Abstract:
Fungal species of the Ceratocystidaceae grow on their host plants using a variety of different lifestyles, from saprophytic to highly pathogenic.
Although many genomes of fungi in the Ceratocystidaceae are publicly available, it is not known how the genes that encode
catechol dioxygenases (CDOs), enzymes involved in the degradation of phenolic plant defense compounds, differ among members of the
Ceratocystidaceae. The aim of this study was therefore to identify and characterize the genes encoding CDOs in the genomes of
Ceratocystidaceae representatives. We found that genes encoding CDOs are more abundant in pathogenic necrotrophic species of
the Ceratocystidaceae and less abundant in saprophytic species. The loss of the CDO genes and the associated 3-oxoadipate catabolic
pathway appears to have occurred in a lineage-specific manner. Taken together, this study revealed a positive association between CDO
gene copy number and fungal lifestyle in Ceratocystidaceae representatives.
