TY - JOUR T1 - Sequencing and functional analysis of the genome of a nematode egg-parasitic fungus, Pochonia chlamydosporia. JF - Fungal Genet Biol Y1 - 2014 A1 - Larriba, Eduardo A1 - Jaime, María D L A A1 - Carbonell-Caballero, José A1 - Conesa, Ana A1 - Dopazo, Joaquin A1 - Nislow, Corey A1 - Martín-Nieto, José A1 - Lopez-Llorca, Luis Vicente KW - Animals KW - Ascomycota KW - Female KW - Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal KW - Gene ontology KW - Genome, Fungal KW - Hordeum KW - Host-Pathogen Interactions KW - Nematoda KW - Ovum KW - Phylogeny KW - Plant Roots KW - Sequence Analysis, DNA KW - Signal Transduction KW - Transcriptome AB -

Pochonia chlamydosporia is a worldwide-distributed soil fungus with a great capacity to infect and destroy the eggs and kill females of plant-parasitic nematodes. Additionally, it has the ability to colonize endophytically roots of economically-important crop plants, thereby promoting their growth and eliciting plant defenses. This multitrophic behavior makes P. chlamydosporia a potentially useful tool for sustainable agriculture approaches. We sequenced and assembled ∼41 Mb of P. chlamydosporia genomic DNA and predicted 12,122 gene models, of which many were homologous to genes of fungal pathogens of invertebrates and fungal plant pathogens. Predicted genes (65%) were functionally annotated according to Gene Ontology, and 16% of them found to share homology with genes in the Pathogen Host Interactions (PHI) database. The genome of this fungus is highly enriched in genes encoding hydrolytic enzymes, such as proteases, glycoside hydrolases and carbohydrate esterases. We used RNA-Seq technology in order to identify the genes expressed during endophytic behavior of P. chlamydosporia when colonizing barley roots. Functional annotation of these genes showed that hydrolytic enzymes and transporters are expressed during endophytism. This structural and functional analysis of the P. chlamydosporia genome provides a starting point for understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in the multitrophic lifestyle of this fungus. The genomic information provided here should also prove useful for enhancing the capabilities of this fungus as a biocontrol agent of plant-parasitic nematodes and as a plant growth-promoting organism.

VL - 65 U1 - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24530791?dopt=Abstract ER -