title: Comparative genomics of the major fungal agents of human and animal Sporotrichosis: Sporothrix schenckii and Sporothrix brasiliensis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The fungal genus Sporothrix includes at least four human pathogenic species. One of these species, S. brasiliensis, is the causal agent of a major ongoing zoonotic outbreak of sporotrichosis in Brazil. Elsewhere, sapronoses are caused by S. schenckii and S. globosa. The major aims on this comparative genomic study are: 1) to explore the presence of virulence factors in S. schenckii and S. brasiliensis; 2) to compare S. brasiliensis, which is cat-transmitted and infects both humans and cats with S. schenckii, mainly a human pathogen; 3) to compare these two species to other human pathogens (Onygenales) with similar thermo-dimorphic behavior and to other plant-associated Sordariomycetes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The genomes of S. schenckii and S. brasiliensis were pyrosequenced to 17x and 20x coverage comprising a total of 32.3 Mb and 33.2 Mb, respectively. Pair-wise genome alignments revealed that the two species are highly syntenic showing 97.5% average sequence identity. Phylogenomic analysis reveals that both species diverged about 3.8-4.9 MYA suggesting a recent event of speciation. Transposable elements comprise respectively 0.34% and 0.62% of the S. schenckii and S. brasiliensis genomes and expansions of Gypsy-like elements was observed reflecting the accumulation of repetitive elements in the S. brasiliensis genome. Mitochondrial genomic comparisons showed the presence of group-I intron encoding homing endonucleases (HE's) exclusively in S. brasiliensis. Analysis of protein family expansions and contractions in the Sporothrix lineage revealed expansion of LysM domain-containing proteins, small GTPases, PKS type1 and leucin-rich proteins. In contrast, a lack of polysaccharide lyase genes that are associated with decay of plants was observed when compared to other Sordariomycetes and dimorphic fungal pathogens, suggesting evolutionary adaptations from a plant pathogenic or saprobic to an animal pathogenic life style.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Comparative genomic data suggest a unique ecological shift in the Sporothrix lineage from plant-association to mammalian parasitism, which contributes to the understanding of how environmental interactions may shape fungal virulence. . Moreover, the striking differences found in comparison with other dimorphic fungi revealed that dimorphism in these close relatives of plant-associated Sordariomycetes is a case of convergent evolution, stressing the importance of this morphogenetic change in fungal pathogenesis.
authors.forename: Marcus M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.forename: Luiz G P
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: de Almeida
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kubitschek-Barreira
authors.forename: Fernanda L
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.forename: Erika S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Kioshima
authors.forename: Ana K R
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Abadio
authors.forename: Larissa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.forename: Lorena S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Derengowski
authors.forename: Karen S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: Rangel C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.forename: Jeronimo C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Ruiz
authors.forename: Nathalia C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: de Andrade
authors.forename: Hugo C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Paes
authors.forename: André M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Nicola
authors.forename: Patrícia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Albuquerque
authors.forename: Alexandra L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Gerber
authors.forename: Vicente P
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.forename: Luisa D F
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Peconick
authors.forename: Alan Viggiano
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Neto
authors.forename: Claudia B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Chaucanez
authors.forename: Patrícia A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Oberdan L
authors.initials: OL
authors.lastname: Cunha
authors.forename: Fabiana F M
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.forename: Tayná C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: dos Santos
authors.forename: Amanda L N
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Barros
authors.forename: Marco A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Soares
authors.forename: Luciana M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.forename: Marjorie M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Marini
authors.forename: Héctor
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Villalobos-Duno
authors.forename: Marcel M L
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Cunha
authors.forename: Sybren
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: de Hoog
authors.forename: José F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: da Silveira
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Henrissat
authors.forename: Gustavo A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Niño-Vega
authors.forename: Patrícia S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Cisalpino
authors.forename: Héctor M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Mora-Montes
authors.forename: Sandro R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.forename: Jason E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Stajich
authors.forename: Leila M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Lopes-Bezerra
authors.forename: Ana T R
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Vasconcelos
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia Celular, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF, Brazil. msueliunb@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Maria S S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Felipe
mesh_terms: D000220:Adaptation, Biological; D000818:Animals; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000635:transmission; D002415:Cats; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D049810:Genetic Speciation; D054629:Genome, Mitochondrial; D006801:Humans; D010802:Phylogeny; D013175:Sporothrix / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D013174:Sporotrichosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission* / Q000662:veterinary; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D005656:Fungal Proteins; D037521:Virulence Factors