Home • Coniophora puteana v1.0
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Coniophora puteana by Joseph F Ammirati and Drew Parker

This genome was sequenced as a part of the large-scale multi-genome JGI CSP Saprotrophic Agaricomycotina Project (SAP), which focuses on the diversity and evolution of decay mechanisms, organismal phylogenetic relationships, and developmental evolution. A large collaborative effort led by PI of this project, David Hibbett (Clark University) aims for master publication(s) of the SAP data analysis. Researchers who wish to publish analyses using data from unpublished SAP genomes are respectfully required to contact the PI and JGI to avoid potential conflicts on data use and coordinate other publications with the SAP master paper(s).

Coniophora puteana (Schum. ex Fries) Karst., commonly called the "cellar" fungus, is causing brown-rot damage that is similar to the one that the dry-rot fungus, Serpula lacrymans, produces. The name cellar fungus should not be taken too literally because the fungus can also infest the upper levels in a building. Dripping cold water pipes in bathrooms and leaking roof areas provide an optimal habitat for the fungus when leaks were not repaired. In contrast to S. lacrymans, C. puteana requires significantly higher moisture content in the substrate, preferably between 50 - 60%. Coniophora puteana primarily attacks the wood of conifers in its natural habitat and occasionally the wood of broad-leaved trees, including citrus trees. Like all other saprotrophs in the Boletales (e.g., Hydnomerulius, Leucogyrophana, Pseudomerulius, Serpula, Tapinella), C. puteana is capable of exhibiting cellulolytic activity against non-associated cellulose in culture, which is an unusual characteristic for fungi associated with a brown rot. Four genes encoding for glycoside hydrolase (GH) in the families 6 and 7 have been detected in C. puteana that are essential for the degradation of crystalline cellulose. The genes are absent from the recently released Postia placenta genome, suggesting that C. puteana and P. placenta have different cellulolytic systems, although they are both producing a brown rot. There may be as many as four independent origins of brown rot in the Boletales and the genomic sequence of C. puteana will provide insights in the evolution of brown-rotting systems in this group by comparing the presence of lignocellulolytic enzymes found in S. lacrymans. In addition, the genomic sequence of C. puteana will contribute to a better prospect of brown rot as a fungal nutritional mode, which apparently harbors more than only one ecological strategy.

Genome Reference(s)