Abstract
Shiraia bambusicola has long been used as a traditional Chinese medicine and its major medicinal active metabolite is hypocrellin, which exhibits outstanding antiviral and antitumor properties. Here we report the 32 Mb draft genome sequence of S. bambusicola S4201, encoding 11,332 predicted genes. The genome of S. bambusicola is enriched in carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZy) and pathogenesis-related genes. The phylogenetic tree of S. bambusicola S4201 and nine other sequenced species was constructed and its taxonomic status was supported (Pleosporales, Dothideomycetes). The genome contains a rich set of secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters, suggesting that strain S4201 has a remarkable capacity to produce secondary metabolites. Overexpression of the zinc finger transcription factor zftf, which is involved in hypocrellin A (HA) biosynthesis, increases HA production when compared with wild type. In addition, a new putative HA biosynthetic pathway is proposed. These results provide a framework to study the mechanisms of infection in bamboo and to understand the phylogenetic relationships of S. bambusicola S4201. At the same time, knowledge of the genome sequence may potentially solve the puzzle of HA biosynthesis and lead to the discovery of novel genes and secondary metabolites of importance in medicine and agriculture.
Highlights
Shiraia bambusicola, belonging to the genus Shiraia and the phylum Ascomycota, is an important pathogenic and parasitic fungus that grows on the twigs of bamboos
Shiraia bambusicola is an important parasitic pathogen that grows on the twigs of bamboos and which has traditionally been considered to have anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties
We have de novo sequenced and assembled the genome of S. bambusicola S4201, which may serve as a basis for understanding its pathogenicity and exclusive parasitic lifestyle
Summary
Shiraia bambusicola, belonging to the genus Shiraia and the phylum Ascomycota, is an important pathogenic and parasitic fungus that grows on the twigs of bamboos. It adversely affects the growth of bamboo and causes significant economic losses every year. It has been shown to possess antibacterial, antiviral, antitumor, and anti-inflammatory bioactivities (Guo et al, 2017; Lin et al, 2017) As a photosensitizer, it can be activated under light irradiation and can produce reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can destroy DNA, proteins, and lipids (Robertson et al, 2009). Many pharmacological effects of HA are being investigated, HA biosynthetic genes and pathways are still not well understood
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