Comparative Genomics and Transcriptomics During Sexual Development Gives Insight Into the Life History of the Cosmopolitan Fungus Fusarium neocosmosporiellum

Abstract

Fusarium neocosmosporiellum (formerly Neocosmospora vasinfecta ) is a cosmopolitan fungus that has been reported from soil, herbivore dung, and as a fruit- and root-rot pathogen of numerous field crops, although it is not known to cause significant losses on any crop. Taking advantage of the fact that this species produces prolific numbers of perithecia in culture, the genome of F. neocosmosporiellum was sequenced and transcriptomic analysis across five stages of perithecium development was performed to better understand the metabolic potential for sexual development and gain insight into its life history. Perithecium morphology together with the genome and transcriptome were compared with those of the plant pathogen F. graminearum , a model for studying perithecium development. Larger ascospores of F. neocosmosporiellum and their tendency to discharge as a cluster demonstrated a duality of dispersal: the majority are passively dispersed through the formation of cirrhi, while a minority of spores are shot longer distances than those of F. graminearum. The predicted gene number in the F. neocosmosporiellum genome was similar to that in F. graminearum , but F. neocosmosporiellum had more carbohydrate metabolism-related and transmembrane transport genes. Many transporter genes were differentially expressed during perithecium development in F. neocosmosporiellum , which may account for its larger perithecia. Comparative analysis of the secondary metabolite gene clusters identified several polyketide synthase genes that were induced during later stages of perithecium development. Deletion of a polyketide synthase gene in F. neocosmosporiellum resulted in a defective perithecium phenotype, suggesting an important role of the corresponding metabolite, which has yet to be identified, in perithecium development. Results of this study have provided novel insights into the genomic underpinning of development in F. neocosmosporiellum , which may help elucidate its ability to occupy diverse ecological niches.

Identification of a Polyketide Synthase Gene Responsible for Ascochitine Biosynthesis in Ascochyta fabae and Its Abrogation in Sister Taxa

“…2B), which was likely caused by the excess of acetates that otherwise should have been used in ascochitine biosynthesis. Similar phenomena have been observed in solanapyrone-negative mutants in Ascochyta rabiei (29) and in a mutant defective in a red pigment production in Fusarium neocosmosporiellum (30).…”

“…The ascochitine gene cluster also included a gene encoding a short peptide with a cupin domain ( orf2 ) that is often found in secondary metabolite gene clusters (30, 40). The orf11 gene encodes a fungus-specific Zn(II)2Cys6-type transcription factor and exhibited the least sequence similarity with the counterpart gene ( mrl3 ) in the citrinin gene cluster.…”

A new vector system for targeted integration and overexpression of genes in the crop pathogen Fusarium solani

“…pisi . A similar locus in the genome of F. neocosmosporiellum shares 86% nucleotide content with the integration border sites [49], however, whether pSHUT4 can successfully be applied in such a transformation experiment remains to be tested. It should be noted by researchers wishing to apply the system for genetic studies concerning signal transduction or virulence etc., we recommend carefully monitoring potential change the expression of neighboring genes when introducing any expression cassette, as introduction of recombinant DNA may compromise the intrinsic regulation.…”

FgPKS7 is an essential player in mating‐type‐mediated regulatory pathway required for completing sexual cycle in Fusarium graminearum

“…fujikuroi , F . neocosmosporiellum , and Nectria haematococca (Graziani et al ., 2004, Gaffoor et al ., 2005, Studt et al ., 2012, Frandsen et al ., 2016, Kim et al ., 2019). For example, the PGL1 gene ( PKS3 ) in F. graminearum is under tight regulation by the mating type locus, the master regulator of sexual development (Hallen et al ., 2007, Sikhakolli et al ., 2012, Kim et al ., 2015).…”

“…neocosmosporiellum have shown similar defects in perithecial development among species, although these two groups of reducing PKS genes are not orthologues to each other. In addition, their putative polyketide products are currently unidentified (Nowrousian, 2009, Schindler and Nowrousian, 2014, Kim et al ., 2015, Kim et al ., 2019).…”