Project description:Genotyping studies suggest that there is genetic variability among P. gingivalis strains, however the extent of variability remains unclear, and the regions of variability have only partially been identified. We previously used heteroduplex analysis of the ribosomal operon intergenic spacer region (ISR) to type P. gingivalis strains in several diverse populations, identifying 6 predominant heteroduplex types and many minor ones. In addition we used ISR sequence analysis to determine the relatedness of P. gingivalis strains to one another, and demonstrated a link between ISR sequence phylogeny and the disease-associated phenotype of P. gingivalis strains. The availability of whole genome microarrays based on the genomic sequence of strain W83 has allowed a more comprehensive analysis of P. gingivalis strain variability, using the entire genome. The objectives of this study were to define the phylogeny of P. gingivalis strains using the entire genome, to compare the phylogeny based on genome content to the phylogeny based on a single locus (ISR), and to identify genes that are associated with the strongly disease-associated strain W83 that could be important for virulence. Keywords: Comparative genomic hybridization
Project description:Decomposition of soil organic matter in forest soils is thought to be controlled by the activity of saprotrophic fungi, while biotrophic fungi including ectomycorrhizal fungi act as vectors for input of plant carbon. The limited decomposing ability of ectomycorrhizal fungi is supported by recent findings showing that they have lost many of the genes that encode hydrolytic plant cell-wall degrading enzymes in their saprophytic ancestors. Nevertheless, here we demonstrate that ectomycorrhizal fungi representing at least four origins of symbiosis have retained significant capacity to degrade humus-rich litter amended with glucose. Spectroscopy showed that this decomposition involves an oxidative mechanism and that the extent of oxidation varies with the phylogeny and ecology of the species. RNA-Seq analyses revealed that the genome-wide set of expressed transcripts during litter decomposition has diverged over evolutionary time. Each species expressed a unique set of enzymes that are involved in oxidative lignocellulose degradation by saprotrophic fungi. A comparison of closely related species within the Boletales showed that ectomycorrhizal fungi oxidized litter material as efficiently as brown-rot saprotrophs. The ectomycorrhizal species within this clade exhibited more similar decomposing mechanisms than expected from the species phylogeny in concordance with adaptive evolution occurring as a result of similar selection pressures. Our data shows that ectomycorrhizal fungi are potential organic matter decomposers, yet not saprotrophs. We suggest that the primary function of this decomposing activity is to mobilize nutrients embedded in organic matter complexes and that the activity is driven by host carbon supply. Comparative transcriptomics of ectomycorrhizal (ECM) versus brown-rot (BR) fungi while degrading soil-organic matter
Project description:Decomposition of soil organic matter in forest soils is thought to be controlled by the activity of saprotrophic fungi, while biotrophic fungi including ectomycorrhizal fungi act as vectors for input of plant carbon. The limited decomposing ability of ectomycorrhizal fungi is supported by recent findings showing that they have lost many of the genes that encode hydrolytic plant cell-wall degrading enzymes in their saprophytic ancestors. Nevertheless, here we demonstrate that ectomycorrhizal fungi representing at least four origins of symbiosis have retained significant capacity to degrade humus-rich litter amended with glucose. Spectroscopy showed that this decomposition involves an oxidative mechanism and that the extent of oxidation varies with the phylogeny and ecology of the species. RNA-Seq analyses revealed that the genome-wide set of expressed transcripts during litter decomposition has diverged over evolutionary time. Each species expressed a unique set of enzymes that are involved in oxidative lignocellulose degradation by saprotrophic fungi. A comparison of closely related species within the Boletales showed that ectomycorrhizal fungi oxidized litter material as efficiently as brown-rot saprotrophs. The ectomycorrhizal species within this clade exhibited more similar decomposing mechanisms than expected from the species phylogeny in concordance with adaptive evolution occurring as a result of similar selection pressures. Our data shows that ectomycorrhizal fungi are potential organic matter decomposers, yet not saprotrophs. We suggest that the primary function of this decomposing activity is to mobilize nutrients embedded in organic matter complexes and that the activity is driven by host carbon supply.