Rieux, A. | bioRxiv Science

bioRxiv2017

The global distribution and spread of the mobilized colistin resistance gene mcr-1

Colistin represents one of the very few available drugs for treating infections caused by carbapenem resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE). As such, the recent plasmid-mediated spread of the mobilized colistin resistance gene mcr-1 poses a significant public health threat requiring global monitoring and surveillance. In this work, we characterize the global distribution of mcr-1 using a dataset of 457 mcr-1 positive sequenced isolates consisting of currently publicly available mcr-1 carrying sequences combined with an additional 110 newly sequenced mcr-1 positive isolates from China. We find mcr-1 in a diversity of plasmid backgrounds but identify an immediate background common to all mcr-1 sequences. Our analyses establish that all mcr-1 elements in circulation descend from the same initial mobilization of mcr-1 by an ISApl1 transposon in the mid 2000s (2002-2008; 95% higher posterior density), followed by a dramatic demographic expansion, which led to its current global distribution. Our results provide the first systematic phylogenetic analysis of the origin and spread of mcr-1, and emphasize the importance of understanding the movement of mobile elements carrying antibiotic resistance genes across multiple levels of genomic organization.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2017

Coexistence of multiple endemic and pandemic lineages of the rice blast pathogen

The rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae (syn. Pyricularia oryzae) is both a threat to global food security and a model for plant pathology. Molecular pathologists need an accurate understanding of the origins and line of descent of M. oryzae populations, to identify the genetic and functional bases of pathogen adaptation, and to guide the development of more effective control strategies. We used a whole-genome sequence analysis of samples from different times and places to infer details about the genetic makeup of M. oryzae from a global collection of isolates. Analyses of population structure identified six lineages within M. oryzae, including two pandemic on japonica and indica rice, respectively, and four lineages with more restricted distributions. Tip-dating calibration indicated that M. oryzae lineages separated about a millenium ago, long after the initial domestication of rice. The major lineage endemic to continental Southeast Asia displayed signatures of sexual recombination and evidence of DNA acquisition from multiple lineages. Tests for weak natural selection revealed that the pandemic spread of clonal lineages entailed an evolutionary cost, in terms of the accumulation of deleterious mutations. Our findings reveal the coexistence of multiple endemic and pandemic lineages with contrasting population and genetic characteristics within a widely distributed pathogen.\n\nImportanceThe rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae (syn. Pyricularia oryzae) is a textbook example of a rapidly adapting pathogen, and is responsible for one of the most damaging diseases of rice. Improvements in our understanding of Magnaporthe oryzae diversity and evolution are required, to guide the development of more effective control strategies. We used genome sequencing data for samples from around the world to infer the evolutionary history of M. oryzae. We found that M. oryzae diversified about a thousand years ago ago, separating into six main lineages: two pandemic on japonica and indica rice, respectively, and four with more restricted distributions. We also found that a lineage endemic to continental Southeast Asia displayed signatures of sexual recombination and the acquisition of genetic material from multiple lineages. This work provides a population-level genomic framework for defining molecular markers for the control of rice blast and investigations of the molecular basis of differences in pathogenicity between M. oryzae lineages.

evolutionary biology↗