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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Peoria, Illinois » National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research » Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #336670
Research Project: Genomic and Metabolomic Approaches for Detection and Control of Fusarium, Fumonisins and Other Mycotoxins on Corn

Location: Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research

Title: Comparative genomics and transcriptomics of sexual development in a nematode-associated strain of Fusarium neocosmosporiellum

Author
item WONYONG, KIM - Michigan State University
item CAVINDER, BRAD - Michigan State University
item Proctor, Robert
item O Donnell, Kerry
item WANG, ZHENG - Yale University
item TOWNSEND, JEFFERY - Yale University
item CHILDS, KEVIN - Michigan State University
item TRAIL, FRANCES - Michigan State University

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/19/2017
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Fusarium neocosmosporiellum (formerly Neocosmospora vasinfecta) is a ubiquitous saprobic fungus that has been isolated from plants, fungi, nematodes, dung and soil. This homothallic species is nested in a clade within the F. solani species complex near a lineage of fusaria farmed by ambrosia beetles. Here we obtained the genome sequence of F. neocosmosporiellum NRRL 22166 to conduct a comparative study with F. graminearum, a model for studying sexual stage (perithecium) development. Completeness of the sequenced genome was quantified by the presence of core eukaryotic genes and shown to be comparable to that of the F. graminearum PH-1 genome. The F. neocosmosporiellum mating type locus included both MAT1-1 and MAT1-2 genes, but the gene order differed from that in F. graminearum, which is also homothallic. We identified several secondary metabolite gene clusters that exhibited increased expression during perithecial development, including a gene (pksN) responsible for red perithecial pigmentation. To dissect transcriptional changes during perithecial development, we performed a time-series transcriptomic analysis and identified genes that are differentially expressed (DE) during consecutive developmental stages. Overall, many DE genes were upregulated in advanced stages. Functional enrichment analyses indicated that genes upregulated early in perithecial formation were enriched for Gene Ontology (GO) terms, protein phosphorylation and lipid metabolism, whereas later in perithecial development, during ascus formation, upregulated genes were enriched for GO terms related to meiosis. Unlike F. graminearum, perithecia of F. neocosmosporiellum exhibited a marked increase in size immediately preceding ascus formation. F. neocosmosporiellum genes upregulated during this increase were enriched for GO terms transcription and carbohydrate transport. Identification of genes responsible for the increased perithecial size is underway via a systems biology approach. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of transcriptional changes during sexual development in F. neocosmosporiellum.