Draft genome sequences for and canker pathogens of and in West Virginia.

The fungal genus contains many phytopathogenic species currently impacting forests and fruit trees worldwide. Despite their importance, a majority of spp. lack sufficient genomic resources to resolve suspected cryptic species.

Giant transposons promote strain heterogeneity in a major fungal pathogen.

Fungal infections are difficult to prevent and treat in large part due to strain heterogeneity. However, the genetic mechanisms driving pathogen variation remain poorly understood. Here, we determined the extent to which -giant transposons capable of mobilizing numerous fungal genes-generate genetic and phenotypic variability in the human pathogen .

Description of new micro-colonial fungi species , cultured from biological soil crusts.

Black yeasts and relatives comprise Micro-Colonial Fungi (MCFs) which are slow-growing stress-tolerant micro-eukaryotes that specialize in extreme environments. MCFs are paraphyletic and found in the Orders () and (). We have isolated and described three new MCFs species from desert biological soil crusts (BSCs) collected from two arid land regions: Joshua Tree National Park (Mojave Desert) and UC Natural Reserve at Boyd Deep Canyon (confluence of Mojave and Sonoran Deserts).

Study of fungal cell wall evolution through its monosaccharide composition: An insight into fungal species interacting with plants.

Every fungal cell is encapsulated in a cell wall, essential for cell viability, morphogenesis, and pathogenesis. Most knowledge of the cell wall composition in fungi has focused on ascomycetes, especially human pathogens, but considerably less is known about early divergent fungal groups, such as species in the Zoopagomycota and Mucoromycota phyla. To shed light on evolutionary changes in the fungal cell wall, we studied the monosaccharide composition of the cell wall of 18 species including early diverging fungi and species in the Basidiomycota and Ascomycota phyla with a focus on those with pathogenic lifestyles and interactions with plants.

Prevalence and diversity of TAL effector-like proteins in fungal endosymbiotic spp.

Endofungal (formerly ) spp. rely on a type III secretion system to deliver mostly unidentified effector proteins when colonizing their host fungus, . The one known secreted effector family from consists of homologues of transcription activator-like (TAL) effectors, which are used by plant pathogenic and spp.

Genomic and morphological characterization of Knufia obscura isolated from the Mars 2020 spacecraft assembly facility.

Members of the family Trichomeriaceae, belonging to the Chaetothyriales order and the Ascomycota phylum, are known for their capability to inhabit hostile environments characterized by extreme temperatures, oligotrophic conditions, drought, or presence of toxic compounds. The genus Knufia encompasses many polyextremophilic species. In this report, the genomic and morphological features of the strain FJI-L2-BK-P2 presented, which was isolated from the Mars 2020 mission spacecraft assembly facility located at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.

Signatures of transposon-mediated genome inflation, host specialization, and photoentrainment in and allied entomophthoralean fungi.

Despite over a century of observations, the obligate insect parasites within the order Entomophthorales remain poorly characterized at the genetic level. In this manuscript, we present a genome for a laboratory-tractable isolate that infects fruit flies. Our assembly is 1.

An endogenous DNA virus in an amphibian-killing fungus associated with pathogen genotype and virulence.

The global panzootic lineage (GPL) of the pathogenic fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) has caused severe amphibian population declines, yet the drivers underlying the high frequency of GPL in regions of amphibian decline are unclear. Using publicly available Bd genome sequences, we identified multiple non-GPL Bd isolates that contain a circular Rep-encoding single-stranded (CRESS)-like DNA virus, which we named Bd DNA virus 1 (BdDV-1). We further sequenced and constructed genome assemblies with long read sequences to find that the virus is integrated into the nuclear genome in some strains.

Tracing histoplasmosis genomic epidemiology and species occurrence across the USA.

Histoplasmosis is an endemic mycosis in North America frequently reported along the Ohio and Mississippi River Valleys, although autochthonous cases occur in non-endemic areas. In the United States, the disease is provoked by two genetically distinct clades of , (Nam1) and (Nam2). To bridge the molecular epidemiological gap, we genotyped 93 isolates (62 novel genomes) including clinical, environmental, and veterinarian samples from a broader geographical range by whole-genome sequencing, followed by evolutionary and species niche modelling analyses.

