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Hooper PM, Bass D, Feil EJ, Vincent WF, Lovejoy C, Owen CJ, Tsola SL, Jungblut AD. Arctic cyanobacterial mat community diversity decreases with latitude across the Canadian Arctic. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2024; 100:fiae067. [PMID: 38653723 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiae067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Cyanobacterial mats are commonly reported as hotspots of microbial diversity across polar environments. These thick, multilayered microbial communities provide a refuge from extreme environmental conditions, with many species able to grow and coexist despite the low allochthonous nutrient inputs. The visibly dominant phototrophic biomass is dependent on internal nutrient recycling by heterotrophic organisms within the mats; however, the specific contribution of heterotrophic protists remains little explored. In this study, mat community diversity was examined along a latitudinal gradient (55-83°N), spanning subarctic taiga, tundra, polar desert, and the High Arctic ice shelves. The prokaryotic and eukaryotic communities were targeted, respectively, by V4 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and V9 18S rRNA gene amplicon high-throughput sequencing. Prokaryotic and eukaryotic richness decreased, in tandem with decreasing temperatures and shorter seasons of light availability, from the subarctic to the High Arctic. Taxonomy-based annotation of the protist community revealed diverse phototrophic, mixotrophic, and heterotrophic genera in all mat communities, with fewer parasitic taxa in High Arctic communities. Co-occurrence network analysis identified greater heterogeneity in eukaryotic than prokaryotic community structure among cyanobacterial mats across the Canadian Arctic. Our findings highlight the sensitivity of microbial eukaryotes to environmental gradients across northern high latitudes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick M Hooper
- Science Department, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, United Kingdom
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY, United Kingdom
| | - David Bass
- Science Department, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, United Kingdom
- Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), Weymouth Laboratory, Barrack Road, Weymouth, DT4 8UB, United Kingdom
- Centre for Sustainable Aquaculture Futures, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD, United Kingdom
| | - Edward J Feil
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY, United Kingdom
| | - Warwick F Vincent
- Département de Biologie, Takuvik International Research Laboratory and Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes, Université Laval, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
- Centre d'études nordiques (CEN), Université Laval, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Connie Lovejoy
- Département de Biologie, Takuvik International Research Laboratory and Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes, Université Laval, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
- Centre d'études nordiques (CEN), Université Laval, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
- Québec Océan, Université Laval, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Christopher J Owen
- UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Stephania L Tsola
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS, United Kingdom
| | - Anne D Jungblut
- Science Department, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, United Kingdom
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Kormos A, Dimopoulos G, Bier E, Lanzaro GC, Marshall JM, James AA. Conceptual risk assessment of mosquito population modification gene-drive systems to control malaria transmission: preliminary hazards list workshops. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1261123. [PMID: 37965050 PMCID: PMC10641379 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1261123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The field-testing and eventual adoption of genetically-engineered mosquitoes (GEMs) to control vector-borne pathogen transmission will require them meeting safety criteria specified by regulatory authorities in regions where the technology is being considered for use and other locales that might be impacted. Preliminary risk considerations by researchers and developers may be useful for planning the baseline data collection and field research used to address the anticipated safety concerns. Part of this process is to identify potential hazards (defined as the inherent ability of an entity to cause harm) and their harms, and then chart the pathways to harm and evaluate their probability as part of a risk assessment. The University of California Malaria Initiative (UCMI) participated in a series of workshops held to identify potential hazards specific to mosquito population modification strains carrying gene-drive systems coupled to anti-parasite effector genes and their use in a hypothetical island field trial. The hazards identified were placed within the broader context of previous efforts discussed in the scientific literature. Five risk areas were considered i) pathogens, infections and diseases, and the impacts of GEMs on human and animal health, ii) invasiveness and persistence of GEMs, and interactions of GEMs with target organisms, iii) interactions of GEMs with non-target organisms including horizontal gene transfer, iv) impacts of techniques used for the management of GEMs and v) evolutionary and stability considerations. A preliminary hazards list (PHL) was developed and is made available here. This PHL is useful for internal project risk evaluation and is available to regulators at prospective field sites. UCMI project scientists affirm that the subsequent processes associated with the comprehensive risk assessment for the application of this technology should be driven by the stakeholders at the proposed field site and areas that could be affected by this intervention strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Kormos
