@article{695296f54e4d401490decb4b608680fb,
title = "Differential thermotolerance adaptation between species of coccidioides",
abstract = "Coccidioidomycosis, or Valley fever, is caused by two species of dimorphic fungi. Based on molecular phylogenetic evidence, the genus Coccidioides contains two reciprocally monophyletic species: C. immitis and C. posadasii. However, phenotypic variation between species has not been deeply investigated. We therefore explored differences in growth rate under various conditions. A collection of 39 C. posadasii and 46 C. immitis isolates, representing the full geographical range of the two species, was screened for mycelial growth rate at 37◦C and 28◦C on solid media. The radial growth rate was measured for 16 days on yeast extract agar. A linear mixed effect model was used to compare the growth rate of C. posadasii and C. immitis at 37◦C and 28◦C, respectively. C. posadasii grew significantly faster at 37◦C, when compared to C. immitis; whereas both species had similar growth rates at 28◦C. These results indicate thermotolerance differs between these two species. As the ecological niche has not been well-described for Coccidioides spp., and disease variability between species has not been shown, the evolutionary pressure underlying the adaptation is unclear. However, this research reveals the first significant phenotypic difference between the two species that directly applies to ecological research.",
keywords = "Coccidioidomycosis, Fungal pathogen, Growth rate, Phenotypic variation, Valley fever",
author = "Mead, {Heather L.} and Hamm, {Paris S.} and Shaffer, {Isaac N.} and Teixeira, {Marcus de Melo} and Wendel, {Christopher S.} and Wiederhold, {Nathan P.} and Thompson, {George R.} and Raquel Mu{\~n}iz-Salazar and Casta{\~n}{\'o}n-Olivares, {Laura Rosio} and Paul Keim and Carmel Plude and Joel Terriquez and Galgiani, {John N.} and Orbach, {Marc J.} and Barker, {Bridget M.}",
note = "Funding Information: This work was funded through an ADCRC grant (Project #6017) NIH grant 1 PO 1AI061310-01, and the US Department of Veterans Affairs. BMB was supported by NSF IGERT fellowship in Genomics NSF-DGE 0114420 at the University of Arizona, and current support by Arizona Department of Health Services ABRC New Investigator grant 16-162415. This work was funded in part by a University of New Mexico (UNM) Graduate and Professional Student Association High Priority Grant to PSH and to HLM through the Grants in Community, Culture, and Environment by The Center for Ecosystem Science and Society and the McAllister Program in Community, Culture, and Environment at Northern Arizona University. Flagstaff Medical Center isolates were collected under IBR No. 764034 through Northern Arizona Healthcare as part of the Northern Arizona University Biobank. Funding for this biobank was provided by the Flinn Foundation of Arizona seed grant #1978 to P. Keim and J. Terriquez. Funding Information: Funding: This work was funded through an ADCRC grant (Project #6017) NIH grant 1 PO 1AI061310-01, and the US Department of Veterans Affairs. BMB was supported by NSF IGERT fellowship in Genomics NSF-DGE 0114420 at the University of Arizona, and current support by Arizona Department of Health Services ABRC New Investigator grant 16-162415. This work was funded in part by a University of New Mexico (UNM) Graduate and Professional Student Association High Priority Grant to PSH and to HLM through the Grants in Community, Culture, and Environment by The Center for Ecosystem Science and Society and the McAllister Program in Community, Culture, and Environment at Northern Arizona University. Flagstaff Medical Center isolates were collected under IBR No. 764034 through Northern Arizona Healthcare as part of the Northern Arizona University Biobank. Funding for this biobank was provided by the Flinn Foundation of Arizona seed grant #1978 to P. Keim and J. Terriquez. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.",
year = "2020",
month = dec,
doi = "10.3390/jof6040366",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "6",
pages = "1--14",
journal = "Journal of Fungi",
issn = "2309-608X",
publisher = "MDPI AG",
number = "4",
}