Abstract
Research into ergot alkaloid production in major cereal cash crops is crucial for furthering our understanding of the potential toxicological impacts of Claviceps purpurea upon Canadian agriculture and to ensure consumer safety. An untargeted metabolomics approach profiling extracts of C. purpurea sclerotia from four different grain crops separated the C. purpurea strains into two distinct metabolomic classes based on ergot alkaloid content. Variances in C. purpurea alkaloid profiles were correlated to genetic differences within the lpsA gene of the ergot alkaloid biosynthetic gene cluster from previously published genomes and from newly sequenced, long-read genome assemblies of Canadian strains. Based on gene cluster composition and unique polymorphisms, we hypothesize that the alkaloid content of C. purpurea sclerotia is currently undergoing adaptation. The patterns of lpsA gene diversity described in this small subset of Canadian strains provides a remarkable framework for understanding accelerated evolution of ergot alkaloid production in Claviceps purpurea.
Highlights
Ergot fungi of the genus Claviceps are phytopathogenic ascomycetes with the ability to parasitize over 400 monocotyledonous plant species, most notably affecting a large number of grasses and common cereals [1,2]
The patterns of lpsA gene diversity described in this small subset of Canadian strains provides a remarkable framework for understanding the accelerated evolution of ergot alkaloid profiles
The results of this study provide insight into the variation in alkaloid content across Canadian C. purpurea isolates that could help guide future experiments in the exploration of secondary metabolite production
Summary
Ergot fungi of the genus Claviceps are phytopathogenic ascomycetes with the ability to parasitize over 400 monocotyledonous plant species, most notably affecting a large number of grasses and common cereals [1,2]. Claviceps infections are characterized by the formation of recalcitrant resting structures known as sclerotia. Fruiting bodies (ascomata) develop on the sclerotium that forcefully eject ascospores into the air, which are dispersed by the wind to infect flowering host plants, continuing the life cycle. Ergot infection of cereal crops directly impacts grain quality and yield and has become increasingly problematic across Canadian provinces over the past two decades [6,7]. Ergot sclerotia contain a wide variety of ergot alkaloids that constitute 0.5–2% of the entire sclerotium mass [9]. Preventing or minimizing the occurrence of ergot alkaloids in our food and animal feed is, of great importance
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