Gene acquisition by giant transposons primes eukaryotes for rapid evolution via horizontal gene transfer.

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) disseminates genetic information between species and is a powerful mechanism of adaptation. Yet, we know little about its underlying drivers in eukaryotes. Giant transposons have been implicated as agents of fungal HGT, providing an unprecedented opportunity to reveal the evolutionary parameters behind this process.

The conserved WetA protein involved in asexual development in fungi is localized to the nuclei in the asexual spores of Paecilomyces variotii.

Mutations have underpinned research into gene characterization across all domains of life. This includes the discovery of the genes involved in the development of asexual spores in filamentous fungi. Mutants in the ascomycete Paecilomyces variotii were isolated with impaired biosynthesis of the characteristic yellow pigment produced by this filamentous fungus.

Fluorescently Tagged to Understand the Infection Process on Cotton () and Weed Plant Species.

Verticillium wilt is a soil-borne disease caused by distinct vegetative compatibility groups (VCG) of the fungus . Defoliating (VCG 1A) and non-defoliating (VCG 2A) pathotypes of have contributed to yield losses of cotton production in Australia. To study the virulence and the infection process of on cotton, two isolates, one representing each VCG, have been transformed with fluorescent protein genes.

are active eukaryotic transposable elements mobilized by a new family of tyrosine recombinases.

Transposable elements in eukaryotic organisms have historically been considered "selfish," at best conferring indirect benefits to their host organisms. The are a recently discovered feature in fungal genomes that are, in some cases, predicted to confer beneficial traits to their hosts and also have hallmarks of being transposable elements. Here, we provide experimental evidence that are indeed autonomous transposons, using the model , and identify the HhpA "Captain" tyrosine recombinase as essential for their mobilization into genomic sites with a specific target site consensus sequence.

A Polyphasic Approach including Whole Genome Sequencing Reveals sp. nov. as a Cryptic Sister Species to .

Whole genome sequencing is rapidly increasing phylogenetic resolution across many groups of fungi. To improve sequencing coverage in the genus (), we report nine new genomes representing five different species. Phylogenetic comparison between these genomes and those reported previously showed that is a distinct species from its close relative .

A Natural Fungal Gene Drive Enacts Killing via DNA Disruption.

Fungal spore killers are a class of selfish genetic elements that positively bias their own inheritance by killing non-inheriting gametes following meiosis. As killing takes place specifically within the developing fungal ascus, a tissue which is experimentally difficult to isolate, our understanding of the mechanisms underlying spore killers are limited. In particular, how these loci kill other spores within the fungal ascus is largely unknown.

A large transposable element mediates metal resistance in the fungus Paecilomyces variotii.

The horizontal transfer of large gene clusters by mobile elements is a key driver of prokaryotic adaptation in response to environmental stresses. Eukaryotic microbes face similar stresses; however, a parallel role for mobile elements has not been established. A stress faced by many microorganisms is toxic metal ions in their environment.

A method for high-throughput image-based antifungal screening.

Robust antifungal screening is technically challenging particularly for filamentous fungi. We present a method for undertaking antifungal screening assays that builds upon existing broth dilution protocols and incorporates time resolved image-based assessment of fungal growth. We show that the method performs with different fungi, particularly those for which spores can be used as inoculum, and with different compound classes, can accurately assess susceptibility or otherwise in only few hours and can even account for differences in inherent growth properties of strains.

: a new species of () isolated from Victoria, Australia.

is a new species described in the genus after screening 16 strains of isolated from seven locations in the state of Victoria in Australia After initial analysis of the large ribosomal subunit sequence, the genomes of representative strains from two clades were sequenced using short paired-reads. Additional taxonomic markers extracted from the genome sequencing data support the novelty of . The identification of a new species in the genus , from a relatively small collection of isolates, hints at an unexplored diversity in the early diverging lineages of fungi in Australia.

Constitutive expression of transcription factor SirZ blocks pathogenicity in Leptosphaeria maculans independently of sirodesmin production.

Sirodesmin, the major secondary metabolite produced by the plant pathogenic fungus Leptosphaeria maculans in vitro, has been linked to disease on Brassica species since the 1970s, and yet its role has remained ambiguous. Re-examination of gene expression data revealed that all previously described genes and two newly identified genes within the sir gene cluster in the genome are down-regulated during the crucial early establishment stages of blackleg disease on Brassica napus. To test if this is a strategy employed by the fungus to avoid damage to and then detection by the host plant during the L.

The fungal gene cluster for biosynthesis of the antibacterial agent viriditoxin.

Background: Viriditoxin is one of the 'classical' secondary metabolites produced by fungi and that has antibacterial and other activities; however, the mechanism of its biosynthesis has remained unknown.

Results: Here, a gene cluster () responsible for viriditoxin synthesis was identified, via a bioinformatics analysis of the genomes of and that both are viriditoxin producers. The function of the eight-membered gene cluster of was characterized by targeted gene disruptions, revealing the roles of each gene in the synthesis of this molecule and establishing its biosynthetic pathway, which includes a Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenase catalyzed reaction.

Limitations of transcriptome-based prediction of pathogenicity genes in the plant pathogen Leptosphaeria maculans.

Identification of pathogenicity determinants in Leptosphaeria maculans, a major cause of disease of oilseed crops, has been a focus of research for many years. A wealth of gene expression information from RNA sequencing promises to illuminate the mechanisms by which the fungus is able to cause blackleg disease. However, to date, no studies have tested the hypothesis that high gene transcript levels during infection correlate with importance to disease progression.

Genomic and Genetic Insights Into a Cosmopolitan Fungus, (Eurotiales).

Species in the genus , a member of the fungal order Eurotiales, are ubiquitous in nature and impact a variety of human endeavors. Here, the biology of one common species, , was explored using genomics and functional genetics. Sequencing the genome of two isolates revealed key genome and gene features in this species.

Spontaneous and CRISPR/Cas9-induced mutation of the osmosensor histidine kinase of the canola pathogen .

Background: The dicarboximide fungicide iprodione has been used to combat blackleg disease of canola (), caused by the fungus . For example, in Australia the fungicide was used in the late 1990s but is no longer registered for use against blackleg disease, and therefore the impact of iprodione on has not been investigated.

Results: Resistance to iprodione emerged spontaneously under in vitro conditions at high frequency.

Sit4-Associated Protein is Required for Pathogenicity of Leptosphaeria maculans on Brassica napus.

An insertional mutant with reduced pathogenicity on Brassica napus was identified in the plant pathogenic fungus Leptosphaeria maculans. The transfer-DNA molecule from Agrobacterium tumefaciens inserted into a gene encoding a protein with similarity to Sit4-associated proteins (SAPs). In contrast to Saccharomyces cerevisiae which has four members of the SAP family, there is a single copy of the gene in L.