Faculty Opinions recommendation of Effector gene reshuffling involves dispensable mini-chromosomes in the wheat blast fungus.
Year: 2020
Type: peer-review
Abstract: Newly emerged wheat blast disease is a serious threat to global wheat production.Wheat blast is caused by a distinct, exceptionally diverse lineage of the fungus causing rice blast disease.Through sequencing a recent field isolate, we report a reference genome that includes seven core chromosomes and mini-chromosome sequences that harbor effector genes normally found on ends of core chromosomes in other strains.No mini-chromosomes were observed in an early field strain, and at least two from another isolate each contain different effector genes and core chromosome end sequences.The mini-chromosome is enriched in transposons occurring most frequently at core chromosome ends.Additionally, transposons in mini-chromosomes lack the characteristic signature for inactivation by repeat-induced point (RIP) mutation genome defenses.Our results, collectively, indicate that dispensable mini-chromosomes and core chromosomes undergo divergent evolutionary trajectories, and mini-chromosomes and core chromosome ends are coupled as a mobile, fast-evolving effector compartment in the wheat pathogen genome.
Authors: Joseph Heitman, Shelby Priest, Vikas Yadav
Institution: Duke Medical Center
Language: English
Subfield: Plant Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W4213093395