Genomic and phenotypic insights into the expanding phylogenetic landscape of the Cryptococcus genus
Rattachement africain : us, ru, by, it, pt, Afrique du Sud, gb, de. Niveau de preuve : code pays fourni par la source.
Le résumé fourni par la source
The fungal genus Cryptococcus includes several life-threatening human pathogens as well as diverse saprobic species whose genome architecture, ecology, and evolutionary history remain less well characterized. Understanding how some lineages evolved into major pathogens remains a central challenge and may be advanced by comparisons with their nonpathogenic counterparts. Integrative approaches have become essential for delimiting species and reconstructing evolutionary relationships, particularly in lineages with cryptic diversity or extensive chromosomal rearrangements. Here, we formally characterize six Cryptococcus species representing distinct evolutionary lineages, comprising both newly discovered and previously recognized but unnamed taxa, through a combination of phylogenomic analyses, divergence metrics, chromosomal comparisons, mating assays, and phenotypic profiling. Among pathogenic taxa, we formally name Cryptococcus hyracis sp. nov., corresponding to the previously characterized VGV lineage within the C. gattii complex. In parallel, we describe five saprobic, nonpathogenic species isolated from fruit, soil, and bark beetle galleries, spanning four phylogenetic clades. We identify a strong ecological association with bark beetles for Cryptococcus porticicola sp. nov., the only newly described nonpathogenic species with multiple sequenced strains from diverse sites. In this species, we detect strain-level chromosomal variation and evidence of sexual reproduction, along with population-level signatures of recombination. Across the genus, chromosome-level comparisons reveal extensive structural variation, including species- and strain-specific rearrangements that may restrict gene flow. We also identify multiple instances of chromosome number reduction, often accompanied by genomic signatures consistent with centromere inactivation or loss of centromeric identity. Comparative metabolic profiling with Biolog phenotype microarrays reveals clade-level differentiation and distinct substrate preferences, which may reflect metabolic divergence and habitat-specific diversification. Notably, we confirm that thermotolerance is restricted to clinically relevant taxa. These findings refine the species-level taxonomy of Cryptococcus, broaden its known genomic and ecological diversity, and strengthen the framework for investigating speciation, adaptation, and the emergence of pathogenicity within the genus.
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Le contrôle bibliographique ouvert
DOI retrouvé dans Crossref DOI retrouvé ; titre concordant.
- Titre Crossref
- Genomic and phenotypic insights into the expanding phylogenetic landscape of the Cryptococcus genus
- Date Crossref
- 10/11/2025
- Éditeur
- Public Library of Science (PLoS)
- Type
- journal-article
Ce recoupement confirme des métadonnées liées au DOI. Il ne confirme ni la méthode ni les conclusions de l’étude, et il ne compte pas comme une seconde source scientifique indépendante.
Où se fait cette recherche
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Duke Medical Center pays non établi dans la noticeÉtablissement de santé
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Duke University Hospital pays non établi dans la noticeÉtablissement de santé
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Lomonosov Moscow State University pays non établi dans la noticeUniversité ou école supérieure
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G. K. Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms pays non établi dans la noticeStructure de recherche
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Institute of Microbiology pays non établi dans la noticeStructure de recherche
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University of Perugia Department of Agricultural pays non établi dans la noticeUniversité ou école supérieure
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Universidade Nova de Lisboa Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia pays non établi dans la noticeUniversité ou école supérieure
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University of Pretoria Department of Biochemistry University of Pretoria, Afrique du Sud (code pays fourni par la source)Université ou école supérieure
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Imperial College London Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology pays non établi dans la noticeUniversité ou école supérieure
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Leibniz Institute DSMZ – German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures pays non établi dans la noticeStructure de recherche
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Duke University Medical Center Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology pays non établi dans la noticeUniversité ou école supérieure
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G.K. Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms pays non établi dans la noticeStructure de recherche
Duke Medical Center, Duke University Hospital et Lomonosov Moscow State University, avec 9 autres affiliations. Pays d’affiliation : Afrique du Sud.
Une affiliation ne permet pas de déduire la nationalité d’un auteur.