TY - JOUR
T1 - Continental drift and speciation of the Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii species complexes
AU - Casadevall, Arturo
AU - Freij, Joudeh B.
AU - Hann-Soden, Christopher
AU - Taylor, John
N1 - Funding Information:
Arturo Casadevall is supported by National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) grant HL059842 and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) grants AI033142 and AI052733. John Taylor is supported by University of California Office of the President grant MRP-17-454959
Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 Casadevall et al.
PY - 2017/3/1
Y1 - 2017/3/1
N2 - Genomic analysis has placed the origins of two human-pathogenic fungi, the Cryptococcus gattii species complex and the Cryptococcus neoformans species complex, in South America and Africa, respectively. Molecular clock calculations suggest that the two species separated ~80 to 100 million years ago. This time closely approximates the breakup of the supercontinent Pangea, which gave rise to South America and Africa. On the basis of the geographic distribution of these two species complexes and the coincidence of the evolutionary divergence and Pangea breakup times, we propose that a spatial separation caused by continental drift resulted in the emergence of the C. gattii and C. neoformans species complexes from a Pangean ancestor. We note that, despite the spatial and temporal separation that occurred approximately 100 million years ago, these two species complexes are morphologically similar, share virulence factors, and cause very similar diseases. Continuation of these phenotypic characteristics despite ancient separation suggests the maintenance of similar selection pressures throughout geologic ages.
AB - Genomic analysis has placed the origins of two human-pathogenic fungi, the Cryptococcus gattii species complex and the Cryptococcus neoformans species complex, in South America and Africa, respectively. Molecular clock calculations suggest that the two species separated ~80 to 100 million years ago. This time closely approximates the breakup of the supercontinent Pangea, which gave rise to South America and Africa. On the basis of the geographic distribution of these two species complexes and the coincidence of the evolutionary divergence and Pangea breakup times, we propose that a spatial separation caused by continental drift resulted in the emergence of the C. gattii and C. neoformans species complexes from a Pangean ancestor. We note that, despite the spatial and temporal separation that occurred approximately 100 million years ago, these two species complexes are morphologically similar, share virulence factors, and cause very similar diseases. Continuation of these phenotypic characteristics despite ancient separation suggests the maintenance of similar selection pressures throughout geologic ages.
KW - Cryptococcus neoformans
KW - Evolution
KW - Fungus
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85036672039&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85036672039&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1128/mSphere.00103-17
DO - 10.1128/mSphere.00103-17
M3 - Comment/debate
C2 - 28435888
AN - SCOPUS:85036672039
SN - 2379-5042
VL - 2
JO - mSphere
JF - mSphere
IS - 2
M1 - e00103-17
ER -