scholarly journals Novel Partitivirus Infection of Bat White-nose Syndrome (WNS) Fungal Pathogen Pseudogymnoascus destructans Links Eurasian and North American Isolates

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ping Ren ◽  
Sunanda S. Rajkumar ◽  
Haixin Sui ◽  
Paul S. Masters ◽  
Natalia Martinkova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
North American ◽  
Pathogenic Fungi ◽  
The United States ◽  
Dsrna Segment ◽  
Pseudogymnoascus Destructans ◽  
Sequence Alignments ◽  
White Nose Syndrome ◽  
The North ◽  
Single Clone ◽  
Host Fungus

ABSTRACTBat White-nose Syndrome (WNS) fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans had caused mass mortality in the North American bats. A single clone of the pathogen (Hap_1) was likely introduced in the United States while Eurasian population comprised of several haplotypes. The origin and spread of P. destructans remain enigmatic due in part to a lack of precise population markers. We searched for P. destructans mycoviruses as they are highly host-specific, and their spread could provide a window on the origin of the host fungus. We discovered a P. destructans bipartite virus PdPV-1 with two double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) segments - LS (1,683 bp) and SS (1,524 bp) with motifs similar to viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) and putative capsid proteins (CPs), respectively. Both LS and SS ORFs were embedded only in the positive strand of each dsRNA segment. Sequence alignments and phylogenetic analysis suggested that both segments constitute the genome of a new virus similar to the mycoviruses in the family Partitiviridae genus Gammapartitivirus. Purified viral particles appeared as isometric virions with approximately 33 nm diameters typical of partitiviruses. A newly developed RT-PCR assay revealed that all US isolates and only a few Eurasian isolates were infected with PdPV-1. PdPV-1 was P. destructans - specific as closely related non-pathogenic fungi P. appendiculatus and P. roseus tested negative. Thus, PdPV-1 establishes a link between the Eurasian and North American P. destructans. PdPV-1 could be used as an experimental tool to further investigate fungal biogeography, and the host - pathogen interactions.

scholarly journals Fungus Causing White-Nose Syndrome in Bats Accumulates Genetic Variability in North America with No Sign of Recombination

mSphere ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jigar Trivedi ◽  
Josianne Lachapelle ◽  
Karen J. Vanderwolf ◽  
Vikram Misra ◽  
Craig K. R. Willis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
North American ◽  
Disease Ecology ◽  
Spontaneous Mutation ◽  
North American Population ◽  
Pseudogymnoascus Destructans ◽  
Clonal Population ◽  
White Nose Syndrome ◽  
The North ◽  
Single Clone

ABSTRACT Emerging fungal diseases of wildlife are on the rise worldwide, and the white-nose syndrome (WNS) epidemic in North American bats is a catastrophic example. The causal agent of WNS is a single clone of the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans. Early evolutionary change in this clonal population has major implications for disease ecology and conservation. Accumulation of variation in the fungus through mutation, and shuffling of variation through recombination, could affect the virulence and transmissibility of the fungus and the durability of what appears to be resistance arising in some bat populations. Our genome-wide analysis shows that the clonal population of P. destructans has expanded in size from a single genotype, has begun to accumulate variation through mutation, and presents no evidence as yet of genetic exchange among individuals. IMPORTANCE Since its discovery in 2006, the emerging infectious disease known as white-nose syndrome has killed millions of bats in North America, making it one of the most devastating wildlife epidemics in recorded history. We demonstrate that there has been as yet only spontaneous mutation across the North American population of P. destructans, and we find no indication of recombination. Thus, selective forces, which might otherwise impact pathogenic virulence, have so far had essentially no genetic variation on which to act. Our study confirmed the time of origin for the first and, thus far, only introduction of P. destructans to North America. This system provides an unprecedented opportunity to follow the evolution of a host-pathogen interaction unfolding in real time.

scholarly journals Phylogenetics of a Fungal Invasion: Origins and Widespread Dispersal of White-Nose Syndrome

mBio ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin P. Drees ◽  
Jeffrey M. Lorch ◽  
Sebastien J. Puechmaille ◽  
Katy L. Parise ◽  
Gudrun Wibbelt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
North America ◽  
North American ◽  
Fungal Pathogen ◽  
Phylogenetic Study ◽  
Pseudogymnoascus Destructans ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Recent Introduction ◽  
White Nose Syndrome ◽  
The North

