Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Dawson, Georgia » National Peanut Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #394031
Research Project: Integration of Traditional Methods and Novel Molecular Strategies for Improving Disease Resistance and Input-use Efficiency in Peanut

Location: National Peanut Research Laboratory

Title: First draft genome of Thecaphora frezii, causal agent of peanut smut disease

Author
item Arias De Ares, Renee
item CONFORTO, CINTHIA - Instituto Nacional De Tecnologia Agropecuaria
item Orner, Valerie
item SOAVE, JUAN - Criadero El Carmen, Arg
item Massa, Alicia
item Lamb, Marshall
item BERNARDI-LIMA, NELSON - Instituto Nacional De Tecnologia Agropecuaria
item RAGO, ALEJANDRO - Instituto Nacional De Tecnologia Agropecuaria

Submitted to: BMC Genomics
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/9/2023
Publication Date: 2/16/2023
Citation: Arias De Ares, R.S., Conforto, C., Orner, V.A., Soave, J., Massa, A.N., Lamb, M.C., Bernardi-Lima, N., Rago, A. 2023. First draft genome of Thecaphora frezii, causal agent of peanut smut disease. BMC Genomics. 24:9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12863-023-01113-w.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12863-023-01113-w

Interpretive Summary: The fungus Thecaphora frezii causes peanut smut, a disease of devastating proportions and currently endemic to Argentina. Globalization, movement of people and agricultural products, could spread this disease to other peanut growing areas in the world, including the United States. Scientists from the U.S. and Argentina worked in collaboration to obtain the whole genome sequence of T. frezii. The generated information will allow comparing different isolates of T. frezii and determine whether genetic variants exist. It will also allow identification of peanut germplasm that may have resistance to those potential variants, favoring a long-lasting protection against the disease.

Technical Abstract: The fungal pathogen Thecaphora frezii Carranza & Lindquist causes peanut smut, a severe disease currently endemic in Argentina. To study the ecology of T. frezii and to understand the mechanisms of smut resistance in peanut plants, it is crucial to know the genetics of this pathogen. The objective of this work was to generate the first draft genome of T. frezii that will be the basis for analyzing its potential genetic diversity and its interaction with peanut cultivars. T. frezii isolate B7 (T.f.B7) was obtained from a single hyphal tip culture, its DNA was sequenced using Pacific Biosciences Sequel II (PacBio) and Illumina NovaSeq 6000 (Nova). Data from both sequencing platforms were combined and the de novo assembling estimated 29.3 Mb genome size. Our research group is working to find peanut germplasm with smut resistance and to understand the genetics of the pathogen. Knowing the genome of T. frezii will help analyze potential variants of this pathogen and contribute to identify peanut germplasm with broader and long-lasting resistance.