Virulence-Associated Genes of Calonectria ilicola , Responsible for Cylindrocladium Black Rot.

The Cylindrocladium black rot caused by Calonectria ilicicola is a destructive disease affecting a broad range of crops. Herein, we study virulence-associated genes of C. ilicicola Ci 14017 isolated from diseased peanut roots ( Arachis hypogaea L.). Ci 14017 was identified via phylogenetic analysis of the internal transcribed spacer region and standard Koch's postulate testing. Virulence-associated genes were based on genome analyses and comparative analysis of transcriptome and proteome profiles of sensitive and resistant peanut cultivars. Ci 14017 identified as C. ilicicola has a 66 Mb chromosome with 18,366 predicted protein-coding genes. Overall, 46 virulence-associated genes with enhanced expression levels in the sensitive cultivars were identified. Sequence analysis indicated that the 46 gene products included two merops proteins, eight carbohydrate-active enzymes, seven cytochrome P450 enzymes, eight lipases, and 20 proteins with multi-conserved enzyme domains. The results indicate a complex infection mechanism employed by Ci 14017 for causing Cylindrocladium black rot in peanuts.