Expansion and Conservation of Biosynthetic Gene Clusters in Pathogenic spp.

is a fungal genus responsible for a number of major cereal diseases. Although fungi produce many specialised or secondary metabolites for defence and interacting with the surrounding environment, the repertoire of specialised metabolites (SM) within pathogenic species remains mostly uncharted. In this study, an in-depth comparative analysis of the f. , f. and potential to produce SMs, based on in silico predicted biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs), was conducted using genome assemblies from PacBio DNA reads. Conservation of BGCs between the species included type I polyketide synthases, terpene synthases and the first reporting of a type III polyketide synthase in f. . isolates exhibited substantial expansion of non-ribosomal peptide synthases relative to , hallmarked by the presence of tailoring cis-acting nitrogen methyltransferase domains. isolates also possessed unique non-ribosomal peptide synthase (NRPS)-indole and indole BGCs, while a phytotoxin BGC for triticone production was absent in . These differences highlight diversification between the pathogens that reflects their different evolutionary histories, host adaption and lifestyles.