Genome Sequences Reveal Cryptic Speciation in the Human Pathogen Histoplasma capsulatum.

ABSTRACT: Histoplasma capsulatum is a pathogenic fungus that causes life-threatening lung infections. About 500,000 people are exposed to H. capsulatum each year in the United States, and over 60% of the U.S. population has been exposed to the fungus at some point in their life. We performed genome-wide population genetics and phylogenetic analyses with 30 Histoplasma isolates representing four recognized areas where histoplasmosis is endemic and show that the Histoplasma genus is composed of at least four species that are genetically isolated and rarely interbreed. Therefore, we propose a taxonomic rearrangement of the genus.IMPORTANCE The evolutionary processes that give rise to new pathogen lineages are critical to our understanding of how they adapt to new envi

SUBMITTER: Sepulveda VE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5717386 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature