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. 2023 Aug 17;11(4):e0433922.
doi: 10.1128/spectrum.04339-22. Epub 2023 Jun 26.

Aneuploidy Formation in the Filamentous Fungus Aspergillus flavus in Response to Azole Stress

Affiliations

Aneuploidy Formation in the Filamentous Fungus Aspergillus flavus in Response to Azole Stress

Omer Barda et al. Microbiol Spectr. .

Abstract

Aspergillus flavus is a mycotoxigenic fungus that contaminates many important agricultural crops with aflatoxin B1, the most toxic and carcinogenic natural compound. This fungus is also the second leading cause of human invasive aspergillosis, after Aspergillus fumigatus, a disease that is particularly prevalent in immunocompromised individuals. Azole drugs are considered the most effective compounds in controlling Aspergillus infections both in clinical and agricultural settings. Emergence of azole resistance in Aspergillus spp. is typically associated with point mutations in cyp51 orthologs that encode lanosterol 14α-demethylase, a component of the ergosterol biosynthesis pathway that is also the target of azoles. We hypothesized that alternative molecular mechanisms are also responsible for acquisition of azole resistance in filamentous fungi. We found that an aflatoxin-producing A. flavus strain adapted to voriconazole exposure at levels above the MIC through whole or segmental aneuploidy of specific chromosomes. We confirm a complete duplication of chromosome 8 in two sequentially isolated clones and a segmental duplication of chromosome 3 in another clone, emphasizing the potential diversity of aneuploidy-mediated resistance mechanisms. The plasticity of aneuploidy-mediated resistance was evidenced by the ability of voriconazole-resistant clones to revert to their original level of azole susceptibility following repeated transfers on drug-free media. This study provides new insights into mechanisms of azole resistance in a filamentous fungus. IMPORTANCE Fungal pathogens cause human disease and threaten global food security by contaminating crops with toxins (mycotoxins). Aspergillus flavus is an opportunistic mycotoxigenic fungus that causes invasive and noninvasive aspergillosis, diseases with high rates of mortality in immunocompromised individuals. Additionally, this fungus contaminates most major crops with the notorious carcinogen, aflatoxin. Voriconazole is the drug of choice to treat infections caused by Aspergillus spp. Although azole resistance mechanisms have been well characterized in clinical isolates of Aspergillus fumigatus, the molecular basis of azole resistance in A. flavus remains unclear. Whole-genome sequencing of eight voriconazole-resistant isolates revealed that, among other factors, A. flavus adapts to high concentrations of voriconazole by duplication of specific chromosomes (i.e., aneuploidy). Our discovery of aneuploidy-mediated resistance in a filamentous fungus represents a paradigm shift, as this type of resistance was previously thought to occur only in yeasts. This observation provides the first experimental evidence of aneuploidy-mediated azole resistance in the filamentous fungus A. flavus.

Keywords: Aspergillus flavus; aneuploidy; azoles; drug resistance mechanisms.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

FIG 1
FIG 1
Diagram of adaptive resistance in Aspergillus flavus strain SS1 to VRC. Spores (1 × 103) of the A. flavus SS1 strain were inoculated on drug-free PDA plates or plates supplemented with VRC. The resulting colonies showed a high level of variation in VRC resistance at the concentrations of 0.125 to 0.5 μg/mL (percentages indicate the proportion of resistant colonies from each treatment). Serial transfer on media containing increasing concentrations of VRC resulted in the emergence of subclones that were resistant to high concentrations of the drug. Coloration of fungal colonies corresponds to chromosomal states. Chromosomes found in the wild type are colored green. A partial duplication of Chr3 is indicated in blue, and a full duplication of Chr8 is indicated in red. Figure created using BioRender.com.
FIG 2
FIG 2
(A) Chromosome duplication events in three (SS1R0.25L, SS1R0.5L, and SS1R1L) of eight VRC-resistant isolates. (A, Left) Heatmap displaying log2-transformed coverage depth from whole-genome sequencing of eight VRC-resistant isolates. Results are normalized to the untreated SS1 wild-type strain. (A, Right) The red and green arrows emphasize the complete duplication of Chr8 in two isolates and partial duplication of Chr3 in one isolate, respectively. (B) Copy numbers of genes on Chr3 and Chr8, determined by qPCR. The copy numbers of two genes on Chr3 (creA, chsE) and four genes on Chr8 (mfs1, nrps-mrp, pks8.12, and nrps8.6) were determined by SYBR green-based qPCR compared to a control gene located on Chr6 (bgt1), using gene-specific primer pairs (see Table S2 in the supplemental material).

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