Affiliation:
1. Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
2. University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
Abstract
ABSTRACT
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.
Funder
HHS | NIH | National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
HHS | NIH | National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
University of California Office of the President
Publisher
American Society for Microbiology
Subject
Molecular Biology,Microbiology
Cited by
32 articles.
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