- Vector Genetics Laboratory, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - George Dimopoulos
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Ethan Bier
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Gregory C. Lanzaro
- Vector Genetics Laboratory, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - John M. Marshall
- Divisions of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Anthony A. James
- Departments of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics and Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
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Gryganskyi AP, Golan J, Muszewska A, Idnurm A, Dolatabadi S, Mondo SJ, Kutovenko VB, Kutovenko VO, Gajdeczka MT, Anishchenko IM, Pawlowska J, Tran NV, Ebersberger I, Voigt K, Wang Y, Chang Y, Pawlowska TE, Heitman J, Vilgalys R, Bonito G, Benny GL, Smith ME, Reynolds N, James TY, Grigoriev IV, Spatafora JW, Stajich JE. Sequencing the Genomes of the First Terrestrial Fungal Lineages: What Have We Learned? Microorganisms 2023; 11:1830. [PMID: 37513002 PMCID: PMC10386755 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11071830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The first genome sequenced of a eukaryotic organism was for Saccharomyces cerevisiae, as reported in 1996, but it was more than 10 years before any of the zygomycete fungi, which are the early-diverging terrestrial fungi currently placed in the phyla Mucoromycota and Zoopagomycota, were sequenced. The genome for Rhizopus delemar was completed in 2008; currently, more than 1000 zygomycete genomes have been sequenced. Genomic data from these early-diverging terrestrial fungi revealed deep phylogenetic separation of the two major clades-primarily plant-associated saprotrophic and mycorrhizal Mucoromycota versus the primarily mycoparasitic or animal-associated parasites and commensals in the Zoopagomycota. Genomic studies provide many valuable insights into how these fungi evolved in response to the challenges of living on land, including adaptations to sensing light and gravity, development of hyphal growth, and co-existence with the first terrestrial plants. Genome sequence data have facilitated studies of genome architecture, including a history of genome duplications and horizontal gene transfer events, distribution and organization of mating type loci, rDNA genes and transposable elements, methylation processes, and genes useful for various industrial applications. Pathogenicity genes and specialized secondary metabolites have also been detected in soil saprobes and pathogenic fungi. Novel endosymbiotic bacteria and viruses have been discovered during several zygomycete genome projects. Overall, genomic information has helped to resolve a plethora of research questions, from the placement of zygomycetes on the evolutionary tree of life and in natural ecosystems, to the applied biotechnological and medical questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrii P. Gryganskyi
- Division of Biological & Nanoscale Technologies, UES, Inc., Dayton, OH 45432, USA
| | - Jacob Golan
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA;
| | - Anna Muszewska
- Institute of Biochemistry & Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland;
| | - Alexander Idnurm
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia;
| | - Somayeh Dolatabadi
- Biology Department, Hakim Sabzevari University, Sabzevar 96179-76487, Iran;
| | - Stephen J. Mondo
- U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; (S.J.M.); (I.V.G.)
| | - Vira B. Kutovenko
- Department of Agrobiology, National University of Life & Environmental Sciences, 03041 Kyiv, Ukraine; (V.B.K.)
| | - Volodymyr O. Kutovenko
- Department of Agrobiology, National University of Life & Environmental Sciences, 03041 Kyiv, Ukraine; (V.B.K.)
| | | | - Iryna M. Anishchenko
- MG Kholodny Institute of Botany, National Academy of Sciences, 01030 Kyiv, Ukraine;
| | - Julia Pawlowska
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, Biological & Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, 02-089 Warsaw, Poland;
| | - Ngoc Vinh Tran
- Plant Pathology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; (N.V.T.); (G.L.B.); (M.E.S.)
| | - Ingo Ebersberger
- Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research & Infection Biology, 07745 Jena, Germany; (I.E.); (K.V.)
| | - Kerstin Voigt
- Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research & Infection Biology, 07745 Jena, Germany; (I.E.); (K.V.)
| | - Yan Wang
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada;
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - Ying Chang
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119077, Singapore;
| | - Teresa E. Pawlowska
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA; (T.E.P.); (N.R.)
| | - Joseph Heitman
- Department of Molecular Genetics & Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA;
| | - Rytas Vilgalys
- Biology Department, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA;
| | - Gregory Bonito
- Department of Plant, Soil & Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA;
| | - Gerald L. Benny
- Plant Pathology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; (N.V.T.); (G.L.B.); (M.E.S.)
| | - Matthew E. Smith
- Plant Pathology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; (N.V.T.); (G.L.B.); (M.E.S.)
| | - Nicole Reynolds
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA; (T.E.P.); (N.R.)
| | - Timothy Y. James
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA;
| | - Igor V. Grigoriev
- U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; (S.J.M.); (I.V.G.)
- Department of Plant & Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Joseph W. Spatafora
- Department of Botany & Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA;
| | - Jason E. Stajich
- Department of Microbiology & Plant Pathology, University of California, Riverside, CA 93106, USA;
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Reynolds NK, Stajich JE, Benny GL, Barry K, Mondo S, LaButti K, Lipzen A, Daum C, Grigoriev IV, Ho HM, Crous PW, Spatafora JW, Smith ME. Mycoparasites, Gut Dwellers, and Saprotrophs: Phylogenomic Reconstructions and Comparative Analyses of Kickxellomycotina Fungi. Genome Biol Evol 2023; 15:evac185. [PMID: 36617272 PMCID: PMC9866270 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evac185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Improved sequencing technologies have profoundly altered global views of fungal diversity and evolution. High-throughput sequencing methods are critical for studying fungi due to the cryptic, symbiotic nature of many species, particularly those that are difficult to culture. However, the low coverage genome sequencing (LCGS) approach to phylogenomic inference has not been widely applied to fungi. Here we analyzed 171 Kickxellomycotina fungi using LCGS methods to obtain hundreds of marker genes for robust phylogenomic reconstruction. Additionally, we mined our LCGS data for a set of nine rDNA and protein coding genes to enable analyses across species for which no LCGS data were obtained. The main goals of this study were to: 1) evaluate the quality and utility of LCGS data for both phylogenetic reconstruction and functional annotation, 2) test relationships among clades of Kickxellomycotina, and 3) perform comparative functional analyses between clades to gain insight into putative trophic modes. In opposition to previous studies, our nine-gene analyses support two clades of arthropod gut dwelling species and suggest a possible single evolutionary event leading to this symbiotic lifestyle. Furthermore, we resolve the mycoparasitic Dimargaritales as the earliest diverging clade in the subphylum and find four major clades of Coemansia species. Finally, functional analyses illustrate clear variation in predicted carbohydrate active enzymes and secondary metabolites (SM) based on ecology, that is biotroph versus saprotroph. Saprotrophic Kickxellales broadly lack many known pectinase families compared with saprotrophic Mucoromycota and are depauperate for SM but have similar numbers of predicted chitinases as mycoparasitic.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jason E Stajich
- Department of Microbiology & Plant Pathology and Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California–Riverside
| | | | - Kerrie Barry
- U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
| | - Stephen Mondo
- U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
| | - Kurt LaButti
- U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
| | - Anna Lipzen
- U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
| | - Chris Daum
- U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
| | - Igor V Grigoriev
- U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California Berkeley
| | - Hsiao-Man Ho
- Department of Science Education, University of Education, 134, Section 2, Heping E. Road, National Taipei, Taipei 106, Taiwan
| | - Pedro W Crous
- Department of Evolutionary Phytopathology, Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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5
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Zhao H, Nie Y, Jiang Y, Wang S, Zhang TY, Liu XY. Comparative Genomics of Mortierellaceae Provides Insights into Lipid Metabolism: Two Novel Types of Fatty Acid Synthase. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8090891. [PMID: 36135616 PMCID: PMC9503022 DOI: 10.3390/jof8090891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2022] [Revised: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungal species in the family Mortierellaceae are important for their remarkable capability to synthesize large amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially arachidonic acid (ARA). Although many genomes have been published, the quality of these data is not satisfactory, resulting in an incomplete understanding of the lipid pathway in Mortierellaceae. We provide herein two novel and high-quality genomes with 55.32% of syntenic gene pairs for Mortierella alpina CGMCC 20262 and M. schmuckeri CGMCC 20261, spanning 28 scaffolds of 40.22 Mb and 25 scaffolds of 49.24 Mb, respectively. The relative smaller genome for the former is due to fewer protein-coding gene models (11,761 vs. 13,051). The former yields 45.57% of ARA in total fatty acids, while the latter 6.95%. The accumulation of ARA is speculated to be associated with delta-5 desaturase (Delta5) and elongation of very long chain fatty acids protein 3 (ELOVL3). A further genomic comparison of 19 strains in 10 species in three genera in the Mortierellaceae reveals three types of fatty acid synthase (FAS), two of which are new to science. The most common type I exists in 16 strains of eight species of three genera, and was discovered previously and consists of a single unit with eight active sites. The newly revealed type II exists only in M. antarctica KOD 1030 where the unit is separated into two subunits α and β comprised of three and five active sites, respectively. Another newly revealed type III exists in M. alpina AD071 and Dissophora globulifera REB-010B, similar to type II but different in having one more acyl carrier protein domain in the α subunit. This study provides novel insights into the enzymes related to the lipid metabolism, especially the ARA-related Delta5, ELOVL3, and FAS, laying a foundation for genetic engineering of Mortierellaceae to modulate yield in polyunsaturated fatty acids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heng Zhao
