Home • Dichomitus squalens OM18370.1 v1.0
Photo of Dichomitus squalens OM18370.1 v1.0
D. squalens growing on wood (Otto Miettinen, University of Helsinki).

This genome was sequenced as part of a JGI-EMSL project, entitled ‘Dissecting intraspecies diversity in fungal wood decay’, which aims to analyze wood colonization and decay by this fungus, including the variations in this process between different dikaryotic and monokaryotic strains. PIs of the project are Miia Mäkelä and Kristiina Hildén from University of Helsinki and Ronald de Vries from CBS-KNAW Fungal Biodiversity Centre. Researchers who wish to publish analyses using data from these genomes prior to their publication are respectfully required to contact the PIs and JGI to avoid potential conflicts on data use and coordinate other publications with the PIs.

 

Dichomitus squalens (P. Karst.) D.A. Reid is a wood rotting Basidiomycete, which produces basidiocarps with poroid hymenophore. The common name of the species, western red rot, indicates the ability of D. squalens to cause a white pocket rot, with the initial decay stage giving a red coloration to the wood followed by the full discoloration of the wood tissue with extensive damage of the structure due to lignin degradation. However, the species is mainly found on dead or decaying wood and therefore mainly has a saprobic life style. D. squalens is commonly found in the northern regions of Europe and Asia, and in North America. D. squalens grows on both softwood and hardwood and is also a relatively fast growing species under laboratory conditions with an extensive repertoire of lignocellulolytic enzymes. The genome sequencing of three additional monokaryotic strains of D. squalens will provide more information on the genomic diversity of this species and as such will be a reference for other basidiomycetes. Two of the strains, CBS 463.89 and CBS 464.89, are monokaryons derived from the commonly used dikaryon FBCC312 (CBS432.34), while OM18370.1 is derived from a recently isolated dikaryon in Helsinki, Finland, by Otto Miettinen.

Genome Reference(s)