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

Summary

Aspergillus flavus is a common fungal infection found in both hospitals and the environment. Researchers studied the genetic makeup of 300 fungal samples from patients and the environment across multiple countries. They discovered that clinical isolates cluster into specific genetic groups, with one group containing most patient-derived samples. This finding suggests that certain genetic populations of this fungus may be better adapted to infecting humans than others.

Background

Aspergillus flavus is a clinically and agriculturally important fungal pathogen responsible for severe human infections and extensive crop losses. Previous research has focused primarily on A. fumigatus, and genetic diversity between clinical and environmental A. flavus isolates remains poorly understood.

Objective

To analyze genomic data from 300 A. flavus isolates (117 clinical and 183 environmental) from 13 countries to examine population structure, pan-genome composition, and their relationship to pathogenicity.

Results

Five A. flavus populations were identified, including a newly discovered population D. Over 75% of clinical isolates were in population D while less than 5% were in population B. Population D was enriched for genes associated with carbohydrate metabolism, lipid metabolism, and hydrolase activity, while population B was depleted in zinc ion binding genes.

Conclusion

Clinical isolates of A. flavus are non-randomly distributed across populations, with population D showing the highest proportion of clinical isolates and containing the species type strain. This contrasts with A. fumigatus where clinical isolates are evenly distributed, suggesting distinct evolutionary trajectories to pathogenicity.
  • Published in:Nature Communications,
  • Study Type:Genomic comparative analysis study,
  • Source: 10.1038/s41467-025-62777-9, PMID: 40817095
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