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.
Fungi belonging to the genus Leptodontidium (Ascomycota phylum, Leotiomycetes class, Helotiales order) are common root-associated fungi that live benignly as endophyte within plant tissues. Leptodontidium orchidicola is a fungal endophyte originally described from orchid roots but isolates belonging to this species are broadly distributed and associate with the roots of a high diversity of plant hosts, including mycorrhizal plants (i.e. Populus) and non-mycorrhizal plants (i.e. Brassica napus). They belong to a clade with other genera of fungi (e.g., Meliniomyces, Phialocephala, Cadophora) that are known as “dark septate endophyte” fungi. The role of these fungal endophytes in ecosystem functioning is still elusive and their interaction with plants is not understood. The sequenced Leptodontidium orchidicola strain MPI-SDFR-AT-0119 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Researchers who wish to publish analyses using data from unpublished CSP genomes are respectfully required to contact the PI and JGI to avoid potential conflicts on data use and coordinate other publications with the CSP master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)
Mesny F, Miyauchi S, Thiergart T, Pickel B, Atanasova L, Karlsson M, Hüttel B, Barry KW, Haridas S, Chen C, Bauer D, Andreopoulos W, Pangilinan J, LaButti K, Riley R, Lipzen A, Clum A, Drula E, Henrissat B, Kohler A, Grigoriev IV, Martin FM, Hacquard S
Genetic determinants of endophytism in the Arabidopsis root mycobiome.
Nat Commun. 2021 Dec 10;12(1):7227. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-27479-y