Origin and distribution of Sporothrix globosa causing sapronoses in Asia.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to evaluate the main sources and epidemiological patterns and speculate on the evolutionary origin of Sporothrix globosa in Asia.


METHODS
Case and case series literature on sporotrichosis in Asia from January 2007 onwards were reviewed using meta-analysis. Phylogenetic analysis of relevant S. globosa was carried out on the basis of concatenated sequences of ITS, TEF3 and CAL. A haplotype network of CAL sequences of 281 Sporothrix isolates was analysed to determine the population structure of S. globosa.


RESULTS
Nearly all cases of sporotrichosis caused by S. globosa in Asia were human. In contrast to the remaining pathogenic Sporothrix species, feline transmission was exceptional; nearly all regional cat-associated cases were caused by Sporothrix schenckii. While the latter species was highly variable and showed recombination, S. globosa seemed to be a clonal offshoot, as was Sporothrix brasiliensis. The origin of the segregants was located in an area of high variability in S. schenckii with a relatively high frequency of Asian strains.


CONCLUSIONS
In Asia, S. globosa was the prevalent species. The low diversity of S. globosa suggested a recent divergence with a founder effect of low variability from the variable ancestral species, S. schenckii.
Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.|Biological Sciences Department, Faculty of Science, University of Jeddah, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.|Biological Sciences Department, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Tarek A A
TAA
Moussa
Biological Sciences Department, Faculty of Science, University of Jeddah, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.|Biological Sciences Department, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Naif M S
NMS
Kadasa
Biological Sciences Department, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Hassan S
HS
Al Zahrani
Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Sarah Abdallah
SA
Ahmed
Department of Dermatology, Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, PR China.|Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Peiying
P
Feng
Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Albertus H G
AHG
Gerrits van den Ende
Department of Dermatology, Tianjin Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated Hospital, Tianjin, PR China.
Yu
Y
Zhang
Department of Pathobiology, Nihon University School of Veterinary Medicine, Fujisawa, Japan.
Rui
R
Kano
Department of Dermatology, Second Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin, PR China.
Fuqiu
F
Li
Department of Dermatology and Venereology, First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin, PR China.
Shanshan
S
Li
Department of Dermatology and Venereology, First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin, PR China.
Yang
Y
Song
Center for Infectious Skin Diseases, Department of Dermatology, No. 1 Hospital of Wuhan, Wuhan, PR China.
Bilin
B
Dong
Laboratório de Micologia, Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas, São Paulo, Brazil.
Luana
L
Rossato
Faculty of Engineering, Sabzevar University of New Technologies, Sabzevar, Iran.|Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences, Sabzevar, Iran.|Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Somayeh
S
Dolatabadi
Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands.|Biological Sciences Department, Faculty of Science, University of Jeddah, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Sybren de
S
Hoog
D000818:Animals; D001208:Asia / Q000453:epidemiology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D002147:Calmodulin / Q000235:genetics; D002371:Cat Diseases; D002415:Cats; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D010802:Phylogeny; D013175:Sporothrix / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013174:Sporotrichosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D002147:Calmodulin