Abstract
Colletotrichum kahawae is an emerging fungal pathogen, which has recently undergone a speciation process from a generalistic ‘C. gloeosporioides species complex' background by acquiring the unique capacity to infect green coffee berries, thus causing coffee berry disease. This is a severe and widespread disease in Africa and an imminent threat to Arabica coffee cultivation in Asia and America, if the pathogen enters those continents. Genetic diversity within C. kahawae is low but notorious differences in pathogen aggressiveness have been described. This work characterized two cytogenomic traits (genome size and minichromosome profiles) of a collection of C. kahawae isolates, representing the breadth of its genetic diversity and distinct aggressiveness classes, along with closely related taxa. The results obtained constitute the first flow cytometry-based genome size estimation in the genus Colletotrichum and show a c. 8 Mb genome size expansion between C. kahawae (79·5 Mb on average) and its closest relatives (71·3 Mb), corroborating evidence indicating that C. kahawae (i.e. the coffee berry disease pathogens) should remain as a distinct species. Results have also shown the presence of two to five minichromosomes in C. kahawae, suggesting a positive relationship between the number of minichromosomes and the level of aggressiveness of the different isolates analysed, while no correlation could be established between aggressiveness and whole genome size. Overall, these results may be the basis for the identification of pathogenicity/aggressiveness-related factors in such minichromosomes, and may provide clues to the characterization of specific markers for aggressiveness classes.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 968-977 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Plant Pathology |
| Volume | 65 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Aug 2016 |
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Keywords
- coffee berry disease
- Colletotrichum gloeosporioides species complex
- Colletotrichum kahawae
- cytogenomics
- genome size
- minichromosomes
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Cytogenomic characterization of Colletotrichum kahawae, the causal agent of coffee berry disease, reveals diversity in minichromosome profiles and genome size expansion. / Pires, A. S.; Azinheira, Helena G.; Cabral, A.; Tavares, S.; Tavares, Débora A.; Castro, M.; Várzea, V.; Silva, M. C.; Abranches, R.; Loureiro, J.; Talhinhas, Pedro.
In: Plant Pathology, Vol. 65, No. 6, 01.08.2016, p. 968-977.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
TY - JOUR
T1 - Cytogenomic characterization of Colletotrichum kahawae, the causal agent of coffee berry disease, reveals diversity in minichromosome profiles and genome size expansion
AU - Pires, A. S.
AU - Azinheira, Helena G.
AU - Cabral, A.
AU - Tavares, S.
AU - Tavares, Débora A.
AU - Castro, M.
AU - Várzea, V.
AU - Silva, M. C.
AU - Abranches, R.
AU - Loureiro, J.
AU - Talhinhas, Pedro
PY - 2016/8/1
Y1 - 2016/8/1
N2 - Colletotrichum kahawae is an emerging fungal pathogen, which has recently undergone a speciation process from a generalistic ‘C. gloeosporioides species complex' background by acquiring the unique capacity to infect green coffee berries, thus causing coffee berry disease. This is a severe and widespread disease in Africa and an imminent threat to Arabica coffee cultivation in Asia and America, if the pathogen enters those continents. Genetic diversity within C. kahawae is low but notorious differences in pathogen aggressiveness have been described. This work characterized two cytogenomic traits (genome size and minichromosome profiles) of a collection of C. kahawae isolates, representing the breadth of its genetic diversity and distinct aggressiveness classes, along with closely related taxa. The results obtained constitute the first flow cytometry-based genome size estimation in the genus Colletotrichum and show a c. 8 Mb genome size expansion between C. kahawae (79·5 Mb on average) and its closest relatives (71·3 Mb), corroborating evidence indicating that C. kahawae (i.e. the coffee berry disease pathogens) should remain as a distinct species. Results have also shown the presence of two to five minichromosomes in C. kahawae, suggesting a positive relationship between the number of minichromosomes and the level of aggressiveness of the different isolates analysed, while no correlation could be established between aggressiveness and whole genome size. Overall, these results may be the basis for the identification of pathogenicity/aggressiveness-related factors in such minichromosomes, and may provide clues to the characterization of specific markers for aggressiveness classes.
AB - Colletotrichum kahawae is an emerging fungal pathogen, which has recently undergone a speciation process from a generalistic ‘C. gloeosporioides species complex' background by acquiring the unique capacity to infect green coffee berries, thus causing coffee berry disease. This is a severe and widespread disease in Africa and an imminent threat to Arabica coffee cultivation in Asia and America, if the pathogen enters those continents. Genetic diversity within C. kahawae is low but notorious differences in pathogen aggressiveness have been described. This work characterized two cytogenomic traits (genome size and minichromosome profiles) of a collection of C. kahawae isolates, representing the breadth of its genetic diversity and distinct aggressiveness classes, along with closely related taxa. The results obtained constitute the first flow cytometry-based genome size estimation in the genus Colletotrichum and show a c. 8 Mb genome size expansion between C. kahawae (79·5 Mb on average) and its closest relatives (71·3 Mb), corroborating evidence indicating that C. kahawae (i.e. the coffee berry disease pathogens) should remain as a distinct species. Results have also shown the presence of two to five minichromosomes in C. kahawae, suggesting a positive relationship between the number of minichromosomes and the level of aggressiveness of the different isolates analysed, while no correlation could be established between aggressiveness and whole genome size. Overall, these results may be the basis for the identification of pathogenicity/aggressiveness-related factors in such minichromosomes, and may provide clues to the characterization of specific markers for aggressiveness classes.
KW - coffee berry disease
KW - Colletotrichum gloeosporioides species complex
KW - Colletotrichum kahawae
KW - cytogenomics
KW - genome size
KW - minichromosomes
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84949992847&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/ppa.12479
DO - 10.1111/ppa.12479
M3 - Article
VL - 65
SP - 968
EP - 977
JO - Plant Pathology
JF - Plant Pathology
SN - 0032-0862
IS - 6
ER -