Whole-Genome Sequencing and Comparative Genomic Analysis of Three Clinical Bloodstream Infection Isolates of .

is a recently described yeast species related to and exclusively isolated from clinical specimens. However, its genomic features and pathogenic potential remain poorly understood. In this study, we performed whole-genome sequencing on three blood-derived isolates from patients with invasive fungal infections and comparative analyses with 13 related species. The three isolates yielded high-quality assemblies of 9-10 scaffolds (~21 Mb), facilitating reliable comparisons. While most species had comparable genome sizes, , , and displayed large, fragmented genomes, suggestive of polyploidy. ANI analysis and phylogenetic trees based on ANI and single-copy orthologs supported the classification of as a distinct clade with moderate intraspecific divergence. Using the , a model for fungal pathogenicity, all strains reduced larval survival, and NIIDF 0077300 exhibited virulence comparable to and greater than . To explore the gene-level differences associated with pathogenicity, we performed ortholog analysis based on single-copy genes. This revealed a unique Zn(II)Cys-type transcription factor gene (OG0010545) present only in NIIDF 0077300 and . These findings highlight the genomic diversity and infection-associated traits of , providing a framework for future functional studies.