Comparative pathogenomics reveals horizontally acquired novel virulence genes in fungi infecting cereal hosts.

ABSTRACT: Comparative analyses of pathogen genomes provide new insights into how pathogens have evolved common and divergent virulence strategies to invade related plant species. Fusarium crown and root rots are important diseases of wheat and barley world-wide. In Australia, these diseases are primarily caused by the fungal pathogen Fusarium pseudograminearum. Comparative genomic analyses showed that the F. pseudograminearum genome encodes proteins that are present in other fungal pathogens of cereals but absent in non-cereal pathogens. In some cases, these cereal pathogen specific genes were also found in bacteria associated with plants. Phylogenetic analysis of selected F. pseudograminearum genes supported the hypothesis of horizontal gene transfer into diverse cereal pathogens. Two horizontally

SUBMITTER: Gardiner DM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3460631 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature