Genomic Insights Into Convergent Evolution: Adaptation to Rocky Habitats in Rock-Inhabiting Fungi.

ABSTRACT: Rock-inhabiting fungi (RIF), obligate colonizers of bare rocks, are primarily distributed across two major phylogenetic classes: Dothideomycetes and Eurotiomycetes. These fungi display striking convergence in morphology and physiology, characterized by meristematic growth, melanized cell walls, and extreme stress tolerance. However, the genomic underpinnings of this adaptive convergence remain poorly understood. Here, through comparative genomic analysis of 9 RIF and 18 non-RIF fungi, we revealed that RIF possess compact, gene-dense genomes marked by contraction of genes involved in nutrient uptake and secondary metabolism, alongside expansions in cell wall biosynthesis, lipid metabolism, and stress-responsive pathways. We identified two genes under positive selection across multiple RIF l

SUBMITTER: Fu R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12560822 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature