The differential virulence of Fusarium strains causing corneal infections and plant diseases is associated with accessory chromosome composition.

ABSTRACT

Fusarium oxysporum is a cross-kingdom pathogen. While some strains cause disseminated fusariosis and blinding corneal infections in humans, others are responsible for devastating vascular wilt diseases in plants. To better understand the distinct adaptations of F. oxysporum to animal or plant hosts, we conducted a comparative phenotypic and genetic analysis of two strains MRL8996 (isolated from a keratitis patient) and Fol4287 (isolated from a wilted tomato [Solanum lycopersicum]). In vivo infection of mouse corneas and tomato plants revealed that, while both strains cause symptoms in both hosts, MRL8996 caused more severe corneal ulceration and perforation in mice, whereas Fol4287 induced more pronounced wilting symptoms in tomato. In vitro assays using abiotic stress treatments revealed that the human pathogen MRL8996 was better adapted to elevated temperatures, whereas the plant pathogen Fol4287 was more tolerant of osmotic and cell wall stresses. Both strains displayed broad resistance to antifungal treatment, with MRL8996 exhibiting the paradoxical effect of increased tolerance to higher concentrations of the antifungal caspofungin. We identified a set of accessory chromosomes (ACs) and protein-encoding genes with distinct transposon profiles and functions, respectively, between MRL8996 and Fol4287. Interestingly, ACs from both genomes also encode proteins with shared functions, such as chromatin remodeling and post-translational protein modifications. Our phenotypic assays and comparative genomics analyses lay the foundation for future studies correlating genotype with phenotype and for developing targeted antifungals for agricultural and clinical uses.