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July 7, 2019

Draft genome sequence of Ustilago trichophora RK089, a promising malic acid producer.

The basidiomycetous smut fungus Ustilago trichophora RK089 produces malate from glycerol. De novo genome sequencing revealed a 20.7-Mbp genome (301 gap-closed contigs, 246 scaffolds). A comparison to the genome of Ustilago maydis 521 revealed all essential genes for malate production from glycerol contributing to metabolic engineering for improving malate production. Copyright © 2016 Zambanini et al.


July 7, 2019

Transposons passively and actively contribute to evolution of the two-speed genome of a fungal pathogen.

Genomic plasticity enables adaptation to changing environments, which is especially relevant for pathogens that engage in “arms races” with their hosts. In many pathogens, genes mediating virulence cluster in highly variable, transposon-rich, physically distinct genomic compartments. However, understanding of the evolution of these compartments, and the role of transposons therein, remains limited. Here, we show that transposons are the major driving force for adaptive genome evolution in the fungal plant pathogen Verticillium dahliae We show that highly variable lineage-specific (LS) regions evolved by genomic rearrangements that are mediated by erroneous double-strand repair, often utilizing transposons. We furthermore show that recent genetic duplications are enhanced in LS regions, against an older episode of duplication events. Finally, LS regions are enriched in active transposons, which contribute to local genome plasticity. Thus, we provide evidence for genome shaping by transposons, both in an active and passive manner, which impacts the evolution of pathogen virulence. © 2016 Faino et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.


July 7, 2019

Genome sequence and annotation of Colletotrichum higginsianum, a causal agent of crucifer anthracnose disease.

Colletotrichum higginsianum is an ascomycete fungus causing anthracnose disease on numerous cultivated plants in the family Brassicaceae, as well as the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana We report an assembly of the nuclear genome and gene annotation of this pathogen, which was obtained using a combination of PacBio long-read sequencing and optical mapping. Copyright © 2016 Zampounis et al.


July 7, 2019

Comparative genomics and transcriptomics of Pichia pastoris.

Pichia pastoris has emerged as an important alternative host for producing recombinant biopharmaceuticals, owing to its high cultivation density, low host cell protein burden, and the development of strains with humanized glycosylation. Despite its demonstrated utility, relatively little strain engineering has been performed to improve Pichia, due in part to the limited number and inconsistent frameworks of reported genomes and transcriptomes. Furthermore, the co-mingling of genomic, transcriptomic and fermentation data collected about Komagataella pastoris and Komagataella phaffii, the two strains co-branded as Pichia, has generated confusion about host performance for these genetically distinct species. Generation of comparative high-quality genomes and transcriptomes will enable meaningful comparisons between the organisms, and potentially inform distinct biotechnological utilies for each species.Here, we present a comprehensive and standardized comparative analysis of the genomic features of the three most commonly used strains comprising the tradename Pichia: K. pastoris wild-type, K. phaffii wild-type, and K. phaffii GS115. We used a combination of long-read (PacBio) and short-read (Illumina) sequencing technologies to achieve over 1000X coverage of each genome. Construction of individual genomes was then performed using as few as seven individual contigs to create gap-free assemblies. We found substantial syntenic rearrangements between the species and characterized a linear plasmid present in K. phaffii. Comparative analyses between K. phaffii genomes enabled the characterization of the mutational landscape of the GS115 strain. We identified and examined 35 non-synonomous coding mutations present in GS115, many of which are likely to impact strain performance. Additionally, we investigated transcriptomic profiles of gene expression for both species during cultivation on various carbon sources. We observed that the most highly transcribed genes in both organisms were consistently highly expressed in all three carbon sources examined. We also observed selective expression of certain genes in each carbon source, including many sequences not previously reported as promoters for expression of heterologous proteins in yeasts.Our studies establish a foundation for understanding critical relationships between genome structure, cultivation conditions and gene expression. The resources we report here will inform and facilitate rational, organism-wide strain engineering for improved utility as a host for protein production.


