Parallel Expansion and Divergence of an Adhesin Family in Pathogenic Yeasts

Rachel A Smoak; Lindsey F Snyder; Jan S Fassler; Bin Z He

doi:10.1093/genetics/iyad024

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Parallel Expansion and Divergence of an Adhesin Family in Pathogenic Yeasts

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Parallel Expansion and Divergence of an Adhesin Family in Pathogenic Yeasts

Rachel A Smoak, Lindsey F Snyder, Jan S Fassler and Bin Z He

Genetics (Austin), Vol.223(4), iyad024

04/04/2023

DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyad024

PMCID: PMC10319987

PMID: 36794645

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Abstract

Opportunistic yeast pathogens arose multiple times in the Saccharomycetes class, including the recently emerged, multidrug-resistant Candida auris. We show that homologs of a known yeast adhesin family in Candida albicans, the Hyr/Iff-like (Hil) family, are enriched in distinct clades of Candida species as a result of multiple, independent expansions. Following gene duplication, the tandem repeat-rich region in these proteins diverged extremely rapidly and generated large variations in length and β-aggregation potential, both of which were known to directly affect adhesion. The conserved N-terminal effector domain was predicted to adopt a β-helical fold followed by an α-crystallin domain, making it structurally similar to a group of unrelated bacterial adhesins. Evolutionary analyses of the effector domain in C. auris revealed relaxed selective constraint combined with signatures of positive selection, suggesting functional diversification after gene duplication. Lastly, we found the Hil family genes to be enriched at chromosomal ends, which likely contributed to their expansion via ectopic recombination and break-induced replication. Combined, these results suggest that the expansion and diversification of adhesin families generate variation in adhesion and virulence within and between species and are a key step toward the emergence of fungal pathogens.

Candida auris

adhesin

natural selection

convergent evolution

gene duplication

opportunistic yeast pathogen

Details

Title: Subtitle: Parallel Expansion and Divergence of an Adhesin Family in Pathogenic Yeasts
Creators: Rachel A Smoak - University of Iowa
Lindsey F Snyder - University of Iowa
Jan S Fassler - University of Iowa
Bin Z He - University of Iowa
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Genetics (Austin), Vol.223(4), iyad024
DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyad024
PMID: 36794645
PMCID: PMC10319987
NLM abbreviation: Genetics
eISSN: 1943-2631
Grant note: DOI: 10.13039/100000002, name: NIH, award: R35GM137831, T32GM008629; DOI: 10.13039/100000911, name: JSF, award: NSF-IOS-1917169; DOI: 10.13039/100000082, name: NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program, award: 1546595; DOI: 10.13039/100000082, name: NSF Division of Graduate Education, award: 1633098
Language: English
Electronic publication date: 02/16/2023
Date published: 04/04/2023
Academic Unit: Biology
Record Identifier: 9984368053502771

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