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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Salinas, California » Crop Improvement and Protection Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #273661
Title: Verticillium comparative genomics yields insights into niche adaptation by plant vascular wilt pathogens.

Author
item Klosterman, Steven
item SUBBARAO, KRISHNA - University Of California
item KANG, SEOGCHAN - Pennsylvania State University
item VERONESE, PAOLA - North Carolina Central University
item GOLD, SCOTT - University Of Georgia
item THOMMA, BART P.H.J. - Wageningen University And Research Center
item CHEN, ZEHUA - Broad Institute Of Mit/harvard
item HENRISSAT, BERNARD - Aix-Marseille University
item LEE, YONG-HWAN - Seoul National University
item PARK, JONGSUN - Seoul National University
item GARCIA-PEDRAJAS, MARIA - Estacion Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres (EEAOC)
item BARBARA, DEZ - University Of Warwick
item Anchieta, Amy
item JONGE, RONNIE DE - Wageningen University And Research Center
item SANTHANAM, PARTHA - Wageningen University And Research Center
item MARUTHACHALAM, KARUNAKARAN - University Of California
item ATALLAH, ZAHI - University Of California
item AMYOTTE, STEFAN - Agri Food - Canada
item PAZ, ZAHI - University Of Georgia
item INDERBITZIN, PATRIK - University Of California
item Hayes, Ryan
item HEIMAN, DAVID - Broad Institute Of Mit/harvard
item YOUNG, SARAH - Broad Institute Of Mit/harvard
item ZENG, QIANDONG - Broad Institute Of Mit/harvard
item ENGELS, REINHARD - Broad Institute Of Mit/harvard
item GALAGAN, JAMES - Broad Institute Of Mit/harvard
item CUOMO, CHRISTINA - Broad Institute Of Mit/harvard
item DOBINSON, KATHERINE - Agri Food - Canada
item MA, LI-JUN - Broad Institute Of Mit/harvard

Submitted to: Phytopathology
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/2011
Publication Date: 6/1/2011
Citation: Klosterman, S.J., Subbarao, K.V., Kang, S., Veronese, P., Gold, S.E., Thomma, B., Chen, Z., Henrissat, B., Lee, Y., Park, J., Garcia-Pedrajas, M.D., Barbara, D., Anchieta, A.G., Jonge, R., Santhanam, P., Maruthachalam, K., Atallah, Z.K., Amyotte, S., Paz, Z., Inderbitzin, P., Hayes, R.J., Heiman, D., Young, S., Zeng, Q., Engels, R., Galagan, J., Cuomo, C., Dobinson, K.F., Ma, L. 2011. Verticillium comparative genomics yields insights into niche adaptation by plant vascular wilt pathogens. Phytopathology. 101:S208.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The vascular wilt fungi Verticillium dahliae and V. albo-atrum infect over 200 plant species, causing billions of dollars in annual losses. The characteristic vascular wilt symptoms are a result of colonization and proliferation of the pathogens in the xylem vessels. To gain insights into the mechanisms that confer pathogenicity among wilt fungi, we sequenced two Verticillium wilt pathogens and compared their sequences to each other, and with the proteome of Fusarium oxysporum, another fungal wilt pathogen. Among a set of proteins conserved in the three wilt fungi, we identified homologs of a bacterial virulence factor that was likely acquired by the fungi through horizontal transfer events, and may contribute to the adaptation to proliferate within the plant xylem. Compared to other fungi, the Verticillium genomes encode more plant cell wall degrading enzymes, providing an extraordinary capacity to degrade plant pectin. Comparison of the two closely related Verticillium genomes uncovered variable genomic islands in the primary causal agent of Verticillium wilts, Verticillium dahliae. Coupled with the impressive arsenal of plant cell wall-degrading enzymes, the variable genomic islands may provide enhanced genetic diversity for host range expansion. In summary, our study reveals insights into niche adaptation of fungal wilt pathogens and sheds light on avenues to follow for the development of disease management strategies.