Characterization of <named-content content-type="genus-species">Aspergillus fumigatus</named-content> Isolates from Air and Surfaces of the International Space Station

ABSTRACT One mission of the Microbial Observatory Experiments on the International Space Station (ISS) is to examine the traits and diversity of fungal isolates to gain a better understanding of how fungi may adapt to microgravity environments and how this may affect interactions with humans in a cl...

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Autores principales:	Benjamin P. Knox, Adriana Blachowicz, Jonathan M. Palmer, Jillian Romsdahl, Anna Huttenlocher, Clay C. C. Wang, Nancy P. Keller, Kasthuri Venkateswaran
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	American Society for Microbiology 2016
Materias:	Aspergillus fumigatus International Space Station SNP analysis secondary metabolites virulence Microbiology QR1-502
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/0bd9d6dc6aec4207b99d6a8fb2c79156
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:0bd9d6dc6aec4207b99d6a8fb2c791562021-11-15T15:21:30ZCharacterization of <named-content content-type="genus-species">Aspergillus fumigatus</named-content> Isolates from Air and Surfaces of the International Space Station10.1128/mSphere.00227-162379-5042https://doaj.org/article/0bd9d6dc6aec4207b99d6a8fb2c791562016-10-01T00:00:00Zhttps://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/mSphere.00227-16https://doaj.org/toc/2379-5042ABSTRACT One mission of the Microbial Observatory Experiments on the International Space Station (ISS) is to examine the traits and diversity of fungal isolates to gain a better understanding of how fungi may adapt to microgravity environments and how this may affect interactions with humans in a closed habitat. Here, we report an initial characterization of two isolates, ISSFT-021 and IF1SW-F4, of Aspergillus fumigatus collected from the ISS and a comparison to the experimentally established clinical isolates Af293 and CEA10. Whole-genome sequencing of ISSFT-021 and IF1SW-F4 showed 54,960 and 52,129 single nucleotide polymorphisms, respectively, compared to Af293, which is consistent with observed genetic heterogeneity among sequenced A. fumigatus isolates from diverse clinical and environmental sources. Assessment of in vitro growth characteristics, secondary metabolite production, and susceptibility to chemical stresses revealed no outstanding differences between ISS and clinical strains that would suggest special adaptation to life aboard the ISS. Virulence assessment in a neutrophil-deficient larval zebrafish model of invasive aspergillosis revealed that both ISSFT-021 and IF1SW-F4 were significantly more lethal than Af293 and CEA10. Taken together, these genomic, in vitro, and in vivo analyses of two A. fumigatus strains isolated from the ISS provide a benchmark for future investigations of these strains and for continuing research on specific microbial isolates from manned space environments. IMPORTANCE As durations of manned space missions increase, it is imperative to understand the long-term consequence of microbial exposure on human health in a closed human habitat. To date, studies aimed at bacterial and fungal contamination of space vessels have highlighted species compositions biased toward hardy, persistent organisms capable of withstanding harsh conditions. In the current study, we assessed traits of two independent Aspergillus fumigatus strains isolated from the International Space Station. Ubiquitously found in terrestrial soil and atmospheric environments, A. fumigatus is a significant opportunistic fungal threat to human health, particularly among the immunocompromised. Using two well-known clinical isolates of A. fumigatus as comparators, we found that both ISS isolates exhibited normal in vitro growth and chemical stress tolerance yet caused higher lethality in a vertebrate model of invasive disease. These findings substantiate the need for additional studies of physical traits and biological activities of microbes adapted to microgravity and other extreme extraterrestrial conditions.Benjamin P. KnoxAdriana BlachowiczJonathan M. PalmerJillian RomsdahlAnna HuttenlocherClay C. C. WangNancy P. KellerKasthuri VenkateswaranAmerican Society for MicrobiologyarticleAspergillus fumigatusInternational Space StationSNP analysissecondary metabolitesvirulenceMicrobiologyQR1-502ENmSphere, Vol 1, Iss 5 (2016)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	Aspergillus fumigatus International Space Station SNP analysis secondary metabolites virulence Microbiology QR1-502
