Sordaria brevicollis growing in the lab.
Image Credit: Sandrine Cros-Arteil

This genome was sequenced as part of the JGI CSP 1KFG - Deep Sequencing of Ecologically-relevant Dikarya, whose goal is to fill in gaps in the Fungal Tree of Life by sequencing at least two reference genomes from the more than 500 recognized families of Fungi. This project additionally aims to inform research on plant-microbe interactions, microbial emission and capture of greenhouse gasses, and environmental metagenomic sequencing.

The sequenced Sordaria brevicollis FGSC1904 has been isolated from dung of zebra in New York Zoological Park. It belongs to Lasiosphaeriaceae II, sensu (Kruys, Huhndorf et al. 2015). Sordaria brevicollis is the first described heterothallic species of the genus Sordaria and it is closely related to S. macrospora, a model organism for morphogenesis and meiosis (Chen 1965, Nowrousian, Stajich et al. 2010). Sordariales is a taxonomically rich group containing ca. 35 genera (Huhndorf, Miller et al. 2004, Kruys, Huhndorf et al. 2015), spanning more than 75 million years of association with plant biomass (Saupe, Clavé et al. 2000). Sordariales can be sampled on a range of substrates such as dung, wood, leaves, litter, burned vegetation, biological soil crusts and soil; most are saprobes, but some live in close association with plants as endophytes and few have been described as pathogens. Sordariales also exhibit striking differences in temperature requirements, ranging from mesophilic to thermophilic. Unraveling the genomic features responsible for their ability to efficiently forage their substrate will represent foundational information for understanding the role of saprophilous, lignicolous, herbicolous and coprophilous fungi in nutrient and energy flows within ecosystems. In addition, these resources will facilitate the rational design of improved thermophilic and/or biomass degrading fungal host strains, and help field studies aiming to predict responses of fungal communities to environmental changes, such as global warming.

Researchers who wish to publish analyses using data from unpublished CSP genomes are respectfully required to contact the PI and JGI to avoid potential conflicts on data use and coordinate other publications with the CSP master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

References:

• Chen, K.-C. (1965). "The genetics of Sordaria brevicollis. I. Determination of seven linkage groups." Genetics 51(4): 509.
• Huhndorf, S. M., A. N. Miller and F. A. Fernández (2004). "Molecular systematics of the Sordariales: the order and the family Lasiosphaeriaceae redefined." Mycologia 96(2): 368-387.
• Kruys, Å., S. M. Huhndorf and A. N. Miller (2015). "Coprophilous contributions to the phylogeny of Lasiosphaeriaceae and allied taxa within Sordariales (Ascomycota, Fungi)." Fungal Diversity 70(1): 101-113.
• Nowrousian, M., J. E. Stajich, M. Chu, I. Engh, E. Espagne, K. Halliday, J. Kamerewerd, F. Kempken, B. Knab and H.-C. Kuo (2010). "De novo assembly of a 40 Mb eukaryotic genome from short sequence reads: Sordaria macrospora, a model organism for fungal morphogenesis." PLoS Genet 6(4): e1000891.
• Saupe, S. J., C. Clavé, M. Sabourin and J. Bégueret (2000). "Characterization of hch, the Podospora anserina homolog of the het-c heterokaryon incompatibility gene of Neurospora crassa." Current genetics 38(1): 39-47.