Low effective dispersal of asexual genotypes in heterogeneous landscapes by the endemic pathogen Penicillium marneffei.

Long-distance dispersal in microbial eukaryotes has been shown to result in the establishment of populations on continental and global scales. Such "ubiquitous dispersal" has been claimed to be a general feature of microbial eukaryotes, homogenising populations over large scales. However,...

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Main Authors: Matthew C Fisher, William P Hanage, Sybren de Hoog, Elizabeth Johnson, Michael D Smith, Nicholas J White, Nongnuch Vanittanakom
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2005-10-01
Series:PLoS Pathogens
Online Access:https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.0010020&type=printable
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author Matthew C Fisher
William P Hanage
Sybren de Hoog
Elizabeth Johnson
Michael D Smith
Nicholas J White
Nongnuch Vanittanakom
author_facet Matthew C Fisher
William P Hanage
Sybren de Hoog
Elizabeth Johnson
Michael D Smith
Nicholas J White
Nongnuch Vanittanakom
author_sort Matthew C Fisher
collection DOAJ
description Long-distance dispersal in microbial eukaryotes has been shown to result in the establishment of populations on continental and global scales. Such "ubiquitous dispersal" has been claimed to be a general feature of microbial eukaryotes, homogenising populations over large scales. However, the unprecedented sampling of opportunistic infectious pathogens created by the global AIDS pandemic has revealed that a number of important species exhibit geographic endemicity despite long-distance migration via aerially dispersed spores. One mechanism that might tend to drive such endemicity in the face of aerial dispersal is the evolution of niche-adapted genotypes when sexual reproduction is rare. Dispersal of such asexual physiological "species" will be restricted when natural habitats are heterogeneous, as a consequence of reduced adaptive variation. Using the HIV-associated endemic fungus Penicillium marneffei as our model, we measured the distribution of genetic variation over a variety of spatial scales in two host species, humans and bamboo rats. Our results show that, despite widespread aerial dispersal, isolates of P. marneffei show extensive spatial genetic structure in both host species at local and country-wide scales. We show that the evolution of the P. marneffei genome is overwhelmingly clonal, and that this is perhaps the most asexual fungus yet found. We show that clusters of genotypes are specific to discrete ecological zones and argue that asexuality has led to the evolution of niche-adapted genotypes, and is driving endemicity, by reducing this pathogen's potential to diversify in nature.
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spelling doaj-art-a523f3d40eb7442c84b3e0fd4de490ec2025-08-20T02:38:27ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Pathogens1553-73661553-73742005-10-0112e2010.1371/journal.ppat.0010020Low effective dispersal of asexual genotypes in heterogeneous landscapes by the endemic pathogen Penicillium marneffei.Matthew C FisherWilliam P HanageSybren de HoogElizabeth JohnsonMichael D SmithNicholas J WhiteNongnuch VanittanakomLong-distance dispersal in microbial eukaryotes has been shown to result in the establishment of populations on continental and global scales. Such "ubiquitous dispersal" has been claimed to be a general feature of microbial eukaryotes, homogenising populations over large scales. However, the unprecedented sampling of opportunistic infectious pathogens created by the global AIDS pandemic has revealed that a number of important species exhibit geographic endemicity despite long-distance migration via aerially dispersed spores. One mechanism that might tend to drive such endemicity in the face of aerial dispersal is the evolution of niche-adapted genotypes when sexual reproduction is rare. Dispersal of such asexual physiological "species" will be restricted when natural habitats are heterogeneous, as a consequence of reduced adaptive variation. Using the HIV-associated endemic fungus Penicillium marneffei as our model, we measured the distribution of genetic variation over a variety of spatial scales in two host species, humans and bamboo rats. Our results show that, despite widespread aerial dispersal, isolates of P. marneffei show extensive spatial genetic structure in both host species at local and country-wide scales. We show that the evolution of the P. marneffei genome is overwhelmingly clonal, and that this is perhaps the most asexual fungus yet found. We show that clusters of genotypes are specific to discrete ecological zones and argue that asexuality has led to the evolution of niche-adapted genotypes, and is driving endemicity, by reducing this pathogen's potential to diversify in nature.https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.0010020&type=printable
spellingShingle Matthew C Fisher
William P Hanage
Sybren de Hoog
Elizabeth Johnson
Michael D Smith
Nicholas J White
Nongnuch Vanittanakom
Low effective dispersal of asexual genotypes in heterogeneous landscapes by the endemic pathogen Penicillium marneffei.
PLoS Pathogens
title Low effective dispersal of asexual genotypes in heterogeneous landscapes by the endemic pathogen Penicillium marneffei.
title_full Low effective dispersal of asexual genotypes in heterogeneous landscapes by the endemic pathogen Penicillium marneffei.
title_fullStr Low effective dispersal of asexual genotypes in heterogeneous landscapes by the endemic pathogen Penicillium marneffei.
title_full_unstemmed Low effective dispersal of asexual genotypes in heterogeneous landscapes by the endemic pathogen Penicillium marneffei.
title_short Low effective dispersal of asexual genotypes in heterogeneous landscapes by the endemic pathogen Penicillium marneffei.
title_sort low effective dispersal of asexual genotypes in heterogeneous landscapes by the endemic pathogen penicillium marneffei
url https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.0010020&type=printable
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