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Population structure in a fungal human pathogen is potentially linked to pathogenicity

Summary

A. flavus is a common fungal pathogen that causes serious infections in humans and damages crops. Researchers analyzed DNA from hundreds of fungal samples collected from both infected patients and environmental sources. They found that clinical isolates cluster into specific genetic groups, especially a newly identified group called population D that contains most of the disease-causing strains. This suggests that certain genetic variations make some fungal strains more likely to infect humans than others.

Background

Aspergillus flavus is a clinically and agriculturally important fungal pathogen causing severe human infections and crop losses. Previous studies examined genetic diversity using limited markers and focused primarily on environmental isolates, leaving the relationship between clinical and environmental isolates unexplored.

Objective

To analyze genomic data from 300 A. flavus isolates (117 clinical and 183 environmental) to examine population structure, pan-genome composition, and their relationship to pathogenicity and clinical isolation.

Results

Five A. flavus populations were identified including a new population D where >75% of clinical isolates clustered, while <5% were in population B. Population D showed enrichment for genes involved in carbohydrate metabolism, lipid metabolism, and hydrolase activity. The aflatoxin biosynthetic gene cluster was absent or degraded in population D despite high clinical prevalence.

Conclusion

Clinical isolation in A. flavus is non-randomly distributed across the phylogeny and associated with specific population structure, contrasting with A. fumigatus. Population D represents a genetically distinct clade enriched in clinical isolates with distinct functional characteristics, providing opportunities for future investigation into genetic contributions to human pathogenicity.
  • Published in:Nature Communications,
  • Study Type:Genomic Analysis Study,
  • Source: PMID: 40817095
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