Draft genome sequence resource for the orange rust pathogen of sugarcane Puccinia kuehnii

Authors: CARDENAS, D.E - University Of Florida; CHEEMA, J - John Innes Center; OPPELAAR, T.S - University Of Florida; HINCAPIE, M - University Of Florida; Sood, Sushma; ZHENG, Q - University Of Florida; CARRILLO, TARAZONA - University Of Florida; SAUNDERS, D. - University Of Florida; COMSTOCK, JACK - Retired ARS Employee; ROTT, P.C - Cirad, France; CANO, L.M - University Of Florida

Submitted to: Phytopathology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/19/2021
Publication Date: 3/18/2021
Citation: Cardenas, D., Cheema, J., Oppelaar, T., Hincapie, M., Sood, S.G., Zheng, Q., Carrillo, T.Y., Saunders, D.G., Comstock, J.C., Rott, P., Cano, L. 2021. Draft genome sequence resource for the orange rust pathogen of sugarcane Puccinia kuehnii. Phytopathology. https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO-01-21-0008-A.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO-01-21-0008-A

Interpretive Summary: Orange rust is caused by a fungal pathogen Puccinia Kuehnii that has caused significant yield losses to sugarcane crops in Florida since 2007. Identification of virulence factors of the pathogen is an essential step to understand host-pathogen interactions and to develop new methods of disease management. Therefore, we have sequenced the genomes of the two isolates of P. kuehnii 1040 and 2143 that were collected, respectively, from sugarcane cultivars CL85-1040 and CP89-2143, to perform future comparative genomics among Puccinia species and identify fungal pathogenicity factors. These two rust genome databases will be useful for downstream genome studies, including secretome and disease-related effector analyses.

Technical Abstract: Puccinia kuehnii is an obligate biotrophic fungal pathogen that causes orange rust of sugarcane, which is prevalent in many countries around the globe. In the USA, orange rust was first detected in sugarcane in Florida in 2007 and poses a persistent and economically damaging threat to the sugarcane industry in this region. Here, we generated the first genome assemblies for two isolates of P. kuehnii (1040 and 2143) collected in Florida in 2017 from two sugarcane cultivars, CL85-1040 and CP89-2143, respectively. These two rust genome resources will be of immense value for future genomic studies, particularly further exploration of the predicted secretomes that may help define key pathogenicity determinants for this economically important pathogen.