Genotypes and population genetics of cryptococcus neoformans and cryptococcus gattii species complexes in Europe and the mediterranean area

Cryptococcosis, a potentially fatal mycosis, is caused by members of the Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii species complexes. In Latin America, cryptococcal meningitis is still an important health threat with a significant clinical burden. Analysis of publicly available molecular data from 5686 clinical, environmental, and veterinary cryptococcal isolates from member countries of the Latin American Cryptococcal Study Group showed that, as worldwide, C. neoformans molecular type VNI is the most common cause of cryptococcosis (76.01%) in HIV-infected people, followed by C. gattii molecular type VGII (12.37%), affecting mostly otherwise healthy hosts. These two molecular types also predominate in the environment (68.60% for VNI and 20.70% for VGII). Among the scarce number of veterinary cases, VGII is the predominant molecular type (73.68%). Multilocus sequence typing analysis showed that, in Latin America, the C. neoformans population is less diverse than the C. gattii population (D of 0.7104 vs. 0.9755). Analysis of antifungal susceptibility data showed the presence of non-wild-type VNI, VGI, VGII, and VGIII isolates in the region. Overall, the data presented herein summarize the progress that has been made towards the molecular epidemiology of cryptococcal isolates in Latin America, contributing to the characterization of the genetic diversity and antifungal susceptibility of these globally spreading pathogenic yeasts.

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Frequency and geographical distribution of genotypes and mating types of Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii species complexes in Argentina

Revista Argentina de Microbiología ◽

10.1016/j.ram.2019.07.005 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 52 (3) ◽

pp. 183-188

Author(s):

Constanza Giselle Taverna ◽

María Eugenia Bosco-Borgeat ◽

Mariana Mazza ◽

Matías Ezequiel Vivot ◽

Graciela Davel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cryptococcus Neoformans ◽

Geographical Distribution ◽

Cryptococcus Gattii ◽

Mating Types ◽

Species Complexes

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Spatial Quantification of the Population Exposed to Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii Species Complexes in Europe: Estimating the Immunocompetent and HIV/AIDS Patients Under Risk

Risk Analysis ◽

10.1111/risa.13410 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 40 (3) ◽

pp. 524-533 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Alberto J. Alaniz ◽

Jorge G. Carvajal ◽

Mario A. Carvajal ◽

Massimo Cogliati ◽

Pablo M. Vergara

Keyword(s):

Cryptococcus Neoformans ◽

Cryptococcus Gattii ◽

Aids Patients ◽

Species Complexes ◽

Hiv Aids

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Hybrids and hybridization in the Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii species complexes

Infection Genetics and Evolution ◽

10.1016/j.meegid.2018.10.011 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 66 ◽

pp. 245-255 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Himeshi Samarasinghe ◽

Jianping Xu

Keyword(s):

Cryptococcus Neoformans ◽

Cryptococcus Gattii ◽

Species Complexes

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Continental Drift and Speciation of the Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii Species Complexes

mSphere ◽

10.1128/msphere.00103-17 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Arturo Casadevall ◽

Joudeh B. Freij ◽

Christopher Hann-Soden ◽

John Taylor

Keyword(s):

South America ◽

Cryptococcus Neoformans ◽

Species Complex ◽

Continental Drift ◽

Pathogenic Fungi ◽

Cryptococcus Gattii ◽

Evolutionary Divergence ◽

Temporal Separation ◽

Content Type ◽

Species Complexes

ABSTRACT Genomic analysis has placed the origins of two human-pathogenic fungi, the Cryptococcus gattii species complex and the Cryptococcus neoformans species complex, in South America and Africa, respectively. Molecular clock calculations suggest that the two species separated ~80 to 100 million years ago. This time closely approximates the breakup of the supercontinent Pangea, which gave rise to South America and Africa. On the basis of the geographic distribution of these two species complexes and the coincidence of the evolutionary divergence and Pangea breakup times, we propose that a spatial separation caused by continental drift resulted in the emergence of the C. gattii and C. neoformans species complexes from a Pangean ancestor. We note that, despite the spatial and temporal separation that occurred approximately 100 million years ago, these two species complexes are morphologically similar, share virulence factors, and cause very similar diseases. Continuation of these phenotypic characteristics despite ancient separation suggests the maintenance of similar selection pressures throughout geologic ages.