July 7, 2019

Whole-genome sequencing recommendations

Recent technological developments have revolutionized the way we perform genetic analyses. In particular whole-genome sequencing provides access to the entire genetic makeup of an individual, and it is now an affordable approach for many research groups. As a consequence genome sequencing is pervading many fields of biological research. Sequencing technologies are evolving rapidly and so do their applications. Here we provide a first primer on whole-genome sequencing, focusing on two of the most popular applications: (1) de novo genome sequencing, in which the objective is obtaining a high-quality genome assembly that can serve as a reference for a species or variety, and (2) genome resequencing, when there is an available reference genome and the objective is to map sequence variation of an individual or a set of individuals. It is not our intention to provide a comprehensive overview of current methodologies that will likely soon become obsolete, but rather focus on general principles that will have a more general applicability.


July 7, 2019

Draft genome sequences of Armillaria fuscipes, Ceratocystiopsis minuta, Ceratocystis adiposa, Endoconidiophora laricicola, E. polonica and Penicillium freii DAOMC 242723.

The genomes of Armillaria fuscipes, Ceratocystiopsis minuta, Ceratocystis adiposa, Endoconidiophora laricicola, E. polonica, and Penicillium freii DAOMC 242723 are presented in this genome announcement. These six genomes are from plant pathogens and otherwise economically important fungal species. The genome sizes range from 21 Mb in the case of Ceratocystiopsis minuta to 58 Mb for the basidiomycete Armillaria fuscipes. These genomes include the first reports of genomes for the genus Endoconidiophora. The availability of these genome data will provide opportunities to resolve longstanding questions regarding the taxonomy of species in these genera. In addition these genome sequences through comparative studies with closely related organisms will increase our understanding of how these pathogens cause disease.


July 7, 2019

Genomic and transcriptomic analyses of the tangerine pathotype of Alternaria alternata in response to oxidative stress.

The tangerine pathotype of Alternaria alternata produces the A. citri toxin (ACT) and is the causal agent of citrus brown spot that results in significant yield losses worldwide. Both the production of ACT and the ability to detoxify reactive oxygen species (ROS) are required for A. alternata pathogenicity in citrus. In this study, we report the 34.41?Mb genome sequence of strain Z7 of the tangerine pathotype of A. alternata. The host selective ACT gene cluster in strain Z7 was identified, which included 25 genes with 19 of them not reported previously. Of these, 10 genes were present only in the tangerine pathotype, representing the most likely candidate genes for this pathotype specialization. A transcriptome analysis of the global effects of H2O2 on gene expression revealed 1108 up-regulated and 498 down-regulated genes. Expressions of those genes encoding catalase, peroxiredoxin, thioredoxin and glutathione were highly induced. Genes encoding several protein families including kinases, transcription factors, transporters, cytochrome P450, ubiquitin and heat shock proteins were found associated with adaptation to oxidative stress. Our data not only revealed the molecular basis of ACT biosynthesis but also provided new insights into the potential pathways that the phytopathogen A. alternata copes with oxidative stress.


July 7, 2019

Ectomycorrhizal ecology is imprinted in the genome of the dominant symbiotic fungus Cenococcum geophilum.

The most frequently encountered symbiont on tree roots is the ascomycete Cenococcum geophilum, the only mycorrhizal species within the largest fungal class Dothideomycetes, a class known for devastating plant pathogens. Here we show that the symbiotic genomic idiosyncrasies of ectomycorrhizal basidiomycetes are also present in C. geophilum with symbiosis-induced, taxon-specific genes of unknown function and reduced numbers of plant cell wall-degrading enzymes. C. geophilum still holds a significant set of genes in categories known to be involved in pathogenesis and shows an increased genome size due to transposable elements proliferation. Transcript profiling revealed a striking upregulation of membrane transporters, including aquaporin water channels and sugar transporters, and mycorrhiza-induced small secreted proteins (MiSSPs) in ectomycorrhiza compared with free-living mycelium. The frequency with which this symbiont is found on tree roots and its possible role in water and nutrient transport in symbiosis calls for further studies on mechanisms of host and environmental adaptation.


July 7, 2019

The genome of Pleurotus eryngii provides insights into the mechanisms of wood decay.

