Widespread horizontal transfer of the cerato-ulmin gene between Ophiostoma novo-ulmi and Geosmithia species
Language English Country Netherlands Media print-electronic
Document type Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
PubMed
25110129
DOI
10.1016/j.funbio.2014.04.007
PII: S1878-6146(14)00064-6
Knihovny.cz E-resources
- Keywords
- Ascomycetes, Entomochoric fungi, Gene expression, Horizontal gene transfer, Hydrophobins,
- MeSH
- Ascomycota genetics isolation & purification MeSH
- Fungal Proteins genetics MeSH
- Genes, Fungal MeSH
- Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction MeSH
- Molecular Sequence Data MeSH
- Mycotoxins genetics MeSH
- Plant Diseases microbiology MeSH
- Gene Transfer, Horizontal * MeSH
- Sequence Analysis, DNA MeSH
- Gene Expression Profiling MeSH
- Ulmus microbiology MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
- Names of Substances
- CU protein, Ophiostoma ulmi MeSH Browser
- Fungal Proteins MeSH
- Mycotoxins MeSH
Previous work had shown that a sequence homologous to the gene encoding class II hydrophobin cerato-ulmin from the fungus Ophiostoma novo-ulmi, the causal agent of Dutch Elm Disease (DED), was present in a strain of the unrelated species Geosmithia species 5 (Ascomycota: Hypocreales) isolated from Ulmus minor affected by DED. As both fungi occupy the same habitat, even if different ecological niches, the occurrence of horizontal gene transfer was proposed. In the present work we have analysed for the presence of the cerato-ulmin gene 70 Geosmithia strains representing 29 species, isolated from different host plants and geographic locations. The gene was found in 52.1 % of the strains derived from elm trees, while none of those isolated from nonelms possessed it. The expression of the gene in Geosmithia was also assessed by real time PCR in different growth conditions (liquid culture, solid culture, elm sawdust, dual culture with O. novo-ulmi), and was found to be extremely low in all conditions tested. On the basis of these results we propose that the cerato-ulmin gene is not functional in Geosmithia, but can be considered instead a marker of more extensive transfers of genetic material as shown in other fungi.
Dipartimento di Biologia Università di Firenze via Madonna del Piano 6 50019 Sesto Fiorentino Italy
Dipartimento di Scienze delle Produzioni Agroalimentari e dell'Ambiente Italy
Istituto per la Protezione delle Piante Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche Italy
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