Genome‐wide identification, phylogeny and transcriptional profiling of SNARE genes in Cytospora chrysosperma

Abstract

AbstractSoluble N‐ethylmaleimide‐sensitive factor attachment protein receptors (SNAREs) are the central components involved in membrane vesicle trafficking to target membranes. The SNARE‐mediated vesicle fusion machinery is highly conserved in all eukaryotes. With the increasing availability of genome sequences, many complete sets of SNAREs have been identified in different organisms. However, SNAREs are still enigmatic in Cytospora chrysosperma, a notorious plant pathogenic fungus that can infect more than 80 forest tree species and cause canker disease. In this study, we identified 22 SNARE candidate genes in C. chrysosperma by using bioinformatics methods. Based on structural and phylogenetic analyses, the members of the SNAREs repertoire of C. chrysosperma were highly conserved as other fungal species, which could be divided into four main subfamilies: Qa‐, Qb‐, Qc‐ and R‐SNAREs. The expression profiles revealed that several of these genes exhibited differential expression during the initial infection stages. For example, CcVam7 was significantly upregulated at 3 days post‐infection (dpi), while CcSec22 was significantly downregulated at 1 and 3 dpi, indicating their putative roles of SNAREs in the infection process. The systematic identification and expression analysis of SNAREs provide insights into the functions of the SNARE genes in C. chrysosperma.