OPEN ACCESS ARTICLE

This Article Free via Open Access: OA OA Full Text Full Text (PDF) Supplemental Data OA All Versions of this Article: 19/11/3347    most recent tpc.107.052829v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (18) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Hane, J. K. Articles by Oliver, R. P. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Hane, J. K. Articles by Oliver, R. P. Agricola Articles by Hane, J. K. Articles by Oliver, R. P.

Dothideomycete–Plant Interactions Illuminated by Genome Sequencing and EST Analysis of the Wheat Pathogen Stagonospora nodorum^[W],[OA]

^a Australian Centre for Necrotrophic Fungal Pathogens, Murdoch University, WA 6150, Australia
^b Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331
^c Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures, 3508 AD Utrecht, The Netherlands
^d The Broad Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02141-2023
^e Plant Pathology, Institute of Integrative Biology, LFW B16 8092 Zurich, Switzerland

² Address correspondence to roliver{at}murdoch.edu.au.

Stagonospora nodorum is a major necrotrophic fungal pathogen of wheat (Triticum aestivum) and a member of the Dothideomycetes, a large fungal taxon that includes many important plant pathogens affecting all major crop plant families. Here, we report the acquisition and initial analysis of a draft genome sequence for this fungus. The assembly comprises 37,164,227 bp of nuclear DNA contained in 107 scaffolds. The circular mitochondrial genome comprises 49,761 bp encoding 46 genes, including four that are intron encoded. The nuclear genome assembly contains 26 classes of repetitive DNA, comprising 4.5% of the genome. Some of the repeats show evidence of repeat-induced point mutations consistent with a frequent sexual cycle. ESTs and gene prediction models support a minimum of 10,762 nuclear genes. Extensive orthology was found between the polyketide synthase family in S. nodorum and Cochliobolus heterostrophus, suggesting an ancient origin and conserved functions for these genes. A striking feature of the gene catalog was the large number of genes predicted to encode secreted proteins; the majority has no meaningful similarity to any other known genes. It is likely that genes for host-specific toxins, in addition to ToxA, will be found among this group. ESTs obtained from axenic mycelium grown on oleate (chosen to mimic early infection) and late-stage lesions sporulating on wheat leaves were obtained. Statistical analysis shows that transcripts encoding proteins involved in protein synthesis and in the production of extracellular proteases, cellulases, and xylanases predominate in the infection library. This suggests that the fungus is dependant on the degradation of wheat macromolecular constituents to provide the carbon skeletons and energy for the synthesis of proteins and other components destined for the developing pycnidiospores.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A. Amnuaykanjanasin, S. Phonghanpot, N. Sengpanich, S. Cheevadhanarak, and M. Tanticharoen Insect-Specific Polyketide Synthases (PKSs), Potential PKS-Nonribosomal Peptide Synthetase Hybrids, and Novel PKS Clades in Tropical Fungi Appl. Envir. Microbiol., June 1, 2009; 75(11): 3721 - 3732. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K.-C. Tan, J. L. Heazlewood, A. H. Millar, G. Thomson, R. P. Oliver, and P. S. Solomon A Signaling-Regulated, Short-Chain Dehydrogenase of Stagonospora nodorum Regulates Asexual Development Eukaryot. Cell, November 1, 2008; 7(11): 1916 - 1929. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. J. Paukstelis and A. M. Lambowitz Identification and evolution of fungal mitochondrial tyrosyl-tRNA synthetases with group I intron splicing activity PNAS, April 22, 2008; 105(16): 6010 - 6015. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. L. Friesen, Z. Zhang, P. S. Solomon, R. P. Oliver, and J. D. Faris Characterization of the Interaction of a Novel Stagonospora nodorum Host-Selective Toxin with a Wheat Susceptibility Gene Plant Physiology, February 1, 2008; 146(2): 682 - 693. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. M. Soanes, T. A. Richards, and N. J. Talbot Insights from Sequencing Fungal and Oomycete Genomes: What Can We Learn about Plant Disease and the Evolution of Pathogenicity? PLANT CELL, November 1, 2007; 19(11): 3318 - 3326. [Full Text] [PDF]