ABSTRACT Globalization has facilitated the worldwide movement and introduction of pathogens, but epizoological reconstructions of these invasions are often hindered by limited sampling and insufficient genetic resolution among isolates. Pseudogymnoascus destructans , a fungal pathogen causing the epizootic of white-nose syndrome in North American bats, has exhibited few genetic polymorphisms in previous studies, presenting challenges for both epizoological tracking of the spread of this fungus and for determining its evolutionary history. We used single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from whole-genome sequencing and microsatellites to construct high-resolution phylogenies of P. destructans . Shallow genetic diversity and the lack of geographic structuring among North American isolates support a recent introduction followed by expansion via clonal reproduction across the epizootic zone. Moreover, the genetic relationships of isolates within North America suggest widespread mixing and long-distance movement of the fungus. Genetic diversity among isolates of P. destructans from Europe was substantially higher than in those from North America. However, genetic distance between the North American isolates and any given European isolate was similar to the distance between the individual European isolates. In contrast, the isolates we examined from Asia were highly divergent from both European and North American isolates. Although the definitive source for introduction of the North American population has not been conclusively identified, our data support the origin of the North American invasion by P. destructans from Europe rather than Asia. IMPORTANCE This phylogenetic study of the bat white-nose syndrome agent, P. destructans , uses genomics to elucidate evolutionary relationships among populations of the fungal pathogen to understand the epizoology of this biological invasion. We analyze hypervariable and abundant genetic characters (microsatellites and genomic SNPs, respectively) to reveal previously uncharacterized diversity among populations of the pathogen from North America and Eurasia. We present new evidence supporting recent introduction of the fungus to North America from a diverse Eurasian population, with limited increase in genetic variation in North America since that introduction.

scholarly journals Landscape Genetic Connectivity and Evidence for Recombination in the North American Population of the White-Nose Syndrome Pathogen, Pseudogymnoascus destructans

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 182
Author(s):  
Adrian Forsythe ◽  
Karen J. Vanderwolf ◽  
Jianping Xu
Keyword(s):  
Population Structure ◽  
North America ◽  
North American ◽  
New York State ◽  
Genetic Connectivity ◽  
Allelic Association ◽  
Pseudogymnoascus Destructans ◽  
White Nose Syndrome ◽  
The North ◽  
Landscape Genetic

White-Nose Syndrome is an ongoing fungal epizootic caused by epidermal infections of the fungus, Pseudogymnoascus destructans (P. destructans), affecting hibernating bat species in North America. Emerging early in 2006 in New York State, infections of P. destructans have spread to 38 US States and seven Canadian Provinces. Since then, clonal isolates of P. destructans have accumulated genotypic and phenotypic variations in North America. Using microsatellite and single nucleotide polymorphism markers, we investigated the population structure and genetic relationships among P. destructans isolates from diverse regions in North America to understand its pattern of spread, and to test hypotheses about factors that contribute to transmission. We found limited support for genetic isolation of P. destructans populations by geographic distance, and instead identified evidence for gene flow among geographic regions. Interestingly, allelic association tests revealed evidence for recombination in the North American P. destructans population. Our landscape genetic analyses revealed that the population structure of P. destructans in North America was significantly influenced by anthropogenic impacts on the landscape. Our results have important implications for understanding the mechanism(s) of P. destructans spread.

scholarly journals Worldwide recombination in emergent white-nose syndrome pathogen Pseudogymnoascus destructans

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lav Sharma ◽  
Márcia Sousa ◽  
Ana S. Faria ◽  
Margarida Nunes-Pereira ◽  
João A. Cabral ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Linkage Disequilibrium ◽  
North America ◽  
Genetic Recombination ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mating Types ◽  
Linkage Disequilibrium Analysis ◽  
Pseudogymnoascus Destructans ◽  
White Nose Syndrome ◽  
The North ◽  
Single Mating

AbstractPseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), the emergent fungus causing bat “White-Nose Syndrome”, responsible for ∼6 million mortalities in the United States (US), is thought to expand clonally in North America and Europe. Presence of distinct mating-types in Europe led to numerous research attempts searching for population sexuality worldwide. This study not only presents the first evidence of genetic recombination in Pd but also detects recombination in Pd genotype data generated by previous studies in Europe and North America, through clone-corrected linkage disequilibrium analysis. Portuguese and other European populations are apparently reproducing through sex between two mating-types. Seeming parasexual recombination in the invasive single mating-type US population rings alarms for the North American bat populations and deserves urgent attention. This study emphasizes on clone-correction in linkage disequilibrium analysis.One Sentence SummaryClone-correction yielded signs of elusive recombination in the global “clonal” populations of white-nose syndrome pathogen.

scholarly journals Progress in Diagnosing Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia: The North American Perspective

Diagnostics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 1278
Author(s):  
Michael Glenn O’Connor ◽  
Amjad Horani ◽  
Adam J. Shapiro
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Testing ◽  
North America ◽  
North American ◽  
Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia ◽  
Clinical Phenotype ◽  
The United States ◽  
Diagnostic Process ◽  
The North ◽  
Diagnostic Guideline ◽  
Ciliary Dyskinesia

Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD) is a rare, under-recognized disease that affects respiratory ciliary function, resulting in chronic oto-sino-pulmonary disease. The PCD clinical phenotype overlaps with other common respiratory conditions and no single diagnostic test detects all forms of PCD. In 2018, PCD experts collaborated with the American Thoracic Society (ATS) to create a clinical diagnostic guideline for patients across North America, specifically considering the local resources and limitations for PCD diagnosis in the United States and Canada. Nasal nitric oxide (nNO) testing is recommended for first-line testing in patients ≥5 years old with a compatible clinical phenotype; however, all low nNO values require confirmation with genetic testing or ciliary electron micrograph (EM) analysis. Furthermore, these guidelines recognize that not all North American patients have access to nNO testing and isolated genetic testing is appropriate in cases with strong clinical PCD phenotypes. For unresolved diagnostic cases, referral to a PCD Foundation accredited center is recommended. The purpose of this narrative review is to provide insight on the North American PCD diagnostic process, to enhance the understanding of and adherence to current guidelines, and to promote collaboration with diagnostic pathways used outside of North America.

scholarly journals “The Future of Archaeology Is Antiracist”: Archaeology in the Time of Black Lives Matter

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Ayana Omilade Flewellen ◽  
Justin P. Dunnavant ◽  
Alicia Odewale ◽  
Alexandra Jones ◽  
Tsione Wolde-Michael ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
North American ◽  
The United States ◽  
Heritage Preservation ◽  
Social Unrest ◽  
Black Lives Matter ◽  
The North ◽  
Road Map ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Future

This forum builds on the discussion stimulated during an online salon in which the authors participated on June 25, 2020, entitled “Archaeology in the Time of Black Lives Matter,” and which was cosponsored by the Society of Black Archaeologists (SBA), the North American Theoretical Archaeology Group (TAG), and the Columbia Center for Archaeology. The online salon reflected on the social unrest that gripped the United States in the spring of 2020, gauged the history and conditions leading up to it, and considered its rippling throughout the disciplines of archaeology and heritage preservation. Within the forum, the authors go beyond reporting the generative conversation that took place in June by presenting a road map for an antiracist archaeology in which antiblackness is dismantled.

A SYNOPSIS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN SPECIES OF SYNDIPNUS (HYMEN., ICHNEUMONIDAE)

1940 ◽  
Vol 72 (7) ◽  
pp. 135-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Stuart Walley
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
North American ◽  
The United States ◽  
North American Species ◽  
National Museum ◽  
United States National Museum ◽  
The North

As noted below the two North American species described in Syndipnus by workers appear to belong in other genrra. In Europe the gunus is represented by nearly a score of species and has been reviewed in recent years by two writers (1, 2). North American collections contain very few representatives of the genus; after combining the material in the National Collection with that from the United States National Museum, the latter kindly loaned to me by Mr. R. A. Cushman, only thirty-seven specimens are available for study.

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