Mackey Anna I, Fraunfelter Vesper, Shaltz Samantha, McCormick John, Schroeder Callan, Perfect John R, Feschotte Cedric, Magwene Paul M, Gusa Asiya
Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27701, USA.
Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850.
bioRxiv. 2025 May 23:2025.05.19.654958. doi: 10.1101/2025.05.19.654958.
Transposable elements (TEs) are key agents of genome evolution across all domains of life. These mobile genetic elements can cause mutations through transposition or by promoting structural rearrangements. Stress conditions can amplify TE activity, either by impairing TE suppression mechanisms or through stress-induced interactions between transcription factors and TE sequences, offering a route for rapid genetic change. As such, TEs represent an important source of adaptability within populations. To investigate the interplay between environmental stress and eukaryotic TE dynamics relevant to infectious disease, we examined how heat stress and nutrient limitation affect TE mobility in the human fungal pathogen , using a collection of clinical and environmental isolates. Seven distinct mobile element families, encompassing diverse retrotransposons and DNA transposons, were captured mobilizing to confer antifungal resistance, including a novel element, CNEST, which belongs to the CACTA, Mirage, Chapaev (CMC) supergroup. Heat stress at human body temperature (37°C) significantly increased the mobilization of a subset of these TEs, leading to higher rates of acquired antifungal resistance. Whole-genome assemblies revealed that, compared to retrotransposons, DNA transposons were hypomethylated and approximately uniformly distributed throughout the genome, features that may contribute to their frequent mobilization. We further assessed TE-driven genomic changes within hosts using serial isolates from patients with recurrent cryptococcal infections and from isolates passaged through mice. While we observed evidence of TE copy number changes near chromosome ends, we found no indication of TE-mediated alterations near gene-coding regions across any of the serial isolates. Finally, TE mobility was isolate- and strain-dependent, with significant variation even among clonally related isolates collected from the same patient, emphasizing the role of genetic background in shaping TE activity. Together, these findings reveal a complex, dynamic relationship between environmental stress, genetic background, and TE mobility, with important implications for adaptation and acquired antifungal resistance in .
转座元件(TEs)是所有生命领域基因组进化的关键因素。这些可移动的遗传元件可通过转座或促进结构重排导致突变。应激条件可通过损害TE抑制机制或通过转录因子与TE序列之间的应激诱导相互作用来增强TE活性,从而提供快速遗传变化的途径。因此,TEs是种群适应性的重要来源。为了研究与传染病相关的环境应激与真核TE动态之间的相互作用,我们使用一系列临床和环境分离株,研究了热应激和营养限制如何影响人类真菌病原体中的TE迁移率。捕获了七个不同的移动元件家族,包括各种逆转录转座子和DNA转座子,它们动员起来赋予抗真菌抗性,其中包括一个属于CACTA、Mirage、Chapaev(CMC)超群的新元件CNEST。人体温度(37°C)下的热应激显著增加了这些TEs中一部分的迁移率,导致获得性抗真菌抗性的发生率更高。全基因组组装显示,与逆转录转座子相比,DNA转座子甲基化程度较低,并且在整个基因组中分布大致均匀,这些特征可能有助于它们频繁迁移。我们使用来自复发性隐球菌感染患者的系列分离株和通过小鼠传代的分离株,进一步评估了宿主内TE驱动的基因组变化。虽然我们观察到染色体末端附近TE拷贝数变化的证据,但在任何系列分离株的基因编码区域附近均未发现TE介导的改变迹象。最后,TE迁移率具有分离株和菌株依赖性,即使在从同一患者收集的克隆相关分离株之间也存在显著差异,这强调了遗传背景在塑造TE活性中的作用。总之,这些发现揭示了环境应激、遗传背景和TE迁移率之间复杂的动态关系,对新生隐球菌的适应性和获得性抗真菌抗性具有重要意义。