Genomic analysis provides insights into the transmission and pathogenicity of Talaromyces marneffei.
Fungal Genet Biol
; 130: 54-61, 2019 09.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-31075360
ABSTRACT
Talaromyces marneffei (T. marneffei) is a medically important opportunistic dimorphic fungus that infects both humans and bamboo rats. However, the mechanisms of transmission and pathogenicity of T. marneffei are poorly understood. In our study, we combined Illumina and PacBio sequencing technologies to sequence and assemble a complete genome of T. marneffei. To elucidate the transmission route and source, we sequenced three additional T. marneffei isolates using Illumina sequencing technology. Variations among isolates were used to develop a multilocus sequence typing (MLST) system comprising five housekeeping genes that can be used to discriminate between isolates derived from different sources. Our analysis revealed that human and bamboo rat share identical genotypes in these five loci. Thus, we hypothesized that T. marneffei is transmitted to humans through inhalation of spores in the surrounding environment into the lungs and that the bamboo rat can serve as an important natural reservoir for pathogens. Furthermore, we also identified temperature-dependent polyketide synthases, non-ribosomal peptide synthetases and secreted proteins as putative pathogenicity-related factors. In addition, we identified antifungal drug targets that can be investigated in future studies to elucidate the mechanisms underlying drug resistance. In summary, our study presents the basic features of the T. marneffei genome and provides insights into the transmission and pathogenicity of T. marneffei, which warrant fundamental experimental research.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Bases de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Genoma Fúngico
/
Genómica
/
Talaromyces
/
Factores de Virulencia
Tipo de estudio:
Prognostic_studies
Límite:
Animals
/
Humans
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Fungal Genet Biol
Asunto de la revista:
GENETICA
/
MICROBIOLOGIA
Año:
2019
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
China