Metabolic Conservation and Diversification of Metarhizium Species Correlate with Fungal Host-Specificity.

ABSTRACT: The ascomycete genus Metarhizium contains several species of insect pathogenic fungi ranging from specialists with narrow host ranges to generalists that can infect diverse invertebrates. Genetic and metabolic conservations and diversifications of Metarhizium species are not well understood. In this study, using the genome information of seven Metarhizium species, we performed a comparative analysis of gene clusters involved in secondary metabolisms (SMs) in these species. The results revealed that the generalist species contain more SM gene clusters than the specialists, and that both conserved and divergent evolutions may have occurred in SM genes during fungal speciation. In particular, the loss/gain events, as well as gene mutagenesis, are evident for the gene clus

SUBMITTER: Xu YJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5159617 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature