Evolution of filamentous plant pathogens: gene exchange across eukaryotic kingdoms. 2006

Thomas A Richards, and Joel B Dacks, and Joanna M Jenkinson, and Christopher R Thornton, and Nicholas J Talbot
School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope Building, Exeter EX4 4QD, United Kingdom.

Filamentous fungi and oomycetes are eukaryotic microorganisms that grow by producing networks of thread-like hyphae, which secrete enzymes to break down complex nutrients, such as wood and plant material, and recover the resulting simple sugars and amino acids by osmotrophy. These organisms are extremely similar in both appearance and lifestyle and include some of the most economically important plant pathogens . However, the morphological similarity of fungi and oomycetes is misleading because they represent some of the most distantly related eukaryote evolutionary groupings, and their shared osmotrophic growth habit is interpreted as being the result of convergent evolution . The fungi branch with the animals, whereas the oomycetes branch with photosynthetic algae as part of the Chromalveolata . In this report, we provide strong phylogenetic evidence that multiple horizontal gene transfers (HGT) have occurred from filamentous ascomycete fungi to the distantly related oomycetes. We also present evidence that a subset of the associated gene families was initially the product of prokaryote-to-fungi HGT. The predicted functions of the gene products associated with fungi-to-oomycete HGT suggest that this process has played a significant role in the evolution of the osmotrophic, filamentous lifestyle on two separate branches of the eukaryote tree.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D009868 Oomycetes Eukaryotes in the group STRAMENOPILES, formerly considered FUNGI, whose exact taxonomic level is unsettled. Many consider Oomycetes (Oomycota) a phylum in the kingdom Stramenopila, or alternatively, as Pseudofungi in the phylum Heterokonta of the kingdom Chromista. They are morphologically similar to fungi but have no close phylogenetic relationship to them. Oomycetes are found in both fresh and salt water as well as in terrestrial environments. (Alexopoulos et al., Introductory Mycology, 4th ed, pp683-4). They produce flagellated, actively motile spores (zoospores) that are pathogenic to many crop plants and FISHES. Oomycota,Oomycete,Oomycotas
D010802 Phylogeny The relationships of groups of organisms as reflected by their genetic makeup. Community Phylogenetics,Molecular Phylogenetics,Phylogenetic Analyses,Phylogenetic Analysis,Phylogenetic Clustering,Phylogenetic Comparative Analysis,Phylogenetic Comparative Methods,Phylogenetic Distance,Phylogenetic Generalized Least Squares,Phylogenetic Groups,Phylogenetic Incongruence,Phylogenetic Inference,Phylogenetic Networks,Phylogenetic Reconstruction,Phylogenetic Relatedness,Phylogenetic Relationships,Phylogenetic Signal,Phylogenetic Structure,Phylogenetic Tree,Phylogenetic Trees,Phylogenomics,Analyse, Phylogenetic,Analysis, Phylogenetic,Analysis, Phylogenetic Comparative,Clustering, Phylogenetic,Community Phylogenetic,Comparative Analysis, Phylogenetic,Comparative Method, Phylogenetic,Distance, Phylogenetic,Group, Phylogenetic,Incongruence, Phylogenetic,Inference, Phylogenetic,Method, Phylogenetic Comparative,Molecular Phylogenetic,Network, Phylogenetic,Phylogenetic Analyse,Phylogenetic Clusterings,Phylogenetic Comparative Analyses,Phylogenetic Comparative Method,Phylogenetic Distances,Phylogenetic Group,Phylogenetic Incongruences,Phylogenetic Inferences,Phylogenetic Network,Phylogenetic Reconstructions,Phylogenetic Relatednesses,Phylogenetic Relationship,Phylogenetic Signals,Phylogenetic Structures,Phylogenetic, Community,Phylogenetic, Molecular,Phylogenies,Phylogenomic,Reconstruction, Phylogenetic,Relatedness, Phylogenetic,Relationship, Phylogenetic,Signal, Phylogenetic,Structure, Phylogenetic,Tree, Phylogenetic
D010944 Plants Multicellular, eukaryotic life forms of kingdom Plantae. Plants acquired chloroplasts by direct endosymbiosis of CYANOBACTERIA. They are characterized by a mainly photosynthetic mode of nutrition; essentially unlimited growth at localized regions of cell divisions (MERISTEMS); cellulose within cells providing rigidity; the absence of organs of locomotion; absence of nervous and sensory systems; and an alternation of haploid and diploid generations. It is a non-taxonomical term most often referring to LAND PLANTS. In broad sense it includes RHODOPHYTA and GLAUCOPHYTA along with VIRIDIPLANTAE. Plant
D002352 Carrier Proteins Proteins that bind or transport specific substances in the blood, within the cell, or across cell membranes. Binding Proteins,Carrier Protein,Transport Protein,Transport Proteins,Binding Protein,Protein, Carrier,Proteins, Carrier
D005057 Eukaryotic Cells Cells of the higher organisms, containing a true nucleus bounded by a nuclear membrane. Cell, Eukaryotic,Cells, Eukaryotic,Eukaryotic Cell
D005656 Fungal Proteins Proteins found in any species of fungus. Fungal Gene Products,Fungal Gene Proteins,Fungal Peptides,Gene Products, Fungal,Yeast Proteins,Gene Proteins, Fungal,Peptides, Fungal,Proteins, Fungal
D005658 Fungi A kingdom of eukaryotic, heterotrophic organisms that live parasitically as saprobes, including MUSHROOMS; YEASTS; smuts, molds, etc. They reproduce either sexually or asexually, and have life cycles that range from simple to complex. Filamentous fungi, commonly known as molds, refer to those that grow as multicellular colonies. Fungi, Filamentous,Molds,Filamentous Fungi,Filamentous Fungus,Fungus,Fungus, Filamentous,Mold
D005810 Multigene Family A set of genes descended by duplication and variation from some ancestral gene. Such genes may be clustered together on the same chromosome or dispersed on different chromosomes. Examples of multigene families include those that encode the hemoglobins, immunoglobulins, histocompatibility antigens, actins, tubulins, keratins, collagens, heat shock proteins, salivary glue proteins, chorion proteins, cuticle proteins, yolk proteins, and phaseolins, as well as histones, ribosomal RNA, and transfer RNA genes. The latter three are examples of reiterated genes, where hundreds of identical genes are present in a tandem array. (King & Stanfield, A Dictionary of Genetics, 4th ed) Gene Clusters,Genes, Reiterated,Cluster, Gene,Clusters, Gene,Families, Multigene,Family, Multigene,Gene Cluster,Gene, Reiterated,Multigene Families,Reiterated Gene,Reiterated Genes
D019143 Evolution, Molecular The process of cumulative change at the level of DNA; RNA; and PROTEINS, over successive generations. Molecular Evolution,Genetic Evolution,Evolution, Genetic
D020418 Algal Proteins Proteins found in any species of algae. Algal Gene Product,Algal Gene Products,Algal Gene Protein,Algal Gene Proteins,Algal Peptide,Algal Peptides,Algal Protein,Gene Products, Algal,Gene Product, Algal,Gene Protein, Algal,Gene Proteins, Algal,Peptide, Algal,Peptides, Algal,Product, Algal Gene,Protein, Algal,Protein, Algal Gene,Proteins, Algal

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