Genomic innovations linked to infection strategies across emerging pathogenic chytrid fungi

Rhys A Farrer; An Martel; Elin Verbrugghe; Amr Abouelleil; Richard Ducatelle; Joyce E Longcore; Timothy Y James; Frank Pasmans; Matthew C Fisher; Christina A Cuomo

doi:10.1038/ncomms14742

Genomic innovations linked to infection strategies across emerging pathogenic chytrid fungi

Rhys A Farrer
, An Martel
, Elin Verbrugghe
, Amr Abouelleil
, Richard Ducatelle
, Joyce E Longcore
, Timothy Y James
, Frank Pasmans (Corresponding Author)
, Matthew C Fisher (Corresponding Author)
, Christina A Cuomo (Corresponding Author)

Medical Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

81 Citations (Scopus)

16 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

To understand the evolutionary pathways that lead to emerging infections of vertebrates, here we explore the genomic innovations that allow free-living chytrid fungi to adapt to and colonize amphibian hosts. Sequencing and comparing the genomes of two pathogenic species of Batrachochytrium to those of close saprophytic relatives reveals that pathogenicity is associated with remarkable expansions of protease and cell wall gene families, while divergent infection strategies are linked to radiations of lineage-specific gene families. By comparing the host-pathogen response to infection for both pathogens, we illuminate the traits that underpin a strikingly different immune response within a shared host species. Our results show that, despite commonalities that promote infection, specific gene-family radiations contribute to distinct infection strategies. The breadth and evolutionary novelty of candidate virulence factors that we discover underscores the urgent need to halt the advance of pathogenic chytrids and prevent incipient loss of biodiversity.

Original language	English
Article number	14742
Number of pages	11
Journal	Nature Communications
Volume	8
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms14742
Publication status	Published - 21 Mar 2017

Bibliographical note

We acknowledge the Broad Institute Sequencing Platform and Imperial College London for generating the DNA and RNA sequence described here. Financial support was provided by a UK Natural Environmental Research Council (NERC NE/K012509/1) grant to MCF, a Wellcome Trust Fellowship to RF, a Morris Animal Foundation grant to FP, and by the National Human Genome Research Institute grant number U54HG003067 to the Broad Institute. E.V. is supported by the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO grant 12E6616N).

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Genomic innovations linked to infection strategies across emerging pathogenic chytrid fungi
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Cite this

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title = "Genomic innovations linked to infection strategies across emerging pathogenic chytrid fungi",

abstract = "To understand the evolutionary pathways that lead to emerging infections of vertebrates, here we explore the genomic innovations that allow free-living chytrid fungi to adapt to and colonize amphibian hosts. Sequencing and comparing the genomes of two pathogenic species of Batrachochytrium to those of close saprophytic relatives reveals that pathogenicity is associated with remarkable expansions of protease and cell wall gene families, while divergent infection strategies are linked to radiations of lineage-specific gene families. By comparing the host-pathogen response to infection for both pathogens, we illuminate the traits that underpin a strikingly different immune response within a shared host species. Our results show that, despite commonalities that promote infection, specific gene-family radiations contribute to distinct infection strategies. The breadth and evolutionary novelty of candidate virulence factors that we discover underscores the urgent need to halt the advance of pathogenic chytrids and prevent incipient loss of biodiversity.",

author = "Farrer, \{Rhys A\} and An Martel and Elin Verbrugghe and Amr Abouelleil and Richard Ducatelle and Longcore, \{Joyce E\} and James, \{Timothy Y\} and Frank Pasmans and Fisher, \{Matthew C\} and Cuomo, \{Christina A\}",

note = "We acknowledge the Broad Institute Sequencing Platform and Imperial College London for generating the DNA and RNA sequence described here. Financial support was provided by a UK Natural Environmental Research Council (NERC NE/K012509/1) grant to MCF, a Wellcome Trust Fellowship to RF, a Morris Animal Foundation grant to FP, and by the National Human Genome Research Institute grant number U54HG003067 to the Broad Institute. E.V. is supported by the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO grant 12E6616N).",

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AU - Farrer, Rhys A

AU - Martel, An

AU - Verbrugghe, Elin

AU - Abouelleil, Amr

AU - Ducatelle, Richard

AU - Longcore, Joyce E

AU - James, Timothy Y

AU - Pasmans, Frank

AU - Fisher, Matthew C

AU - Cuomo, Christina A

N1 - We acknowledge the Broad Institute Sequencing Platform and Imperial College London for generating the DNA and RNA sequence described here. Financial support was provided by a UK Natural Environmental Research Council (NERC NE/K012509/1) grant to MCF, a Wellcome Trust Fellowship to RF, a Morris Animal Foundation grant to FP, and by the National Human Genome Research Institute grant number U54HG003067 to the Broad Institute. E.V. is supported by the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO grant 12E6616N).

PY - 2017/3/21

Y1 - 2017/3/21

N2 - To understand the evolutionary pathways that lead to emerging infections of vertebrates, here we explore the genomic innovations that allow free-living chytrid fungi to adapt to and colonize amphibian hosts. Sequencing and comparing the genomes of two pathogenic species of Batrachochytrium to those of close saprophytic relatives reveals that pathogenicity is associated with remarkable expansions of protease and cell wall gene families, while divergent infection strategies are linked to radiations of lineage-specific gene families. By comparing the host-pathogen response to infection for both pathogens, we illuminate the traits that underpin a strikingly different immune response within a shared host species. Our results show that, despite commonalities that promote infection, specific gene-family radiations contribute to distinct infection strategies. The breadth and evolutionary novelty of candidate virulence factors that we discover underscores the urgent need to halt the advance of pathogenic chytrids and prevent incipient loss of biodiversity.

AB - To understand the evolutionary pathways that lead to emerging infections of vertebrates, here we explore the genomic innovations that allow free-living chytrid fungi to adapt to and colonize amphibian hosts. Sequencing and comparing the genomes of two pathogenic species of Batrachochytrium to those of close saprophytic relatives reveals that pathogenicity is associated with remarkable expansions of protease and cell wall gene families, while divergent infection strategies are linked to radiations of lineage-specific gene families. By comparing the host-pathogen response to infection for both pathogens, we illuminate the traits that underpin a strikingly different immune response within a shared host species. Our results show that, despite commonalities that promote infection, specific gene-family radiations contribute to distinct infection strategies. The breadth and evolutionary novelty of candidate virulence factors that we discover underscores the urgent need to halt the advance of pathogenic chytrids and prevent incipient loss of biodiversity.

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DO - 10.1038/ncomms14742

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SN - 2041-1723

VL - 8

JO - Nature Communications

JF - Nature Communications

M1 - 14742

ER -

Genomic innovations linked to infection strategies across emerging pathogenic chytrid fungi

Abstract

Bibliographical note

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