- College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250358, China
- Institute of Microbiology, School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Yong Nie
- School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Anhui University of Technology, Ma’anshan 243002, China
| | - Yang Jiang
- College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250358, China
| | - Shi Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250358, China
| | - Tian-Yu Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250358, China
| | - Xiao-Yong Liu
- College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250358, China
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Correspondence:
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Hage H, Rosso MN, Tarrago L. Distribution of methionine sulfoxide reductases in fungi and conservation of the free-methionine-R-sulfoxide reductase in multicellular eukaryotes. Free Radic Biol Med 2021; 169:187-215. [PMID: 33865960 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2021.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Methionine, either as a free amino acid or included in proteins, can be oxidized into methionine sulfoxide (MetO), which exists as R and S diastereomers. Almost all characterized organisms possess thiol-oxidoreductases named methionine sulfoxide reductase (Msr) enzymes to reduce MetO back to Met. MsrA and MsrB reduce the S and R diastereomers of MetO, respectively, with strict stereospecificity and are found in almost all organisms. Another type of thiol-oxidoreductase, the free-methionine-R-sulfoxide reductase (fRMsr), identified so far in prokaryotes and a few unicellular eukaryotes, reduces the R MetO diastereomer of the free amino acid. Moreover, some bacteria possess molybdenum-containing enzymes that reduce MetO, either in the free or protein-bound forms. All these Msrs play important roles in the protection of organisms against oxidative stress. Fungi are heterotrophic eukaryotes that colonize all niches on Earth and play fundamental functions, in organic matter recycling, as symbionts, or as pathogens of numerous organisms. However, our knowledge on fungal Msrs is still limited. Here, we performed a survey of msr genes in almost 700 genomes across the fungal kingdom. We show that most fungi possess one gene coding for each type of methionine sulfoxide reductase: MsrA, MsrB, and fRMsr. However, several fungi living in anaerobic environments or as obligate intracellular parasites were devoid of msr genes. Sequence inspection and phylogenetic analyses allowed us to identify non-canonical sequences with potentially novel enzymatic properties. Finaly, we identified several ocurences of msr horizontal gene transfer from bacteria to fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayat Hage
- Biodiversité et Biotechnologie Fongiques, UMR1163, INRAE, Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, France
| | - Marie-Noëlle Rosso
- Biodiversité et Biotechnologie Fongiques, UMR1163, INRAE, Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, France
| | - Lionel Tarrago
- Biodiversité et Biotechnologie Fongiques, UMR1163, INRAE, Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, France.
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The genome of Geosiphon pyriformis reveals ancestral traits linked to the emergence of the arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis. Curr Biol 2021; 31:1570-1577.e4. [PMID: 33592192 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.01.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Revised: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) (subphylum Glomeromycotina)1 are among the most prominent symbionts and form the Arbuscular Mycorrhizal symbiosis (AMS) with over 70% of known land plants.2,3 AMS allows plants to efficiently acquire poorly soluble soil nutrients4 and AMF to receive photosynthetically fixed carbohydrates. This plant-fungus symbiosis dates back more than 400 million years5 and is thought to be one of the key innovations that allowed the colonization of lands by plants.6 Genomic and genetic analyses of diverse plant species started to reveal the molecular mechanisms that allowed the evolution of this symbiosis on the host side, but how and when AMS abilities emerged in AMF remain elusive. Comparative phylogenomics could be used to understand the evolution of AMS.7,8 However, the availability of genome data covering basal AMF phylogenetic nodes (Archaeosporales, Paraglomerales) is presently based on fragmentary protein coding datasets.9Geosiphon pyriformis (Archaeosporales) is the only fungus known to produce endosymbiosis with nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria (Nostoc punctiforme) presumably representing the ancestral AMF state.10-12 Unlike other AMF, it forms long fungal cells ("bladders") that enclose cyanobacteria. Once in the bladder, the cyanobacteria are photosynthetically active and fix nitrogen, receiving inorganic nutrients and water from the fungus. Arguably, G. pyriformis represents an ideal candidate to investigate the origin of AMS and the emergence of a unique endosymbiosis. Here, we aimed to advance knowledge in these questions by sequencing the genome of G. pyriformis, using a re-discovered isolate.