Whole community shotgun metagenomes of two biological soil crust types from the Mojave Desert.

We present six whole community shotgun metagenomic sequencing data sets of two types of biological soil crusts sampled at the ecotone of the Mojave Desert and Colorado Desert in California. These data will help us understand the diversity and function of biocrust microbial communities, which are essential for desert ecosystems.

Morphological and phylogenetic resolution of (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae), a potential biocontrol fungus for in United States Christmas tree production areas.

The entomopathogenic fungus has recently been implicated in natural epizootics among exotic elongate hemlock scale (EHS) insects in Christmas tree farms in the eastern United States. Since 1913, has been reported from various plant feeding Hemiptera in the southeastern United States, but comprehensive morphological and phylogenetic studies of U.S.

Draft genome sequence of a black yeast fungus isolated from La Brea Tar Pits.

A 30.28 Mb draft genome sequence was assembled and annotated for the melanized ascomycetous fungus NRRL_64630 (Pezizomycotina; Chaetothyriales) isolated from La Brea Tar Pits, Los Angeles, California. Species identification was made by phylogenetic assessment of the Internal Transcribed Spacer.

Evaluation of Different Gene Prediction Tools in .

Gene prediction is required to obtain optimal biologically meaningful information from genomic sequences, but automated gene prediction software is imperfect. In this study, we compare the original annotation of the RS genome (the reference strain of ) to annotations using the Funannotate and Augustus genome prediction pipelines. A total of 25% of the originally predicted genes (denoted CIMG) were not found in either the Funannotate or Augustus predictions.

Geographical survey of the mycobiome and microbiome of Southern California glassy-winged sharpshooters.

The glassy-winged sharpshooter, Germar, is an invasive xylem-feeding leafhopper with a devastating economic impact on California agriculture through transmission of the plant pathogen, . While studies have focused on or known symbionts of , little work has been done at the scale of the microbiome (the bacterial community) or mycobiome (the fungal community). Here, we characterize the mycobiome and the microbiome of across Southern California and explore correlations with captivity and host insecticide resistance status.

Signatures of transposon-mediated genome inflation, host specialization, and photoentrainment in and allied entomophthoralean fungi.

Despite over a century of observations, the obligate insect parasites within the order Entomophthorales remain poorly characterized at the genetic level. This is in part due to their large genome sizes and difficulty in obtaining sequenceable material. In this manuscript, we leveraged a recently-isolated, laboratory-tractable isolate and improved long-read sequencing to obtain a largely-complete entomophthoralean genome.

The reference genome assembly of the bright cobblestone lichen, Acarospora socialis.

Acarospora socialis, the bright cobblestone lichen, is commonly found in southwestern North America. This charismatic yellow lichen is a species of key ecological significance as it is often a pioneer species in new environments. Despite their ecological importance virtually no research has been conducted on the genomics of A.

Sequencing the Genomes of the First Terrestrial Fungal Lineages: What Have We Learned?

The first genome sequenced of a eukaryotic organism was for , as reported in 1996, but it was more than 10 years before any of the zygomycete fungi, which are the early-diverging terrestrial fungi currently placed in the phyla and , were sequenced. The genome for was completed in 2008; currently, more than 1000 zygomycete genomes have been sequenced. Genomic data from these early-diverging terrestrial fungi revealed deep phylogenetic separation of the two major clades-primarily plant-associated saprotrophic and mycorrhizal versus the primarily mycoparasitic or animal-associated parasites and commensals in the .

Genomes and transcriptomes help unravel the complex life cycle of the blastoclad fungus, , an obligate parasite of mosquitoes and microcrustaceans.

Species of the phylum Blastocladiomycota, early-diverging zoosporic (flagellated) lineages of fungi, are vastly understudied. This phylum includes the genus , which consists of more than 80 fungal species that are obligate parasites of arthropods. Known species lack a complete asexual life cycle, instead surviving through an obligate heterecious alternation of generations life cycle.