Pleurotus eryngii (DC.) Quél. is widely used for bioconverting lignocellulosic byproducts into biofuel and value added products. Sequencing and annotating the genome of a monokaryon strain P. eryngii 183 allows us to gain a better understanding of carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) and oxidoreductases for degradation of lignocellulose in white-rot fungi. The genomic data provides insights into genomic basis of degradation mechanisms of lignin and cellulose and may pave new avenues for lignocellulose bioconversion. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.


July 7, 2019

Sequence assembly of Yarrowia lipolytica strain W29/CLIB89 shows transposable element diversity.

Yarrowia lipolytica, an oleaginous yeast, is capable of accumulating significant cellular mass in lipid making it an important source of biosustainable hydrocarbon-based chemicals. In spite of a similar number of protein-coding genes to that in other Hemiascomycetes, the Y. lipolytica genome is almost double that of model yeasts. Despite its economic importance and several distinct strains in common use, an independent genome assembly exists for only one strain. We report here a de novo annotated assembly of the chromosomal genome of an industrially-relevant strain, W29/CLIB89, determined by hybrid next-generation sequencing. For the first time, each Y. lipolytica chromosome is represented by a single contig. The telomeric rDNA repeats were localized by Irys long-range genome mapping and one complete copy of the rDNA sequence is reported. Two large structural variants and retroelement differences with reference strain CLIB122 including a full-length, novel Ty3/Gypsy long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposon and multiple LTR-like sequences are described. Strikingly, several of these are adjacent to RNA polymerase III-transcribed genes, which are almost double in number in Y. lipolytica compared to other Hemiascomycetes. In addition to previously-reported dimeric RNA polymerase III-transcribed genes, tRNA pseudogenes were identified. Multiple full-length and truncated LINE elements are also present. Therefore, although identified transposons do not constitute a significant fraction of the Y. lipolytica genome, they could have played an active role in its evolution. Differences between the sequence of this strain and of the existing reference strain underscore the utility of an additional independent genome assembly for this economically important organism.


July 7, 2019

Production of the bioactive compounds violacein and indolmycin is conditional in a maeA mutant of Pseudoalteromonas luteoviolacea S4054 lacking the malic enzyme.

It has previously been reported that some strains of the marine bacterium Pseudoalteromonas luteoviolacea produce the purple bioactive pigment violacein as well as the antibiotic compound indolmycin, hitherto only found in Streptomyces. The purpose of the present study was to determine the relative role of each of these two compounds as antibacterial compounds in P. luteoviolacea S4054. Using Tn10 transposon mutagenesis, a mutant strain that was significantly reduced in violacein production in mannose-containing substrates was created. Full genome analyses revealed that the vio-biosynthetic gene cluster was not interrupted by the transposon; instead the insertion was located to the maeA gene encoding the malic enzyme. Supernatant of the mutant strain inhibited Vibrio anguillarum and Staphylococcus aureus in well diffusion assays and in MIC assays at the same level as the wild type strain. The mutant strain killed V. anguillarum in co-culture experiments as efficiently as the wild type. Using UHPLC-UV/Vis analyses, we quantified violacein and indolmycin, and the mutant strain only produced 7-10% the amount of violacein compared to the wild type strain. In contrast, the amount of indolmycin produced by the mutant strain was about 300% that of the wild type. Since inhibition of V. anguillarum and S. aureus by the mutant strain was similar to that of the wild type, it is concluded that violacein is not the major antibacterial compound in P. luteoviolacea. We furthermore propose that production of violacein and indolmycin may be metabolically linked and that yet unidentified antibacterial compound(s) may be play a role in the antibacterial activity of P. luteoviolacea.


July 7, 2019

Genetic basis of priority effects: insights from nectar yeast.

