Microbiología.
- Biología evolutiva Biología evolutiva.
- La micología de la micología.
Sus antecedentes:
- Comprender la evolución de los patógenos es crucial para la salud pública.
- Cryptococcus gattii causa meningoencefalitis por hongos, con brotes recientes que plantean preocupaciones.
- Las estrategias reproductivas de muchos patógenos microbianos siguen siendo poco conocidas.
Objetivo del estudio:
- Para investigar la composición genética y los mecanismos reproductivos de Cryptococcus gattii aislados en brotes.
- Para determinar los orígenes evolutivos del genotipo hipervirulento responsable del brote de la isla de Vancouver.
Principales métodos:
- Análisis genotípico de aislamientos de Cryptococcus gattii del brote de la isla de Vancouver y comparación con aislamientos globales.
- Análisis del contenido nuclear para identificar configuraciones de tipo ploideo y de apareamiento.
- Análisis filogenético para inferir las relaciones evolutivas y la historia reproductiva.
Principales resultados:
- Se identificaron dos genotipos distintos de Cryptococcus gattii en los aislamientos del brote.
- Un genotipo hipervirulento, único en el noroeste del Pacífico, predominó y mostró evidencia de apareamiento entre personas del mismo sexo (alfa x alfa).
- Los aislados menos virulentos compartían genotipos con las poblaciones australianas recombinantes, lo que sugiere un origen híbrido.
Conclusiones:
- La reproducción críptica del mismo sexo en Cryptococcus gattii puede generar nuevos genotipos hipervirulentos.
- Esta estrategia reproductiva facilita la adaptación y expansión del patógeno en nuevos nichos geográficos.
- Los hallazgos tienen implicaciones para la comprensión de la aparición de otros patógenos microbianos y la endogamia en eucariotas.
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