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ARS Home » Southeast Area » New Orleans, Louisiana » Southern Regional Research Center » Food and Feed Safety Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #229000
Title: Genomic Islands in Pathogenic Filamentous Fungus Aspergillus fumigatus

Author
item FEDOROVA, NATALIE - THE J CRAIG VENTER INST
item KHALDI, NORA - UNIV OF DUBLIN IRELAND
item JOARDAR, VINITA - THE J CRAIG VENTER INST
item MAITI, RAMA - THE J CRAIG VENTER INST
item AMEDEO, PAOLO - THE J CRAIG VENTER INST
item ANDERSON, MICHAEL - UNIV OF MANCHESTER UK
item CRABTREE, JONATHAN - THE J CRAIG VENTER INST
item SILVA, JOANA - J Craig Venter Institute
item BADGER, JONATHAN - THE J CRAIG VENTER INST
item ALBARRAQ, AHMED - UNIV OF MANCHESTER UK
item ANGIUOLI, SAM - J Craig Venter Institute
item BUSSEY, HOWARD - McGill University - Canada
item BOWYER, PAUL - University Of Manchester
item Cotty, Peter
item DYER, PAUL - University Of Nottingham
item EGAN, AMY - J Craig Venter Institute
item GALENS, KEVIN - J Craig Venter Institute
item FRASER-LIGGETT, CLAIRE - J Craig Venter Institute
item HAAS, BRIAN - J Craig Venter Institute
item INMAN, JASON - J Craig Venter Institute
item KENT, RICHARD - University Of Manchester
item LEMIEUX, SEBASTIEN - Universite De Montreal
item MALAVAZI, IRAN - Universidad De Sao Paulo
item ORVIS, JOSHUA - J Craig Venter Institute
item ROEMER, TERRY - Merck Research Laboratories
item RONNING, CATHERINE - J Craig Venter Institute
item SUNDARAM, JAIDEEP - J Craig Venter Institute
item SUTTON, GRANGER - J Craig Venter Institute
item TURNER, GEOFF - University Of Sheffield
item VENTER, J. CRAIG - J Craig Venter Institute
item WHITE, OWEN - J Craig Venter Institute
item WHITTY, BRETT - J Craig Venter Institute
item YOUNGMAN, PHIL - Merck Research Laboratories
item WOLFE, KENNETH - University Of Dublin
item GOLDMAN, GUSTAVO - Universidad De Sao Paulo
item WORTMAN, JENNIFER - J Craig Venter Institute
item JIANG, BO - Merck Research Laboratories
item DENNING, DAVID - University Of Manchester
item NIERMAN, WILLIAM - J Craig Venter Institute

Submitted to: PLoS Genetics
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/4/2008
Publication Date: 4/11/2008
Citation: Fedorova, N.D., Khaldi, N., Joardar, V., Maiti, R., Amedeo, P., Anderson, M.J., Crabtree, J., Silva, J.C., Badger, J., Albarraq, A., Angiuoli, S., Bussey, H., Bowyer, P., Cotty, P.J., Dyer, P.S., Egan, A., Galens, K., Fraser-Liggett, C.M., Haas, B.J., Inman, J.M., Kent, R., Lemieux, S., Malavazi, I., Orvis, J., Roemer, T., Ronning, C.M., Sundaram, J.P., Sutton, G., Turner, G., Venter, J.C., White, O.R., Whitty, B.R., Youngman, P., Wolfe, K.H., Goldman, G.H., Wortman, J.R., Jiang, B., Denning, D.W., Nierman, W.C. 2008. Genomic Islands in the Pathogenic Filamentous Fungus Aspergillus fumigatus. PLoS Genetics. 4(4):e1000046:1-13

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: We present the genome sequences of a new clinical isolate, CEA10, of an important human pathogen, Aspergillus fumigatus, and two closely related, but rarely pathogenic species, Neosartorya fischeri NRRL181 and Aspergillus clavatus NRRL1. Comparative genomic analysis of CEA10 with the recently sequenced A. fumigatus isolate Af293 has identified core, variable and unique regions in each genome. While the core regions are 99.8% identical at the nucleotide level, identity over some variable regions can be as low 40%. Further comparison has revealed that A. fumigatus contains isolate- and species-specific genes, which comprise ~2% and 9% of the genome, respectively. These lineage-specific genes differ in variability, dispensability and size from the core genes and encode accessory functions. Subsequent phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that these genes emergence though duplication, accelerated diversification and/or gene loss (DDL). Most lineage-specific genes cluster in large chromosomal islands, which display a strong subtelomeric bias, have low gene density, and harbour a disproportionate number of pseudogenes, transposons and other repetitive elements. These regions may function as designated “gene dumps” and, simultaneously, as “gene factories”. Although A. fumigatus was chosen as the primary focus of this study, similar chromosomal structures were observed in the genomes of N. fischeri and A. clavatus, suggesting that all three species are poised for the rapid adaptation to heterogeneous environments such as soil, compost piles or a mammalian host.