Priority effects, in which the order of species arrival dictates community assembly, can have a major influence on species diversity, but the genetic basis of priority effects remains unknown. Here, we suggest that nitrogen scavenging genes previously considered responsible for starvation avoidance may drive priority effects by causing rapid resource depletion. Using single-molecule sequencing, we de novo assembled the genome of the nectar-colonizing yeast, Metschnikowia reukaufii, across eight scaffolds and complete mitochondrion, with gap-free coverage over gene spaces. We found a high rate of tandem gene duplication in this genome, enriched for nitrogen metabolism and transport. Both high-capacity amino acid importers, GAP1 and PUT4, present as tandem gene arrays, were highly expressed in synthetic nectar and regulated by the availability and quality of amino acids. In experiments with competitive nectar yeast, Candida rancensis, amino acid addition alleviated suppression of C. rancensis by early arrival of M. reukaufii, corroborating that amino acid scavenging may contribute to priority effects. Because niche pre-emption via rapid resource depletion may underlie priority effects in a broad range of microbial, plant and animal communities, nutrient scavenging genes like the ones we considered here may be broadly relevant to understanding priority effects.© 2016 The Author(s).


July 7, 2019

Comparative genomics of biotechnologically important yeasts.

Ascomycete yeasts are metabolically diverse, with great potential for biotechnology. Here, we report the comparative genome analysis of 29 taxonomically and biotechnologically important yeasts, including 16 newly sequenced. We identify a genetic code change, CUG-Ala, in Pachysolen tannophilus in the clade sister to the known CUG-Ser clade. Our well-resolved yeast phylogeny shows that some traits, such as methylotrophy, are restricted to single clades, whereas others, such as l-rhamnose utilization, have patchy phylogenetic distributions. Gene clusters, with variable organization and distribution, encode many pathways of interest. Genomics can predict some biochemical traits precisely, but the genomic basis of others, such as xylose utilization, remains unresolved. Our data also provide insight into early evolution of ascomycetes. We document the loss of H3K9me2/3 heterochromatin, the origin of ascomycete mating-type switching, and panascomycete synteny at the MAT locus. These data and analyses will facilitate the engineering of efficient biosynthetic and degradative pathways and gateways for genomic manipulation.


July 7, 2019

The evolution of orphan regions in genomes of a fungal pathogen of wheat.

Fungal plant pathogens rapidly evolve virulence on resistant hosts through mutations in genes encoding proteins that modulate the host immune responses. The mutational spectrum likely includes chromosomal rearrangements responsible for gains or losses of entire genes. However, the mechanisms creating adaptive structural variation in fungal pathogen populations are poorly understood. We used complete genome assemblies to quantify structural variants segregating in the highly polymorphic fungal wheat pathogen Zymoseptoria tritici The genetic basis of virulence in Z. tritici is complex, and populations harbor significant genetic variation for virulence; hence, we aimed to identify whether structural variation led to functional differences. We combined single-molecule real-time sequencing, genetic maps, and transcriptomics data to generate a fully assembled and annotated genome of the highly virulent field isolate 3D7. Comparative genomics analyses against the complete reference genome IPO323 identified large chromosomal inversions and the complete gain or loss of transposable-element clusters, explaining the extensive chromosomal-length polymorphisms found in this species. Both the 3D7 and IPO323 genomes harbored long tracts of sequences exclusive to one of the two genomes. These orphan regions contained 296 genes unique to the 3D7 genome and not previously known for this species. These orphan genes tended to be organized in clusters and showed evidence of mutational decay. Moreover, the orphan genes were enriched in genes encoding putative effectors and included a gene that is one of the most upregulated putative effector genes during wheat infection. Our study showed that this pathogen species harbored extensive chromosomal structure polymorphism that may drive the evolution of virulence.Pathogen outbreak populations often harbor previously unknown genes conferring virulence. Hence, a key puzzle of rapid pathogen evolution is the origin of such evolutionary novelty in genomes. Chromosomal rearrangements and structural variation in pathogen populations likely play a key role. However, identifying such polymorphism is challenging, as most genome-sequencing approaches only yield information about point mutations. We combined long-read technology and genetic maps to assemble the complete genome of a strain of a highly polymorphic fungal pathogen of wheat. Comparisons against the reference genome of the species showed substantial variation in the chromosome structure and revealed large regions unique to each assembled genome. These regions were enriched in genes encoding likely effector proteins, which are important components of pathogenicity. Our study showed that pathogen populations harbor extensive polymorphism at the chromosome level and that this polymorphism can be a source of adaptive genetic variation in pathogen evolution. Copyright © 2016 Plissonneau et al.


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