Abstract
The family of Ustilaginaceae belongs to the order of Basidiomycetes. Despite their plant pathogenicity causing, e.g., corn smut disease, they are also known as natural producers of value-added chemicals such as extracellular glycolipids, organic acids, and polyols. Here, we present 17 high-quality draft genome sequences (N50 > 1 Mb) combining third-generation nanopore and second-generation Illumina sequencing. The data were analyzed with taxonomical genome-based bioinformatics methods such as Percentage of Conserved Proteins (POCP), Average Nucleotide Identity (ANI), and Average Amino Acid Identity (AAI) analyses indicating that a reclassification of the Ustilaginaceae family might be required. Further, conserved core genes were determined to calculate a phylogenomic core genome tree of the Ustilaginaceae that also supported the results of the other phylogenomic analysis. In addition, to genomic comparisons, secondary metabolite clusters (e.g., itaconic acid, mannosylerythritol lipids, and ustilagic acid) of biotechnological interest were analyzed, whereas the sheer number of clusters did not differ much between species.
Highlights
The family of Ustilaginaceae belongs to the order of Ustilaginomycetes
17 different Ustilaginaceae strains from 14 species were chosen for genome sequencing by application of third-generation Oxford Nanopore sequencing in combination with second-generation Illumina sequencing
The strain selection was based on previous work, including relevant species such as U. cynodontis [44], U. trichophora [45], U. vetiveriae [11], and U. maydis [6,46]
Summary
The family of Ustilaginaceae belongs to the order of Ustilaginomycetes. It consists of14 genera, including Ustilago, Sporisorium, and Macalpinomyces [1]. The family of Ustilaginaceae belongs to the order of Ustilaginomycetes. 14 genera, including Ustilago, Sporisorium, and Macalpinomyces [1]. The taxonomy of the Ustilaginaceae, which is still a matter of debate, was focused on during several studies resulting in several taxonomic revisions [2]. Kirk et al (2008) proposed that the Ustilaginaceae family comprises 17 genera comprising 607 species [3]. Ustilaginaceae are known for their plant pathogenicity and the capability to infect economically essential crops, including barley, sugarcane, wheat, and oats [3]. Even though these plant diseases cause crop loss, smut fungi attracted particular attention in the field of industrial biotechnology
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