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Recent Advances in Cryptococcus and Cryptococcosis

Microorganisms ◽

10.3390/microorganisms10010013 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 13

Author(s):

Carolina Firacative ◽

Luciana Trilles ◽

Wieland Meyer

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Fungal Infection ◽

Cryptococcus Neoformans ◽

Cryptococcus Gattii ◽

Recent Advances ◽

Species Complexes ◽

Life Threatening ◽

Etiological Agents

The members of the Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii species complexes are the main etiological agents of cryptococcosis, a life-threatening fungal infection affecting mostly immunocompromised people, but also immunocompetent hosts or those with unrecognized risk factors [...]

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Importance of Resolving Fungal Nomenclature: the Case of Multiple Pathogenic Species in the Cryptococcus Genus

mSphere ◽

10.1128/msphere.00238-17 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2 (4) ◽

Cited By ~ 48

Author(s):

Ferry Hagen ◽

H. Thorsten Lumbsch ◽

Valentina Arsic Arsenijevic ◽

Hamid Badali ◽

Sebastien Bertout ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cryptococcus Neoformans ◽

Species Complex ◽

Molecular Genetic ◽

Taxonomic Revision ◽

Fungal Disease ◽

Cryptococcus Gattii ◽

Species Level ◽

Content Type ◽

Species Complexes ◽

Clinical Advances

ABSTRACT Cryptococcosis is a major fungal disease caused by members of the Cryptococcus gattii and Cryptococcus neoformans species complexes. After more than 15 years of molecular genetic and phenotypic studies and much debate, a proposal for a taxonomic revision was made. Cryptococcosis is a major fungal disease caused by members of the Cryptococcus gattii and Cryptococcus neoformans species complexes. After more than 15 years of molecular genetic and phenotypic studies and much debate, a proposal for a taxonomic revision was made. The two varieties within C. neoformans were raised to species level, and the same was done for five genotypes within C. gattii. In a recent perspective (K. J. Kwon-Chung et al., mSphere 2:e00357-16, 2017, https://doi.org/10.1128/mSphere.00357-16 ), it was argued that this taxonomic proposal was premature and without consensus in the community. Although the authors of the perspective recognized the existence of genetic diversity, they preferred the use of the informal nomenclature “C. neoformans species complex” and “C. gattii species complex.” Here we highlight the advantage of recognizing these seven species, as ignoring these species will impede deciphering further biologically and clinically relevant differences between them, which may in turn delay future clinical advances.

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Molecular types of Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii in Western Australia and correlation with antifungal susceptibility

Medical Mycology ◽

10.1093/mmy/myy161 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 57 (8) ◽

pp. 1004-1010 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Gar-hing Andrew Lee ◽

Ian Arthur ◽

Adam Merritt ◽

Michael Leung

Keyword(s):

Cryptococcus Neoformans ◽

Antifungal Agents ◽

Geometric Mean ◽

Antifungal Susceptibility ◽

Cryptococcus Gattii ◽

Molecular Type ◽

Australian Population ◽

Worldwide Distribution ◽

Species Complexes ◽

Western Australian

AbstractCryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii species complexes have a worldwide distribution; however, there is geographical variation in the prevalence of different molecular types. Additionally, antifungal susceptibility differences between molecular types have been demonstrated. This study investigates the distribution of cryptococcal molecular types among human clinical isolates over a 10-year period from a Western Australian population. Molecular type was determined based on polymorphisms in the phospholipase gene locus identified through amplification and sequencing. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were identified for fluconazole, 5-fluorocytosine, posaconazole, itraconazole, voriconazole, and amphotericin B. Most isolates were C. neoformans complex (42) of which over half were molecular type VNI (22) followed by VNII (20). Among the remaining C. gattii complex (13) the majority were VGI (11) with VGII (2) uncommonly found. All isolates demonstrated low MICs to antifungal agents including fluconazole. Geometric mean MIC values against 5-fluorocytosine for VNI (1.741 mg/l) were significantly higher than those for VGI (0.47 mg/l, P = .002). Similarly fluconazole geometric mean MICs against fluconazole for VNI (2.3 mg/l) were significantly higher than VNII (0.87 mg/l, P = .036). These data reveal the presence of four molecular types (VNI, VNII, VGI and VGII) within clinical Western Australian cryptococcal isolates and, while elevated antifungal MICs were not encountered, significant molecular type dependent differences in susceptibility were found.

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