Home • Ilyonectria sp. MPI-CAGE-AT-0026 v1.0
Ilyonectria europaea growing in the lab.
Ilyonectria europaea growing in the lab.
Image Credit: Stephane Hacquard

This genome was sequenced as part of the 1000 Fungal Genomes Project - Deep Sequencing of Ecologically-relevant Dikarya, and more specifically as part of the Endophyte Genome Sequencing project, which seeks to sequence members of diverse lineages of endophytic species found in Arabidopsis, Populus and other plants to examine the functional diversity of fungi with a shared evolutionary history.

The genus Ilyonectria (Ascomycota phylum, Sordaryomycetes class, Hypocreales order) include pathogens that cause root rot on a broad range of woody and herbaceous host plants (e.g. poplar, spruce, oak, beech, azalea, ginseng, apple, etc.) and cankers on trees. They may also exist as endophytes in roots of healthy looking plants where they may function in the suppression of other fungal pathogens. The sequenced Ilyonectria sp. strain MPI-CAGE-AT-0026 has been isolated from healthy Arabidopsis thaliana plants grown in natural soil after surface sterilization of plant roots. The sequencing of this fungal isolate is part of a larger project aiming at sequencing the genomes of numerous phylogenetically diverse root-associated fungi from Arabidopsis, Populus, and other plant hosts for further comparative genome analysis. Unravelling the genomic signatures reflecting the adaptation of these microbes to the host cell environment represent a promising way to better understand how the endophytic lifestyle evolved in phylogenetically unrelated fungal species. Comparative genome analysis between saprotrophic, mycorrhizal, and pathogenic fungi will provide new insights into the specific adaptations but also the conserved signatures associated with these different fungal lifestyles.

Researchers who wish to publish analyses using data from unpublished CSP genomes are respectfully required to contact the PI and JGI to avoid potential conflicts on data use and coordinate other publications with the CSP master paper(s).

 

Genome Reference(s)