A project sequencing the Candida glabrata genome has revealed insights into the pathogenic fungus’s virulence and resistance, which researchers found to have been enhanced by transmission through humans as they travel between continents. The project’s findings appear in Genetics.
C. glabrata is an opportunistic human fungal pathogen that causes superficial mucosal and life-threatening bloodstream infections in individuals with a compromised immune system. It most commonly affects the urinary tract, genitals, mouth, and the bloodstream. If it is not caught, these infections can become deadly. It is also very resistant to certain antifungal drugs, so understanding why resistance occurs is key to knowing how to treat it effectively.
Using samples from eight hospitals in Scotland to sequence the genome of C. glabrata, new insights on the species were made. This includes information on how it reproduces and its genetic diversity. Genes increasing its infectivity also confer an advantage for survival, and the drug-resistance genes often evolve within patients.
These findings provide scientists with an advantage in treating fungus, allowing research to focus in ways that were not possible before. It also helps aid understanding on how the pathogen spreads, which is important to identifying infections.
Dr Rhys Farrer, one of the Principal Investigators at the MRC Centre for Medical Mycology at the University of Exeter, said: “Our study sheds new light on the genetic diversity of Candida glabrata. We have demonstrated that this deadly human fungal pathogen is being spread between continents, probably by humans, and recombining to form new populations, which is likely contributing to its high virulence and increasing drug resistance.”
Source: University of Exeter
