Whole genome sequence of Cryptosphaeria pullmanensis, an important pathogenic fungus potentially threatening crop and forestry production

• Published in: Genomics (San Diego, Calif.) Calif.), 2023-03, Vol.115 (2), p.110576-110576, Article 110576
• Main Authors: Yan, Chengcai, Hao, Haiting, Feng, Hongzu, Wang, Zhe, Sha, Shuaishuai, Li, Meng, Wang, Lan, Kang, Zhensheng
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Ascomycota - genetics; Cryptosphaeria pullmanensis; Forestry; Functional annotation; Genome, Fungal; Molecular Sequence Annotation; Pathogenic fungus; Whole Genome Sequencing
• ISSN: 0888-7543; 1089-8646
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2023.110576

Many fungal members of the Diatrypaceae family are pathogenic towards plants and are widely distributed globally. Cryptosphaeria pullmanensis is a pathogenic fungus that infects populus and walnut trees, causing their death. We sequenced the genome of C. pullmanensis based on a combination of Nanopore PromethION and Illumina NovaSeq PE150 platforms, and functionally annotated the sequences using a number of open-access databases. This is the first report of the genome-scale assembly and annotation for C. pullmanensis, the first species of the genus Cryptosphaeria to be sequenced. We obtained 13 contigs with an N50 contig size of 7,095,780 bp, a GC content ratio of 43.23% and a genome size of 56.72 Mb with 10,474 putative coding genes. Comparative genomic analysis against the genomes of seven Ascomycetes fungal strains was performed. Among the seven species tested, the Eutypa lata genome displayed the highest similarity to the C. pullmanensis genome in terms of collinearity and homologous gene content. This study has provided a genetic resource that offers extensive information and a framework for future investigations into the transcriptome, proteome, and metabonome of C. pullmanensis to understand its molecular pathogenesis. •This is the first report of the genome-scale assembly and annotation for Cryptosphaeria pullmanensis, the first species of the genus Cryptosphaeria to be sequenced.•The Nanopore PromethION and Illumina NovaSeq PE150 platforms were used to sequence the whole genome of Cryptosphaeria pullmanensis, and functionally annotated the sequences using a number of open-access databases.•Comparative genomic analysis was performed against between Cryptosphaeria pullmanensis and other seven selected pathogenic fungal species.•Cryptosphaeria pullmanensis may infect the host plant through cell wall degrading enzymes, toxin production, fungal virulence factors and interaction with the host.