AUTHOR=Le Gal Solène , Hoarau Gautier , Bertolotti Antoine , Negri Steven , Le Nan Nathan , Bouchara Jean-Philippe , Papon Nicolas , Blanchet Denis , Demar Magalie , Nevez Gilles 

TITLE=Pneumocystis jirovecii Diversity in Réunion, an Overseas French Island in Indian Ocean

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2020.00127

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2020.00127

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p>Data on <italic>Pneumocystis jirovecii</italic> characteristics from the overseas French territories are still scarce whereas numerous data on <italic>P. jirovecii</italic> genotypes are available for metropolitan France. The main objective of the present study was to identify <italic>P. jirovecii</italic> multilocus genotypes in patients living in Réunion and to compare them with those identified using the same method in metropolitan France and in French Guiana. Archival <italic>P. jirovecii</italic> specimens from immunosuppressed patients, 16 living in Réunion (a French island of the Indian ocean), six living in French Guiana (a South-American French territory), and 24 living in Brest (Brittany, metropolitan France) were examined at the large subunit rRNA (mtLSUrRNA) genes, cytochrome <italic>b</italic> (<italic>CYB</italic>), and superoxide dismutase (<italic>SOD</italic>) genes using PCR assays and direct sequencing. A total of 23 multi-locus genotypes (MLG) were identified combining mtLSUrRNA, <italic>CYB</italic>, and <italic>SOD</italic> alleles, i.e., six in Reunionese patients, three in Guianese patients, and 15 in Brest patients. Only one MLG (mtLSU1-<italic>CYB</italic>1-<italic>SOD</italic>2) was shared by Reunionese and Guianese patients (one patient from each region) whereas none of the 22 remaining MLG were shared by the 3 patient groups. A total of eight MLG were newly identified, three in Réunion and five in Brest. These results that were obtained through a retrospective investigation of a relatively low number of <italic>P. jirovecii</italic> specimens, provides original and first data on genetic diversity of <italic>P. jirovecii</italic> in Réunion island. The results suggest that <italic>P. jirovecii</italic> organisms from Réunion present specific characteristics compared to other <italic>P. jirovecii</italic> organisms from metropolitan France and French Guiana.</p>