Spore type-specific gene expression profiles underlying development and leaf infection processes of Colletotrichum graminicola
Abstract
Colletotrichum graminicola causes significant losses of the staple crop maize worldwide. The fungus produces two distinct asexual spore types, oval and falcate conidia, which show unique processes in development and plant interaction. Based on genome resequencing of our laboratory strain (CgM2/M1.001), we investigated the gene expression profiles of oval and falcate conidia during development and early leaf infection using RNA-seq. Our results reveal specific gene expression profiles between the two spore types, indicating fundamental differences in their developmental programs that reflect different modes of infection. We identified expression patterns discriminating both conidia types from mycelium and spore type-specific ones for genes encoding transcription factors, conserved fungal developmental genes, transporters, genes of secondary metabolite clusters, and pathogenicity-related functions, including effectors and carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes). Our study shows that despite the identical genomic basis, oval and falcate conidia show unique transcriptomes across vegetative development and early plant interaction. Taking together, these results provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms determining the biology of C. graminicola and its interaction with the plant host.
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BibTeX
@article{rathi2026spore,
title = {{Spore type-specific gene expression profiles underlying development and leaf infection processes of Colletotrichum graminicola}},
author = {Disha Rathi and Karsten Andresen and Rolf Daniel and Marco Alexandre Guerreiro and Matthias Kretschmer and James Kronstad and Minou Nowrousian and Stefanie Pöggeler and Anja Poehlein and Lars M Voll and Daniela Elisabeth Nordzieke},
journal = {G3: Genes | Genomes | Genetics},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1093/g3journal/jkag254},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/g3journal/jkag254},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Spore type-specific gene expression profiles underlying development and leaf infection processes of Colletotrichum graminicola
AU - Disha Rathi
AU - Karsten Andresen
AU - Rolf Daniel
AU - Marco Alexandre Guerreiro
AU - Matthias Kretschmer
AU - James Kronstad
AU - Minou Nowrousian
AU - Stefanie Pöggeler
AU - Anja Poehlein
AU - Lars M Voll
AU - Daniela Elisabeth Nordzieke
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/09
JO - G3: Genes | Genomes | Genetics
DO - 10.1093/g3journal/jkag254
UR - https://doi.org/10.1093/g3journal/jkag254
AB - Colletotrichum graminicola causes significant losses of the staple crop maize worldwide. The fungus produces two distinct asexual spore types, oval and falcate conidia, which show unique processes in development and plant interaction. Based on genome resequencing of our laboratory strain (CgM2/M1.001), we investigated the gene expression profiles of oval and falcate conidia during development and early leaf infection using RNA-seq. Our results reveal specific gene expression profiles between the two spore types, indicating fundamental differences in their developmental programs that reflect different modes of infection. We identified expression patterns discriminating both conidia types from mycelium and spore type-specific ones for genes encoding transcription factors, conserved fungal developmental genes, transporters, genes of secondary metabolite clusters, and pathogenicity-related functions, including effectors and carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes). Our study shows that despite the identical genomic basis, oval and falcate conidia show unique transcriptomes across vegetative development and early plant interaction. Taking together, these results provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms determining the biology of C. graminicola and its interaction with the plant host.
SN - 2160-1836
ER -