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 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 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.

Incidence of SCN-Assoicated Gene Mutations in Severe Congenital Neutropenia Patients in North America

Blood ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 112 (11) ◽  
pp. 3553-3553
Author(s):  
Jun Xia ◽  
Audrey Anna Bolyard ◽  
Elin Rodger ◽  
Steven Stein ◽  
Andrew AG Aprikyan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
North American ◽  
Barth Syndrome ◽  
North American Population ◽  
Compound Heterozygous ◽  
Severe Congenital Neutropenia ◽  
Congenital Neutropenia ◽  
Cyclic Neutropenia ◽  
The North ◽  
Two Samples

Abstract Severe congenital neutropenia is a genetically heterogeneous syndrome associated with mutations in several different genes including ELA2, HAX1, GFI1, WAS, and CSF3R. The goal of this study was to define the mutation frequency of these genes in the North American SCN patient population. We also sequenced SBDS, since mutations of SBDS have been associated with congenital and acquired neutropenia. A total of 159 patients were identified in the North American Severe Chronic Neutropenia International Registry (SCNIR) for whom informed consent and genomic DNA samples adequate for sequencing were available. To accommodate our semi-automated high-throughput sequencing pipeline, 94 samples were chosen for sequencing. Since ELA2 sequencing had already been performed in most cases, preference was given to those samples without known ELA2 mutation. Among the samples, 73 were from patients with SCN, 4 with cyclic neutropenia, 10 with idiopathic neutropenia, 2 with Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome (SDS), and 3 with Barth syndrome. Two samples were excluded because of poor sequence quality. Singleton cases with validated mutations of GFI1 (N382S) and WAS (L270P) were observed. The N382S GFI1 mutation was associated with striking monocytosis. A novel nonsense mutation of GFI1 (R412X) was detected in one additional case. As expected, compound heterozygous mutations of SBDS were present in the two cases of SDS. In addition, heterozygous mutations of SBDS (84Cfs3X and Q94X) were observed in two cases of SCN. Typical truncation mutations of CSF3R were detected in 4 cases, all developing MDS or AML. Surprisingly, no mutations of HAX1 were detected. Considering only patients with a diagnosis of SCN who were from North America (125 of the total 159 cases), the incidence of ELA2 mutations was 68%. Eleven novel ELA2 mutations were identified. In 28.8% of cases, no mutation of any gene were detected. Based on these data, we recommend that ELA2 genotyping be performed in all patients with suspected SCN. In the North American population mutations in HAX1, GFI1, SBDS, and WAS are rare and routine genotyping is not indicated. Finally, the data suggest that there are yet undiscovered genetic causes of SCN.

scholarly journals Strong Genetic Differentiation Between North American and European Populations of Phytophthora alni subsp. uniformis

2013 ◽  
Vol 103 (2) ◽  
pp. 190-199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaime Aguayo ◽  
Gerard C. Adams ◽  
Fabien Halkett ◽  
Mursel Catal ◽  
Claude Husson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
North America ◽  
Mating System ◽  
North American ◽  
Parental Species ◽  
European Countries ◽  
North American Population ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
Reproduction Mode ◽  
The North

Alder decline caused by Phytophthora alni has been one of the most important diseases of natural ecosystems in Europe during the last 20 years. The emergence of P. alni subsp. alni —the pathogen responsible for the epidemic—is linked to an interspecific hybridization event between two parental species: P. alni subsp. multiformis and P. alni subsp. uniformis. One of the parental species, P. alni subsp. uniformis, has been isolated in several European countries and, recently, in North America. The objective of this work was to assess the level of genetic diversity, the population genetic structure, and the putative reproduction mode and mating system of P. alni subsp. uniformis. Five new polymorphic microsatellite markers were used to contrast both geographical populations. The study comprised 71 isolates of P. alni subsp. uniformis collected from eight European countries and 10 locations in North America. Our results revealed strong differences between continental populations (Fst = 0.88; Rst = 0.74), with no evidence for gene flow. European isolates showed extremely low genetic diversity compared with the North American collection. Selfing appears to be the predominant mating system in both continental collections. The results suggest that the European P. alni subsp. uniformis population is most likely alien and derives from the introduction of a few individuals, whereas the North American population probably is an indigenous population.

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 Population Genomic Analyses Reveal Connectivity via Human-Mediated Transport across Populus Plantations in North America and an Undescribed Subpopulation of Sphaerulina musiva

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 189-199 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. F. Tabima ◽  
K. L. Søndreli ◽  
S. Keriö ◽  
N. Feau ◽  
M. L. Sakalidis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
British Columbia ◽  
North America ◽  
North American ◽  
Plant Pathogens ◽  
Evolutionary Dynamics ◽  
Population Genomics ◽  
Plant Domestication ◽  
North American Population ◽  
The North

Domestication of plant species has affected the evolutionary dynamics of plant pathogens in agriculture and forestry. A model system for studying the consequences of plant domestication on the evolution of an emergent plant disease is the fungal pathogen Sphaerulina musiva. This ascomycete causes leaf spot and stem canker disease of Populus spp. and their hybrids. A population genomics approach was used to determine the degree of population structure and evidence for selection on the North American population of S. musiva. In total, 122 samples of the fungus were genotyped identifying 120,016 single-nucleotide polymorphisms after quality filtering. In North America, S. musiva has low to moderate degrees of differentiation among locations. Three main genetic clusters were detected: southeastern United States, midwestern United States and Canada, and a new British Columbia cluster (BC2). Population genomics suggest that BC2 is a novel genetic cluster from central British Columbia, clearly differentiated from previously reported S. musiva from coastal British Columbia, and the product of a single migration event. Phenotypic measurements from greenhouse experiments indicate lower aggressiveness of BC2 on Populus trichocarpa. In summary, S. musiva has geographic structure across broad regions indicative of gene flow among clusters. The interconnectedness of the North American S. musiva populations across large geographic distances further supports the hypothesis of anthropogenic-facilitated transport of the pathogen.

scholarly journals Fungus causing White-Nose Syndrome in bats accumulates genetic variability in North America and shows no sign of recombination

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jigar Trivedi ◽  
Karen Vanderwolf ◽  
Vikram Misra ◽  
Craig K. R. Willis ◽  
John Ratcliffe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Genetic Variability ◽  
Fungal Pathogens ◽  
Population Genomics ◽  
North American Population ◽  
American Population ◽  
Pseudogymnoascus Destructans ◽  
Genome Wide Analysis ◽  
White Nose Syndrome ◽  
Genome Wide

Emerging fungal diseases of wildlife are on the rise worldwide (3) and the best lens on the evolution of the fungal pathogens is population genomics. Our genome-wide analysis shows that the newly introduced North American population of Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the causal agent of White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) in bats, has expanded in size, has begun to accumulate variation through mutation, and presents no evidence as yet for genetic exchange and recombination among individuals.

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