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Phylogenomic Analyses of Non-Dikarya Fungi Supports Horizontal Gene Transfer Driving Diversification of Secondary Metabolism in the Amphibian Gastrointestinal Symbiont, Basidiobolus. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2020; 10:3417-3433. [PMID: 32727924 PMCID: PMC7466969 DOI: 10.1534/g3.120.401516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Research into secondary metabolism (SM) production by fungi has resulted in the discovery of diverse, biologically active compounds with significant medicinal applications. The fungi rich in SM production are taxonomically concentrated in the subkingdom Dikarya, which comprises the phyla Ascomycota and Basidiomycota. Here, we explore the potential for SM production in Mucoromycota and Zoopagomycota, two phyla of nonflagellated fungi that are not members of Dikarya, by predicting and identifying core genes and gene clusters involved in SM. The majority of non-Dikarya have few genes and gene clusters involved in SM production except for the amphibian gut symbionts in the genus Basidiobolus. Basidiobolus genomes exhibit an enrichment of SM genes involved in siderophore, surfactin-like, and terpene cyclase production, all these with evidence of constitutive gene expression. Gene expression and chemical assays also confirm that Basidiobolus has significant siderophore activity. The expansion of SMs in Basidiobolus are partially due to horizontal gene transfer from bacteria, likely as a consequence of its ecology as an amphibian gut endosymbiont.
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Influences of a Prolific Gut Fungus ( Zancudomyces culisetae) on Larval and Adult Mosquito (Aedes aegypti)-Associated Microbiota. Appl Environ Microbiol 2020; 86:AEM.02334-19. [PMID: 31757825 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02334-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Adult mosquitoes inherit a bacterial community from larvae via transstadial transmission, an understudied process that may influence host-microbe interactions. Microbes contribute to important host life history traits, and analyzing transmitted microbial communities, the interrelationship between larval and adult-associated microbiota, and factors influencing host-microbe relationships provides targets for research. During its larval stage, the yellow fever mosquito (Aedes aegypti) hosts the trichomycete gut fungus Zancudomyces culisetae, and fungal colonization coincides with environmental perturbations in the digestive tract microecosystem. Natural populations are differentially exposed to fungi, thereby potentially harboring distinct microbiota and experiencing disparate host-microbe interactions. This study's objectives were to characterize larval and initial adult microbiomes, investigate variation in diversity and distribution of microbial communities across individuals, and assess whether larval fungal colonization impacted microbiomes at these developmental stages. Laboratory-based fungal infestation assays, sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons, and bacterial load quantification protocols revealed that initial adult microbiomes varied in diversity and distribution. Larval fungal colonization had downstream effects on initial adult microbiomes, significantly reducing microbial community variation, shifting relative abundances of certain bacterial families, and influencing transstadial transmission outcomes of particular genera. Further, abundances of several families consistently decreased in adults relative to levels in larvae, possibly reflecting impacts of host development on specific bacterial taxa. These findings demonstrated that a prolific gut fungus impacted mosquito-associated microbiota at two developmental stages in an insect connected with global human health.IMPORTANCE Mosquitoes are widespread vectors of numerous human pathogens and harbor microbiota known to affect host phenotypic traits. However, little research has directly investigated how bacterial communities associated with larvae and adults are connected. We characterized whole-body bacterial communities in mosquito larvae preceding pupation and in newly emerged adults, and investigated whether a significant biotic factor, fungal colonization of the larval hindgut, impacted these microbiomes. Results showed that fungal colonization reduced microbial community variation across individuals and differentially impacted the outcomes of transstadial transmission for certain bacterial genera, revealing downstream effects of the fungus on initial adult microbiomes. The importance of our research is in providing a thorough comparative analysis of whole-body microbiota harbored in larvae and adults of the yellow fever mosquito (Aedes aegypti) and in demonstrating the important role a widespread gut fungus played in a host-associated microbiome.
