Sporisorium scitamineum is a biotrophic fungus responsible for the sugarcane smut, a worldwide spread disease. This study provides the complete sequence of individual chromosomes of S. scitamineum from telomere to telomere achieved by a combination of PacBio long reads and Illumina short reads sequence data, as well as a draft sequence of a second fungal strain. Comparative analysis to previous available sequences of another strain detected few polymorphisms among the three genomes. The novel complete sequence described herein allowed us to identify and annotate extended subtelomeric regions, repetitive elements and the mitochondrial DNA sequence. The genome comprises 19,979,571 bases, 6,677 genes encoding proteins, 111 tRNAs and 3 assembled copies of rDNA, out of our estimated number of copies as 130. Chromosomal reorganizations were detected when comparing to sequences of S. reilianum, the closest smut relative, potentially influenced by repeats of transposable elements. Repetitive elements may have also directed the linkage of the two mating-type loci. The fungal transcriptome profiling from in vitro and from interaction with sugarcane at two time points (early infection and whip emergence) revealed that 13.5% of the genes were differentially expressed in planta and particular to each developmental stage. Among them are plant cell wall degrading enzymes, proteases, lipases, chitin modification and lignin degradation enzymes, sugar transporters and transcriptional factors. The fungus also modulates transcription of genes related to surviving against reactive oxygen species and other toxic metabolites produced by the plant. Previously described effectors in smut/plant interactions were detected but some new candidates are proposed. Ten genomic islands harboring some of the candidate genes unique to S. scitamineum were expressed only in planta. RNAseq data was also used to reassure gene predictions.

Sugarcane smut disease is caused by the biotrophic fungus Sporisorium scitamineum. The disease is characterized by the development of a whip-like structure from the primary meristems, where billions of teliospores are produced. Sugarcane smut also causes tillering and low sucrose and high fiber contents, reducing cane productivity. We investigated the biological events contributing to disease symptoms in a smut intermediate-resistant sugarcane genotype by examining the transcriptional profiles (RNAseq) shortly after inoculating the plants and immediately after whip emission. The overall picture of disease progression suggests that premature transcriptional reprogramming of the shoot meristem functions continues until the emergence of the whip. The guidance of this altered pattern is potentially primarily related to auxin mobilization in addition to the involvement of other hormonal imbalances. The consequences associated with whip emission are the modulation of typical meristematic functions toward reproductive organ differentiation, requiring strong changes in carbon partitioning and energy production. These changes include the overexpression of genes coding for invertases and trehalose-6P synthase, as well as other enzymes from key metabolic pathways, such as from lignin biosynthesis. This is the first report describing changes in the transcriptional profiles following whip development, providing a hypothetical model and candidate genes to further study sugarcane smut disease progression.

Objective:Protein misfolding plays a central role not only in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), but also in other conditions, such as frontotemporal dementia (FTD), inclusion body myopathy (hIBM) or Paget's disease of bone. The concept of multisystem proteinopathies (MSP) was created to account for those rare families that segregate at least 2 out of these 4 conditions in the same pedigree. The calcium-dependent phospholipid-binding protein annexin A11 was recently associated to ALS in European pedigrees. Herein, we describe in detail 3 Brazilian families presenting hIBM (isolated or in combination with ALS/FTD) caused by the novel p.D40Y change in the gene encoding annexin A11 (ANXA11). Methods: We collected clinical, genetic, pathological and skeletal muscle imaging from 11 affected subjects. Neuroimaging was also obtained from 8 patients and 8 matched controls. Results: Clinico-radiological phenotype of this novel hIBM reveals a slowly progressive predominant limb-girdle syndrome, but with frequent axial (ptosis/dropped head) and distal (medial gastrocnemius) involvement as well. Muscle pathology identified numerous rimmed vacuoles with positive annexin A11, TDP-43 and p62 inclusions, but no inflammation. Central nervous system was also involved: two patients had FTD, but diffusion tensor imaging uncovered multiple areas of cerebral white matter damage in the whole group (including the corticospinal tracts and frontal subcortical regions). Interpretation: These findings expand the phenotypic spectrum related to ANXA11. This gene should be considered the cause of a novel multisystem proteinopathy (MSP type 6), rather than just ALS.

Bacillus sp. strain RZ2MS9 is a multitrait soybean and maize growth-promoting bacterium isolated in Brazil from guarana’s rhizosphere. Here, we present the draft genome sequence of RZ2MS9 and its genes involved in many features related to plant growth promotion.