Comparative genomics of the major fungal agents of human and animal Sporotrichosis: Sporothrix schenckii and Sporothrix brasiliensis

Marcus M Teixeira, Luiz GP de Almeida, Paula Kubitschek-Barreira, Fernanda L Alves, Érika S Kioshima, Ana KR Abadio, Larissa Fernandes, Lorena S Derengowski, Karen S Ferreira, Rangel C Souza, Jeronimo C Ruiz, Nathalia C de Andrade, Hugo C Paes, André M Nicola, Patrícia Albuquerque, Alexandra L Gerber, Vicente P Martins, Luisa DF Peconick, Alan Viggiano Neto, Claudia B Chaucanez, Patrícia A Silva, Oberdan L Cunha, Fabiana FM de Oliveira, Tayná C dos Santos, Amanda LN Barros, Marco A Soares, Luciana M de Oliveira, Marjorie M Marini, Héctor Villalobos-Duno, Marcel ML Cunha, Sybren de Hoog, José F da Silveira, Bernard Henrissat, Gustavo A Niño-Vega, Patrícia S Cisalpino, Héctor M Mora-Montes, Sandro R Almeida, Jason E Stajich, Leila M Lopes-Bezerra, Ana TR Vasconcelos, Maria SS Felipe

The fungal genus Sporothrix includes at least four human pathogenic species. One of these species, S. brasiliensis, is the causal agent of a major ongoing zoonotic outbreak of sporotrichosis in Brazil. Elsewhere, sapronoses are caused by S. schenckii and S. globosa. The major aims on this comparative genomic study are: 1) to explore the presence of virulence factors in S. schenckii and S. brasiliensis; 2) to compare S. brasiliensis, which is cat-transmitted and infects both humans and cats with S. schenckii, mainly a human pathogen; 3) to compare these two species to other human pathogens (Onygenales) with similar thermo-dimorphic behavior and to other plant-associated Sordariomycetes.