Genetic variation of secondary metabolite gene clusters in clinical isolates of cryptic species in the Aspergillus fumigatus complex (section Fumigati )

• Grant number: 19/07526-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: August 01, 2019
• End date: April 30, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Genetics - Molecular Genetics and Genetics of Microorganisms
• Principal Investigator: Gustavo Henrique Goldman
• Grantee: Renato Augusto Corrêa dos Santos
• Supervisor: Antonios Rokas
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto (FCFRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Vanderbilt University (VU), United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 17/21983-3 - Genomic analysis of Aspergillus cryptic species, BP.DR

Abstract

Aspergillus fumigatus is a major human pathogen. Several additional species that are genetically distinct but morphologically identical to A. fumigatus can also cause human infection. These so called "cryptic" species are of increasing worldwide concern due to their clinical occurrence and increased antifungal resistance compared to A. fumigatus. Previous analyses of pathogenicity between closely related species revealed great differences in secondary metabolite gene clusters though genomes were pretty similar, highlighting the high evolution rates of secondary metabolite gene clusters, that may be a contributor to phenotypic differences. The current proposal of Research Internship Abroad - Doctorate (BEPE-DR) at the Rokas Laboratory, Vanderbilt University, supervised by Dr. Antonios Rokas aims to analyze secondary metabolite gene clusters in the genomes of clinical isolates of "cryptic" species in Aspergillus fumigatus complex - Fumigati, including analyses of (i) SNPs and indel polymorphisms, gene content polymorphisms, whole gene cluster loss polymorphisms, whole gene cluster polymorphisms, idiomorphic polymorphisms, and genomic location polymorphisms. An overview of the conservation of secondary metabolite gene clusters will also be presented based on orthology analysis. Characterization of SM gene clusters in the "cryptic" species will greatly improve knowledge about these important pathogenic fungi, and possible relationship between secondary metabolite gene cluster repertoire and phenotype.

Scientific publications

(4)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

STEENWYK, JACOB L.; MEAD, MATTHEW E.; DE CASTRO, PATRICIA ALVES; VALERO, CLARA; DAMASIO, ANDRE; DOS SANTOS, RENATO A. C.; LABELLA, ABIGAIL L.; LI, YUANNING; KNOWLES, SONJA L.; RAJA, HUZEFA A.; et al. Genomic and Phenotypic Analysis of COVID-19-Associated Pulmonary Aspergillosis Isolates of Aspergillus fumigatus. MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM, v. 9, n. 1, SEP 2021. (19/07526-4, 17/21983-3, 18/00715-3)

ZUVANOV, LUIZA; BASSO GARCIA, ANA LETYCIA; CORRER, FERNANDO HENRIQUE; BIZARRIA JR, RODOLFO; DA COSTA FILHO, AILTON PEREIRA; DA COSTA, ALISSON HAYASI; THOMAZ, ANDREA T.; MENDES PINHEIRO, ANA LUCIA; RIANO-PACHON, DIEGO MAURICIO; WINCK, FLAVIA VISCHI; et al. he experience of teaching introductory programming skills to bioscientists in Brazi. PLOS COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY, v. 17, n. 11, NOV 2021. (17/21983-3, 19/10727-1, 15/03541-8, 20/02084-0, 19/24412-2, 17/10373-0, 19/07526-4, 20/04437-8)

CORREA DOS SANTOS, RENATO AUGUSTO; RIVERO-MENENDEZ, OLGA; STEENWYK, JACOB L.; MEAD, MATTHEW E.; GOLDMAN, GUSTAVO HENRIQUE; ALASTRUEY-IZQUIERDO, ANA; ROKAS, ANTONIS. Draft Genome Sequences of Four Aspergillus Section Fumigati Clinical Strains. MICROBIOLOGY RESOURCE ANNOUNCEMENTS, v. 9, n. 40, OCT 2020. (17/21983-3, 16/07870-9, 19/07526-4)

DOS SANTOS, RENATO AUGUSTO CORREA; MEAD, MATTHEW E.; STEENWYK, JACOB L.; RIVERO-MENENDEZ, OLGA; ALASTRUEY-IZQUIERDO, ANA; GOLDMAN, GUSTAVO HENRIQUE; ROKAS, ANTONIS. Examining Signatures of Natural Selection in Antifungal Resistance Genes Across Aspergillus Fungi. FRONTIERS IN FUNGAL BIOLOGY, v. 2, p. 12-pg., 2021-09-10. (17/21983-3, 16/07870-9, 19/07526-4)