Chitosan induces differential transcript usage of chitosanase 3 encoding gene (csn3) in the biocontrol fungus Pochonia chlamydosporia 123.

Background: Pochonia chlamydosporia is an endophytic fungus used for nematode biocontrol that employs its cellular and molecular machinery to degrade the nematode egg-shell. Chitosanases, among other enzymes, are involved in this process. In this study, we improve the genome sequence assembly of P.

Lineage-specific vs. universal: A comparison of the Compositae1061 and Angiosperms353 enrichment panels in the sunflower family.

Premise: Phylogenetic studies in the Compositae are challenging due to the sheer size of the family and the challenges they pose for molecular tools, ranging from the genomic impact of polyploid events to their very conserved plastid genomes. The search for better molecular tools for phylogenetic studies led to the development of the family-specific Compositae1061 probe set, as well as the universal Angiosperms353 probe set designed for all flowering plants. In this study, we evaluate the extent to which data generated using the family-specific kit and those obtained with the universal kit can be merged for downstream analyses.

A nuclear phylogenomic study of the angiosperm order Myrtales, exploring the potential and limitations of the universal Angiosperms353 probe set.

Premise: To further advance the understanding of the species-rich, economically and ecologically important angiosperm order Myrtales in the rosid clade, comprising nine families, approximately 400 genera and almost 14,000 species occurring on all continents (except Antarctica), we tested the Angiosperms353 probe kit.

Methods: We combined high-throughput sequencing and target enrichment with the Angiosperms353 probe kit to evaluate a sample of 485 species across 305 genera (76% of all genera in the order).

Results: Results provide the most comprehensive phylogenetic hypothesis for the order to date.

A comprehensive phylogenomic study of the monocot order Commelinales, with a new classification of Commelinaceae.

Premise: Resolving relationships within order Commelinales has posed quite a challenge, as reflected in its unstable infra-familial classification. Thus, we investigated (1) relationships across families and genera of Commelinales; (2) phylogenetic placement of never-before sequenced genera; (3) how well off-target plastid data integrate with other plastid-based data sets; and (4) how the novel inferences coincide with the infra-familial classification.

Methods: We generated two large data sets (nuclear and plastome) by means of target sequence capture using the Angiosperms353 probe set, with additional sequences mined from publicly available transcriptomes and full plastomes.

Strategies for reducing per-sample costs in target capture sequencing for phylogenomics and population genomics in plants.

The reduced cost of high-throughput sequencing and the development of gene sets with wide phylogenetic applicability has led to the rise of sequence capture methods as a plausible platform for both phylogenomics and population genomics in plants. An important consideration in large targeted sequencing projects is the per-sample cost, which can be inflated when using off-the-shelf kits or reagents not purchased in bulk. Here, we discuss methods to reduce per-sample costs in high-throughput targeted sequencing projects.

Reconstructing the Complex Evolutionary History of the Papuasian Radiation Through Herbariomics.

With its large proportion of endemic taxa, complex geological past, and location at the confluence of the highly diverse Malesian and Australian floristic regions, Papuasia - the floristic region comprising the Bismarck Archipelago, New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands - represents an ideal natural experiment in plant biogeography. However, scattered knowledge of its flora and limited representation in herbaria have hindered our understanding of the drivers of its diversity. Focusing on the woody angiosperm genus (Araliaceae), we ask whether its morphologically defined infrageneric groupings are monophyletic, when these lineages diverged, and where (within Papuasia or elsewhere) they diversified.

Virulence- and signaling-associated genes display a preference for long 3'UTRs during rice infection and metabolic stress in the rice blast fungus.

Generation of mRNA isoforms by alternative polyadenylation (APA) and their involvement in regulation of fungal cellular processes, including virulence, remains elusive. Here, we investigated genome-wide polyadenylation site (PAS) selection in the rice blast fungus to understand how APA regulates pathogenicity. More than half of Magnaporthe oryzae transcripts undergo APA and show novel motifs in their PAS region.