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Glover N, Dessimoz C, Ebersberger I, Forslund SK, Gabaldón T, Huerta-Cepas J, Martin MJ, Muffato M, Patricio M, Pereira C, da Silva AS, Wang Y, Sonnhammer E, Thomas PD. Advances and Applications in the Quest for Orthologs. Mol Biol Evol 2020; 36:2157-2164. [PMID: 31241141 PMCID: PMC6759064 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msz150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Gene families evolve by the processes of speciation (creating orthologs), gene duplication (paralogs), and horizontal gene transfer (xenologs), in addition to sequence divergence and gene loss. Orthologs in particular play an essential role in comparative genomics and phylogenomic analyses. With the continued sequencing of organisms across the tree of life, the data are available to reconstruct the unique evolutionary histories of tens of thousands of gene families. Accurate reconstruction of these histories, however, is a challenging computational problem, and the focus of the Quest for Orthologs Consortium. We review the recent advances and outstanding challenges in this field, as revealed at a symposium and meeting held at the University of Southern California in 2017. Key advances have been made both at the level of orthology algorithm development and with respect to coordination across the community of algorithm developers and orthology end-users. Applications spanned a broad range, including gene function prediction, phylostratigraphy, genome evolution, and phylogenomics. The meetings highlighted the increasing use of meta-analyses integrating results from multiple different algorithms, and discussed ongoing challenges in orthology inference as well as the next steps toward improvement and integration of orthology resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha Glover
- Department of Computational Biology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Center for Integrative Genomics, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Christophe Dessimoz
- Department of Computational Biology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Center for Integrative Genomics, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Department of Genetics, Evolution & Environment, University College London, London, United Kingdom.,Department of Computer Science, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ingo Ebersberger
- Applied Bioinformatics Group, Institute of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany.,Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BIK-F), Frankfurt, Germany.,LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Sofia K Forslund
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center, A Cooperation of Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Max Delbruck Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany.,Max Delbruck Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany.,Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität u Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Berlin, Germany.,Structural and Computational Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Toni Gabaldón
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain.,Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain.,ICREA, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jaime Huerta-Cepas
- Structural and Computational Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany.,Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Maria-Jesus Martin
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Matthieu Muffato
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Mateus Patricio
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Cécile Pereira
- Eura Nova, Marseille, France.,Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
| | - Alan Sousa da Silva
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Yan Wang
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California-Riverside, Riverside, CA
| | - Erik Sonnhammer
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Solna, Sweden
| | - Paul D Thomas
- Division of Bioinformatics, Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
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Wang Y, White MM, Moncalvo JM. Diversification of the gut fungi Smittium and allies (Harpellales) co-occurred with the origin of complete metamorphosis of their symbiotic insect hosts (lower Diptera). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2019; 139:106550. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2019.106550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2016] [Revised: 05/30/2019] [Accepted: 06/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
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Wang Y, Youssef NH, Couger MB, Hanafy RA, Elshahed MS, Stajich JE. Molecular Dating of the Emergence of Anaerobic Rumen Fungi and the Impact of Laterally Acquired Genes. mSystems 2019; 4:e00247-19. [PMID: 31455637 PMCID: PMC6712302 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00247-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The anaerobic gut fungi (AGF), or Neocallimastigomycota, inhabit the rumen and alimentary tract of herbivorous mammals, where they play important roles in the degradation of plant fiber. Comparative genomic and phylogenomic analyses of the AGF have long been hampered by their fastidious growth condition, as well as their large (up to 200 Mb) and AT-biased (78 to 84%) genomes. We sequenced 21 AGF transcriptomes and combined them with 5 available AGF genome sequences to explore their evolutionary relationships, time their divergence, and characterize gene gain/loss patterns associated with their evolution. We estimate that the