The genome sequence and gene predictions of Sporisorium reilianum were not determined by the JGI, but were downloaded from NCBI and have been published (Jan Schirawski et al, 2010). Please note that this copy of the genome is not maintained by the author and is therefore not automatically updated.
Smut fungi are biotrophic pathogens causing disease in a number of agriculturally important crop plants. Ustilago maydis and the related fungus Sporisorium reilianum both parasitize maize. Their life cycle leading to the infectious form is similar; however, shortly after infection U. maydis locally induces tumors on all aerial parts of the plant, whereas S. reilianum spreads systemically and causes symptoms in male and female inflorescences only. Both S. reilianum and U. maydis establish an intimate communication with their host through secreted protein effectors that enable biotrophic development. Effector proteins like U. maydis Pep1 can suppress plant defense responses. Additional effector genes were identified in the genome as genes encoding U. maydis specific secreted proteins, most of which are up-regulated during host colonization. Many of these effector genes are clustered, and deletion of five of these clusters affected virulence in seedlings. Some cluster genes are induced in specific plant organs, and respective cluster mutants show altered virulence depending on the host tissue infected. In plant parasitic oomycetes, genes for effector proteins are under diversifying selection and occur in highly flexible genomic regions.
Genome Reference(s)
Schirawski J, Mannhaupt G, Münch K, Brefort T, Schipper K, Doehlemann G, Di Stasio M, Rössel N, Mendoza-Mendoza A, Pester D, Müller O, Winterberg B, Meyer E, Ghareeb H, Wollenberg T, Münsterkötter M, Wong P, Walter M, Stukenbrock E, Güldener U, Kahmann R
Pathogenicity determinants in smut fungi revealed by genome comparison.
Science. 2010 Dec 10;330(6010):1546-8. doi: 10.1126/science.1195330