Whole genome sequence analysis of Microsporum canis: A study based on animal strains isolated from India

The zoophilic Microsporum canis is mainly associated with skin disease in dogs and cats, though increased occurrence in humans has been reported recently. Genome-based comparison of isolates from different host origins shall provide deeper insights into disease epidemiology and zoonotic transmission. However, whole genome sequence data of M. canis isolates, especially of animal origin, are scarce. Considering these facts, whole genome sequencing (WGS) of M. canis isolates of canine (B12–45A) and feline (B12–36A) origins from India was carried out. Both the strains revealed a genome size of ∼22.8 Mb and GC content of ∼47.4 %. A total of 158 protein-coding genes were predicted as carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes). Further, comparative genome analysis envisaged the identification of average nucleotide identity (ANI), mash distance, and core SNP-based analysis involving 8 Microsporum isolates. Based on ANI and mash distance, the M. canis strains of the human (n = 4) and animal (n = 2) origins clustered together, distinct from the other two species. Within the M. canis cluster, the two animal-origin strains exhibited close relatedness (ANI value > 99.9) to two human strains (CBS_113480 and BMU_10802). The other two human strains were represented as outliers with lower ANI values. Similarly, lower pairwise SNP distance between animal and some human invasive strains indicates the possibility of diverse genotypes within M. canis, of which some may have high zoonotic potential. Further, the genomic and phylogenetic insights derived from the study may be applied in further epidemiological studies and for devising strategies for the development of effective therapeutics targeting their secretomes, especially the CAZymes.