Du Han, Huang Yanfeng, Guo Penghao, Liang Weihong, Zheng Tianhong, Guan Zhangyue, Bing Jian, Chu Haiqing, Huang Guanghua
Shanghai Key Laboratory of Tuberculosis, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200433, China.
Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Department of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China.
Infection. 2025 Apr 14. doi: 10.1007/s15010-025-02536-6.
The multidrug-resistant fungal pathogen Candida auris poses an increasing global health threat due to its high transmissibility and persistence in healthcare environments. We aimed to explore the potential cases of mixed C. auris-strain colonizations or infections in China and to investigate the genetic and biological diversity of the associated isolates.
C. auris isolates from 5 colonization or infection cases were distinguished by colony morphology and verified by D1/D2-ITS alignment. Phylogenetic and genomic diversity analysis of all isolates were conducted using whole genome sequences. Comparative biological analysis of all isolates, including cellular and colony morphology, antifungal susceptibility, biofilm formation, SAP activity, and both in vitro and in vivo survival capabilities were performed.
Five cases of potential mixed C. auris-strain colonization or infections in China were identified. Comparative genomic analysis revealed these cases involved strains from two distinct genetic clades (I and III) or strains from the same clade but with genetic alterations. Comparative biological analysis demonstrated the strains from mixed colonization or infections exhibit differences in several key aspects, including colony morphology, biofilm formation, SAP activity, and both in vitro and in vivo survival capabilities.
Comparative analyses revealed notable differences in biofilm formation, environmental survival, and secretion of virulence factors between the co-colonizing or co-infecting strains of C. auris. These biological and genetic disparities may present significant challenges for the diagnosis and treatment of C. auris infections, as strains with different genetic backgrounds may exhibit varying abilities to colonize host or environmental niches.
多重耐药真菌病原体耳念珠菌因其在医疗环境中的高传播性和持久性，对全球健康构成日益严重的威胁。我们旨在探索中国耳念珠菌混合菌株定植或感染的潜在病例，并调查相关分离株的遗传和生物学多样性。
通过菌落形态对5例定植或感染病例的耳念珠菌分离株进行区分，并通过D1/D2-ITS比对进行验证。使用全基因组序列对所有分离株进行系统发育和基因组多样性分析。对所有分离株进行比较生物学分析，包括细胞和菌落形态、抗真菌药敏性、生物膜形成、分泌天冬氨酸蛋白酶（SAP）活性以及体外和体内生存能力。
在中国发现了5例潜在的耳念珠菌混合菌株定植或感染病例。比较基因组分析表明，这些病例涉及来自两个不同遗传分支（I和III）的菌株，或来自同一分支但有基因改变的菌株。比较生物学分析表明，混合定植或感染的菌株在几个关键方面存在差异，包括菌落形态、生物膜形成、SAP活性以及体外和体内生存能力。
比较分析显示，耳念珠菌共定植或共感染菌株在生物膜形成、环境生存能力和毒力因子分泌方面存在显著差异。这些生物学和遗传差异可能给耳念珠菌感染的诊断和治疗带来重大挑战，因为具有不同遗传背景的菌株在定殖于宿主或环境生态位方面可能表现出不同的能力。
