Dataset Information

Dissecting the Heterogeneous Population Genetic Structure of Candida albicans: Limitations and Constraints of the Multilocus Sequence Typing Scheme.

ABSTRACT: Candida albicans is a fungal opportunistic pathogen of significant public health importance mainly due to the recent emergence of strains with increased aggressiveness and antifungal resistance. Here, we aimed to describe the epidemiological profiles and approximate the population structure of C. albicans by analyzing the C. albicans multilocus sequence typing (MLST) database (Calb-MLST-DB), which contains the largest publically available dataset for this species. Based on 4,318 database isolates, we confirmed the ubiquitous nature of C. albicans including a group of diploid sequence types (DSTs) obtained from Healthy individuals exclusively (taken as an indicator of lack of association with illnesses in its host), until isolates established from Non-Healthy individuals (potentially associated with pathogenic processes) and other DSTs reported in both types (Healthy and Non-Healthy). The highest number of reported DSTs was related to blood, oral and vaginal swabs (32.4, 20.5, and 13.8%, respectively). High genetic diversity was observed in the seven housekeeping genes included in the MLST scheme, with a diverse population structure (154 clonal complexes, CCs; and a high number of singletons, n = 1,074). Phylogenetic reconstruction on the concatenated alignment of these housekeeping genes for all the reported DSTs (n = 3,483) was partially concordant with the CC assignment, however, an absence of bootstrap threshold supported nodes or p-distance, and the lack of association with the other epidemiological variables, evidenced the limitations of the MLST scheme. Marked genetic admixture signals were identified by STRUCTURE, with the majority being attributable to recombination events according to the RDP program results, although another type of exchange event cannot be ruled out. Our results reaffirm the genetic diversity inherent in the genes used for the MLST scheme, which are associated with the chromosomal remodeling already proposed for C. albicans. This was also corroborated with an internal validation at a micro geographical scale. Despite these results are biased due to the unavailability of considering the broad global spectrum of C. albicans isolates around the world. This suggests that the strategy used to population type this pathogen should be reevaluated to improve epidemiological monitoring of its health impact.

SUBMITTER: Munoz M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6524206 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Dissecting the Heterogeneous Population Genetic Structure of Candida albicans: Limitations and Constraints of the Multilocus Sequence Typing Scheme.

Muñoz Marina M Wintaco Luz Maira LM Muñoz Shirly Alexandra SA Ramírez Juan David JD

Frontiers in microbiology 20190510

Candida albicans is a fungal opportunistic pathogen of significant public health importance mainly due to the recent emergence of strains with increased aggressiveness and antifungal resistance. Here, we aimed to describe the epidemiological profiles and approximate the population structure of C. albicans by analyzing the C. albicans multilocus sequence typing (MLST) database (Calb-MLST-DB), which contains the largest publically available dataset for this species. Based on 4 ...[more]

PMID: 31134042

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Project description:Streptococcus mutans is one of the primary pathogens responsible for the development of dental caries. Recent whole-genome sequencing (WGS)-based core genome multilocus sequence typing (cgMLST) approaches have been employed in epidemiological studies of specific human pathogens. However, this approach has not been reported in studies of S. mutans Here, we therefore developed a cgMLST scheme for S. mutans We surveyed 199 available S. mutans genomes as a means of identifying cgMLST targets, developing a scheme that incorporated 594 targets from the S. mutans UA159 reference genome. Sixty-eight sequence types (STs) were identified in this cgMLST scheme (cgSTs) in 80 S. mutans isolates from 40 children that were sequenced in this study, compared to 35 STs identified by multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Fifty-six cgSTs (82.35%) were associated with a single isolate based on our cgMLST scheme, which is significantly higher than in the MLST scheme (11.43%). In addition, 58.06% of all MLST profiles with ≥2 isolates were further differentiated by our cgMLST scheme. Topological analyses of the maximum likelihood phylogenetic trees revealed that our cgMLST scheme was more reliable than the MLST scheme. A minimum spanning tree of 145 S. mutans isolates from 10 countries developed based upon the cgMLST scheme highlighted the diverse population structure of S. mutans This cgMLST scheme thus offers a new molecular typing method suitable for evaluating the epidemiological distribution of this pathogen and has the potential to serve as a benchmark for future global studies of the epidemiological nature of dental caries.IMPORTANCEStreptococcus mutans is regarded as a major pathogen responsible for the onset of dental caries. S. mutans can transmit among people, especially within families. In this study, we established a new epidemiological approach to S. mutans classification. This approach can effectively differentiate among closely related isolates and offers superior reliability relative to that of the traditional MLST molecular typing method. As such, it has the potential to better support effective public health strategies centered around this bacterium that are aimed at preventing and treating dental caries.

Dataset Information

Dissecting the Heterogeneous Population Genetic Structure of Candida albicans: Limitations and Constraints of the Multilocus Sequence Typing Scheme.

Publications

Dissecting the Heterogeneous Population Genetic Structure of <i>Candida albicans</i>: Limitations and Constraints of the Multilocus Sequence Typing Scheme.

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