most recent common ancestor of the AGF diverged 66 (±10) million years ago, a time frame that coincides with the evolution of grasses (Poaceae), as well as the mammalian transition from insectivory to herbivory. The concordance of independent estimations suggests that AGF have been important in shaping the success of mammalian herbivory transition by improving the efficiency of energy acquisition from recalcitrant plant materials. Comparative genomics identified multiple lineage-specific genes in the AGF, two of which were acquired from rumen gut bacteria and animal hosts via horizontal gene transfer (HGT). A third AGF domain, plant-like polysaccharide lyase, represents a novel gene in fungi that potentially aids AGF to degrade pectin. Analysis of genomic and transcriptomic sequences confirmed both the presence and expression of these lineage-specific genes in nearly all AGF clades. These genetic elements may contribute to the exceptional abilities of AGF to degrade plant biomass and enable metabolism of the rumen microbes and animal hosts.IMPORTANCE Anaerobic fungi living in the rumen of herbivorous mammals possess an extraordinary ability to degrade plant biomass. We examined the origin and genomic composition of these poorly characterized anaerobic gut fungi using both transcriptome and genomic data. Phylogenomics and molecular dating analyses found remarkable concurrence of the divergence times of the rumen fungi, the forage grasses, and the dietary shift of ancestral mammals from primarily insectivory to herbivory. Comparative genomics identified unique machinery in these fungi to utilize plant polysaccharides. The rumen fungi were also identified with the ability to code for three protein domains with putative functions in plant pectin degradation and microbial defense, which were absent from all other fungal organisms (examined over 1,000 fungal genomes). Two of these domains were likely acquired from rumen gut bacteria and animal hosts separately via horizontal gene transfer. The third one is a plant-like polysaccharide lyase, representing a unique fungal enzyme with potential pectin breakdown abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Wang
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California-Riverside, Riverside, California, USA
- Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California-Riverside, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Noha H Youssef
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Matthew Brian Couger
- High Performance Computing Center, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Radwa A Hanafy
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Mostafa S Elshahed
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Jason E Stajich
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California-Riverside, Riverside, California, USA
- Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California-Riverside, Riverside, California, USA
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13
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Hyde J, Gorham C, Brackney DE, Steven B. Antibiotic resistant bacteria and commensal fungi are common and conserved in the mosquito microbiome. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0218907. [PMID: 31412044 PMCID: PMC6693846 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0218907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/31/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The emerging and increasing prevalence of bacterial antibiotic resistance is a significant public health challenge. To begin to tackle this problem, it will be critical to not only understand the origins of this resistance but also document environmental reservoirs of antibiotic resistance. In this study we investigated the possibility that both colony and field caught mosquitoes could harbor antibiotic resistant bacteria. Specifically, we characterized the antibiotic resistant bacterial populations from colony-reared Aedes aegypti larvae and adults and two field caught mosquito species Coquillettidia perturbans and Ochlerotatus canadensis. The cultured bacterial populations were dominated by isolates belonging to the class Gammaproteobacteria. Among the antibiotic resistant populations, we found bacteria resistant to carbenicillin, kanamycin, and tetracycline, including bacteria resistant to a cocktail of all three antibiotics in combination. The antibiotic resistant bacteria were numerically rare, at most 5% of total cell counts. Isolates were characterized by 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and clustering into Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs; 99% sequence identity). 27 antibiotic resistant OTUs were identified, although members of an OTU did not always share the same resistance profile. This suggests the clustering was either not sensitive enough to distinguish different bacteria taxa or different antibiotic resistant sub-populations exist within an OTU. Finally, the antibiotic selection opened up a niche to culture mosquito-associated fungi, and 10 fungal OTUs (28S rRNA gene sequencing) were identified. Two fungal OTUs both classified to the class Microbotryomycetes were commonly identified in the field-caught mosquitoes. Thus, in this study we demonstrate that antibiotic resistant bacteria and certain fungi are common and conserved mosquito microbiome members. These observations highlight the potential of invertebrates to serve as vehicles for the spread of antibiotic resistance throughout the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josephine Hyde
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Courtney Gorham
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Doug E. Brackney
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Center for Vector Biology and Zoonotic Diseases, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Blaire Steven
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Wijayawardene NN, Pawłowska J, Letcher PM, Kirk PM, Humber RA, Schüßler A, Wrzosek M, Muszewska A, Okrasińska A, Istel Ł, Gęsiorska A, Mungai P, Lateef AA, Rajeshkumar KC, Singh RV, Radek R, Walther G, Wagner L, Walker C, Wijesundara DSA, Papizadeh M, Dolatabadi S, Shenoy BD, Tokarev YS, Lumyong S, Hyde KD. Notes for genera: basal clades of Fungi (including Aphelidiomycota, Basidiobolomycota, Blastocladiomycota, Calcarisporiellomycota, Caulochytriomycota, Chytridiomycota, Entomophthoromycota, Glomeromycota, Kickxellomycota, Monoblepharomycota, Mortierellomycota, Mucoromycota, Neocallimastigomycota, Olpidiomycota, Rozellomycota and Zoopagomycota). FUNGAL DIVERS 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s13225-018-0409-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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15
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Abstract
Modern genomics has shed light on many entomopathogenic fungi and expanded our knowledge widely; however, little is known about the genomic features of the insect-commensal fungi. Harpellales are obligate commensals living in the digestive tracts of disease-bearing insects (black flies, midges, and mosquitoes). In this study, we produced and annotated whole-genome sequences of nine Harpellales taxa and conducted the first comparative analyses to infer the genomic diversity within the members of the Harpellales. The genomes of the insect gut fungi feature low (26% to 37%) GC content and large genome size variations (25 to 102 Mb). Further comparisons with insect-pathogenic fungi (from both Ascomycota and Zoopagomycota), as well as with free-living relatives (as negative controls), helped to identify a gene toolbox that is essential to the fungus-insect symbiosis. The results not only narrow the genomic scope of fungus-insect interactions from several thousands to eight core players but also distinguish host invasion strategies employed by insect pathogens and commensals. The genomic content suggests that insect commensal fungi rely mostly on adhesion protein anchors that target digestive system, while entomopathogenic fungi have higher numbers of transmembrane helices, signal peptides, and pathogen-host interaction (PHI) genes across the whole genome and enrich genes as well as functional domains to inactivate the host inflammation system and suppress the host defense. Phylogenomic analyses have revealed that genome sizes of Harpellales fungi vary among lineages with an integer-multiple pattern, which implies that ancient genome duplications may have occurred within the gut of insects. Insect guts harbor various microbes that are important for host digestion, immune response, and disease dispersal in certain cases. Bacteria, which are among the primary endosymbionts, have been studied extensively. However, fungi, which are also frequently encountered, are poorly known with respect to their biology within the insect guts. To understand the genomic features and related biology, we produced the whole-genome sequences of nine gut commensal fungi from disease-bearing insects (black flies, midges, and mosquitoes). The results show that insect gut fungi tend to have low GC content across their genomes. By comparing these commensals with entomopathogenic and free-living fungi that have available genome sequences, we found a universal core gene toolbox that is unique and thus potentially important for the insect-fungus symbiosis. This comparative work also uncovered different host invasion strategies employed by insect pathogens and commensals, as well as a model system to study ancient fungal genome duplication within the gut of insects.
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Abstract
The first eukaryotic genome to be sequenced was fungal, and there continue to be more sequenced genomes in the kingdom Fungi than in any other eukaryotic kingdom. Comparison of these genomes reveals many sources of genetic variation, from single nucleotide polymorphisms to horizontal gene transfer and on to changes in the arrangement and number of chromosomes, not to mention endofungal bacteria and viruses. Population genomics shows that all sources generate variation all the time and implicate natural selection as the force maintaining genome stability. Variation in wild populations is a rich resource for associating genetic variation with phenotypic variation, whether through quantitative trait locus mapping, genome-wide association studies, or reverse ecology. Subjects of studies associating genetic and phenotypic variation include model fungi, e.g., Saccharomyces and Neurospora, but pioneering studies have also been made with fungi pathogenic to plants, e.g., Pyricularia (= Magnaporthe), Zymoseptoria, and Fusarium, and to humans, e.g., Coccidioides, Cryptococcus, and Candida.
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Draft Genome Sequence of Capniomyces stellatus, the Obligate Gut Fungal Symbiont of Stonefly. GENOME ANNOUNCEMENTS 2016; 4:4/4/e00761-16. [PMID: 27491991 PMCID: PMC4974312 DOI: 10.1128/genomea.00761-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Capniomyces stellatus is a host-specific endosymbiotic fungus, living in the hindgut of stoneflies (especially in Allocapnia). Here, we present the first draft genome sequence of the fungus, as well as the ab initio gene prediction and function analyses, which will facilitate the study and comparative analyses of insect-associated fungi.
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