spellingShingle	Aspergillus fumigatus International Space Station SNP analysis secondary metabolites virulence Microbiology QR1-502 Benjamin P. Knox Adriana Blachowicz Jonathan M. Palmer Jillian Romsdahl Anna Huttenlocher Clay C. C. Wang Nancy P. Keller Kasthuri Venkateswaran Characterization of <named-content content-type="genus-species">Aspergillus fumigatus</named-content> Isolates from Air and Surfaces of the International Space Station
description	ABSTRACT One mission of the Microbial Observatory Experiments on the International Space Station (ISS) is to examine the traits and diversity of fungal isolates to gain a better understanding of how fungi may adapt to microgravity environments and how this may affect interactions with humans in a closed habitat. Here, we report an initial characterization of two isolates, ISSFT-021 and IF1SW-F4, of Aspergillus fumigatus collected from the ISS and a comparison to the experimentally established clinical isolates Af293 and CEA10. Whole-genome sequencing of ISSFT-021 and IF1SW-F4 showed 54,960 and 52,129 single nucleotide polymorphisms, respectively, compared to Af293, which is consistent with observed genetic heterogeneity among sequenced A. fumigatus isolates from diverse clinical and environmental sources. Assessment of in vitro growth characteristics, secondary metabolite production, and susceptibility to chemical stresses revealed no outstanding differences between ISS and clinical strains that would suggest special adaptation to life aboard the ISS. Virulence assessment in a neutrophil-deficient larval zebrafish model of invasive aspergillosis revealed that both ISSFT-021 and IF1SW-F4 were significantly more lethal than Af293 and CEA10. Taken together, these genomic, in vitro, and in vivo analyses of two A. fumigatus strains isolated from the ISS provide a benchmark for future investigations of these strains and for continuing research on specific microbial isolates from manned space environments. IMPORTANCE As durations of manned space missions increase, it is imperative to understand the long-term consequence of microbial exposure on human health in a closed human habitat. To date, studies aimed at bacterial and fungal contamination of space vessels have highlighted species compositions biased toward hardy, persistent organisms capable of withstanding harsh conditions. In the current study, we assessed traits of two independent Aspergillus fumigatus strains isolated from the International Space Station. Ubiquitously found in terrestrial soil and atmospheric environments, A. fumigatus is a significant opportunistic fungal threat to human health, particularly among the immunocompromised. Using two well-known clinical isolates of A. fumigatus as comparators, we found that both ISS isolates exhibited normal in vitro growth and chemical stress tolerance yet caused higher lethality in a vertebrate model of invasive disease. These findings substantiate the need for additional studies of physical traits and biological activities of microbes adapted to microgravity and other extreme extraterrestrial conditions.
format	article
author	Benjamin P. Knox Adriana Blachowicz Jonathan M. Palmer Jillian Romsdahl Anna Huttenlocher Clay C. C. Wang Nancy P. Keller Kasthuri Venkateswaran
author_facet	Benjamin P. Knox Adriana Blachowicz Jonathan M. Palmer Jillian Romsdahl Anna Huttenlocher Clay C. C. Wang Nancy P. Keller Kasthuri Venkateswaran
author_sort	Benjamin P. Knox
title	Characterization of <named-content content-type="genus-species">Aspergillus fumigatus</named-content> Isolates from Air and Surfaces of the International Space Station
title_short	Characterization of <named-content content-type="genus-species">Aspergillus fumigatus</named-content> Isolates from Air and Surfaces of the International Space Station
title_full	Characterization of <named-content content-type="genus-species">Aspergillus fumigatus</named-content> Isolates from Air and Surfaces of the International Space Station
title_fullStr	Characterization of <named-content content-type="genus-species">Aspergillus fumigatus</named-content> Isolates from Air and Surfaces of the International Space Station
title_full_unstemmed	Characterization of <named-content content-type="genus-species">Aspergillus fumigatus</named-content> Isolates from Air and Surfaces of the International Space Station
title_sort	characterization of <named-content content-type="genus-species">aspergillus fumigatus</named-content> isolates from air and surfaces of the international space station
publisher	American Society for Microbiology
publishDate	2016
url	https://doaj.org/article/0bd9d6dc6aec4207b99d6a8fb2c79156
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Characterization of <named-content content-type="genus-species">Aspergillus fumigatus</named-content> Isolates from Air and Surfaces of the International Space Station

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