The Fusarium graminearum genome reveals more secondary metabolite gene clusters and hints of horizontal gene transfer

PLoS One. 2014 Oct 15;9(10):e110311. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0110311. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Fungal secondary metabolite biosynthesis genes are of major interest due to the pharmacological properties of their products (like mycotoxins and antibiotics). The genome of the plant pathogenic fungus Fusarium graminearum codes for a large number of candidate enzymes involved in secondary metabolite biosynthesis. However, the chemical nature of most enzymatic products of proteins encoded by putative secondary metabolism biosynthetic genes is largely unknown. Based on our analysis we present 67 gene clusters with significant enrichment of predicted secondary metabolism related enzymatic functions. 20 gene clusters with unknown metabolites exhibit strong gene expression correlation in planta and presumably play a role in virulence. Furthermore, the identification of conserved and over-represented putative transcription factor binding sites serves as additional evidence for cluster co-regulation. Orthologous cluster search provided insight into the evolution of secondary metabolism clusters. Some clusters are characteristic for the Fusarium phylum while others show evidence of horizontal gene transfer as orthologs can be found in representatives of the Botrytis or Cochliobolus lineage. The presented candidate clusters provide valuable targets for experimental examination.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cluster Analysis
  • Evolution, Molecular
  • Fusarium / genetics*
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal
  • Gene Transfer, Horizontal*
  • Genes, Fungal*
  • Genome, Fungal*
  • Multigene Family*
  • Nucleotide Motifs
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • Secondary Metabolism / genetics*

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Austrian Science Fund FWF (http://www.fwf.ac.at/) (special research project Fusarium, F3705, F3702, F3706) and the Helmholtz graduate school of environmental health, HELENA (http://www.helmholtz-muenchen.de/). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.