Project description:We report the transcriptomic comparisions between key processes required for various stages of fungal carnivory in nematode-trapping fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora when induced with nematodes. The reference assembly used for remapping is A. oligospora TWF154 (GenBank assembly accession: GCA_004768765.1)
Project description:Plants often generate secondary metabolites with antifungal properties as defense mechanisms against parasites. Although some fungi may potentially overcome the barrier of antimicrobial compounds, only a limited number of examples and molecular mechanisms of resistance have been reported. Here, we found an Aglaia plant-parasitizing fungus that overcomes the toxicity of rocalgates, which are translation inhibitors synthesized by the plant, through an amino acid substitution in a translation initiation factor (eIF). De novo transcriptome assembly of the fungus revealed that eIF4A, a molecular target of rocaglates, replaces a critical amino acid in the rocaglate binding site. Moreover, genome-wide ribosome profiling harnessing a cucumber-infecting fungus, Colletotrichum orbiculare, demonstrated that the translational inhibitory effects of rocaglates were largely attenuated by the mutation found in the Aglaia parasite. The engineered Colletotrichum orbiculare showed a survival advantage on cucumber plants with rocaglates. Our study exemplifies a plant-fungus tug-of-war centered on secondary metabolites produced by host plants.
