A unique life-strategy of an endophytic yeast Rhodotorula mucilaginosa JGTA-S1-a comparative genomics viewpoint.
DNA Res
; 26(2): 131-146, 2019 Apr 01.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-30615101
ABSTRACT
Endophytic yeasts of genus Rhodotorula are gaining importance for their ability to improve plant growth. The nature of their interaction with plants, however, remains unknown. Rhodotorula mucilaginosa JGTA-S1 was isolated as an endophyte of Typha angustifolia and promoted growth in the host. To investigate the life-strategy of the yeast from a genomics perspective, we used Illumina and Oxford Nanopore reads to generate a high-quality annotated draft assembly of JGTA-S1 and compared its genome to three other Rhodotorula yeasts and the close relative Rhodosporidium toruloides. JGTA-S1 is a haploid yeast possessing several genes potentially facilitating its endophytic lifestyle such as those responsible for solubilizing phosphate and producing phytohormones. An intact mating-locus in JGTA-S1 raised the possibility of a yet unknown sexual reproductive cycle in Rhodotorula yeasts. Additionally, JGTA-S1 had functional anti-freezing genes and was also unique in lacking a functional nitrate-assimilation pathway-a feature that is associated with obligate biotrophs. Nitrogen-fixing endobacteria were found within JGTA-S1 that may circumvent this defective N-metabolism. JGTA-S1 genome data coupled with experimental evidence give us an insight into the nature of its beneficial interaction with plants.
Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Rhodotorula
/
Symbiosis
/
Genome, Fungal
/
Metabolic Networks and Pathways
/
Endophytes
Language:
En
Journal:
DNA Res
Journal subject:
BIOLOGIA MOLECULAR
/
GENETICA
Year:
2019
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
India