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Many globally isolated AD hybrid strains of Cryptococcus neoformans originated in Africa

Publication ,  Journal Article
Litvintseva, AP; Lin, X; Templeton, I; Heitman, J; Mitchell, TG
Published in: PLoS Pathogens
August 1, 2007

Interspecific and intervarietal hybridization may contribute to the biological diversity of fungal populations. Cryptococcus neoformans is a pathogenic yeast and the most common fungal cause of meningitis in patients with AIDS. Most patients are infected with either of the two varieties of C. neoformans, designated as serotype A (C. neoformans var. grubii) or serotype D (C. neoformans var. neoformans). In addition, serotype AD strains, which are hybrids of these two varieties, are commonly isolated from clinical and environmental samples. While most isolates of serotype A and serotype D are haploid, AD strains are diploid or aneuploid, and contain two sets of chromosomes and two mating type alleles, MATa and MATα, one from each of the serotypes. The global population of serotype A is dominated by isolates with the MATα mating type (Aα); however, about half of the globally analyzed AD strains possess the extremely rare serotype A MATa allele (Aa). We previously described an unusual population of serotype A in Botswana, in which 25% of the strains contain the rare MATa allele. Here we utilized two methods, phylogenetic analysis of three genes and genotyping by scoring amplified fragment length polymorphisms, and discovered that AD hybrid strains possessing the rare serotype A MATa allele (genotype AaDα) cluster with isolates of serotype A from Botswana, whereas AD hybrids that possess the MATα serotype A allele (AαDa and AαDα) cluster with cosmopolitan isolates of serotype A. We also determined that AD hybrid strains are more resistant to UV irradiation than haploid serotype A strains from Botswana. These findings support two hypotheses: (i) AaDα strains originated in sub-Saharan Africa from a cross between strains of serotypes A and D; and (ii) this fusion produced hybrid strains with increased fitness, enabling the Botswanan serotype A MATa genome, which is otherwise geographically restricted, to survive, emigrate, and propagate throughout the world. © 2007 Litvintseva et al.

Duke Scholars

Published In

PLoS Pathogens

DOI

EISSN

1553-7374

ISSN

1553-7366

Publication Date

August 1, 2007

Volume

3

Issue

8

Start / End Page

1109 / 1117

Related Subject Headings

  • Virology
  • 3207 Medical microbiology
  • 3204 Immunology
  • 3107 Microbiology
  • 1108 Medical Microbiology
  • 1107 Immunology
  • 0605 Microbiology
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Litvintseva, A. P., Lin, X., Templeton, I., Heitman, J., & Mitchell, T. G. (2007). Many globally isolated AD hybrid strains of Cryptococcus neoformans originated in Africa. PLoS Pathogens, 3(8), 1109–1117. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.0030114
Litvintseva, A. P., X. Lin, I. Templeton, J. Heitman, and T. G. Mitchell. “Many globally isolated AD hybrid strains of Cryptococcus neoformans originated in Africa.” PLoS Pathogens 3, no. 8 (August 1, 2007): 1109–17. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.0030114.
Litvintseva AP, Lin X, Templeton I, Heitman J, Mitchell TG. Many globally isolated AD hybrid strains of Cryptococcus neoformans originated in Africa. PLoS Pathogens. 2007 Aug 1;3(8):1109–17.
Litvintseva, A. P., et al. “Many globally isolated AD hybrid strains of Cryptococcus neoformans originated in Africa.” PLoS Pathogens, vol. 3, no. 8, Aug. 2007, pp. 1109–17. Scopus, doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.0030114.
Litvintseva AP, Lin X, Templeton I, Heitman J, Mitchell TG. Many globally isolated AD hybrid strains of Cryptococcus neoformans originated in Africa. PLoS Pathogens. 2007 Aug 1;3(8):1109–1117.

Published In

PLoS Pathogens

DOI

EISSN

1553-7374

ISSN

1553-7366

Publication Date

August 1, 2007

Volume

3

Issue

8

Start / End Page

1109 / 1117

Related Subject Headings

  • Virology
  • 3207 Medical microbiology
  • 3204 Immunology
  • 3107 Microbiology
  • 1108 Medical Microbiology
  • 1107 Immunology
  • 0605 Microbiology