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Mosaic genome of endobacteria in arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi: Transkingdom gene transfer in an ancient mycoplasma-fungus association

Torres-Cortés et al., 2015; PNAS (Schüßler lab, Genetics)

28.05.2015

Mosaic genome of endobacteria in arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi: Transkingdom gene transfer in an ancient mycoplasma-fungus association

Gloria Torres-Cortésa, Stefano Ghignone, Paola Bonfante, and Arthur Schüßler

Obligate plant-symbiotic, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are major drivers of terrestrial ecosystems and host enigmatic Mollicutes-related endobacteria (MRE) in their cytoplasm. The genome analysis of a MRE living in the AMF Dentiscutata heterogama revealed it to represent a previously unidentified bacterial lineage of Mycoplasma-related species. DhMRE shows strongly reduced metabolic capacity and underwent trans-kingdom gene transfer: its genome codes for an arsenal of eukaryotic-like putative effector proteins, with nuclear encoded homologues in AMF and Mortierella. The MRE-fungus (-plant) association probably evolved in ancestors of Glomeromycota and Mucoromycotina. This calls for a targeted search for ancient effector proteins that play crucial roles in the MRE interaction with fungal hosts, and putatively also with plants.

PNAS; doi: 10.1073/pnas.1501540112

Link to press release of the LMU (German only).