Abstract
Unavailability of the genome sequences of several species of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi limits the opportunities for optimizing these biofertilizer species for agricultural benefits. The present work comprises the first draft of the genome sequence of Rhizophagus proliferus, which is an important AM species present in biofertilizer consortia for agricultural purpose. The estimated genome size of Rhizophagus proliferus is ~ 110 Mbps and the created genomic assembly using the paired-end Illumina reads is 94.35% complete. Genome mining was carried out to identify putative gene families important for biological functions. A total of #22,526 protein-coding genes were estimated in the genome, with an abundance of kinases and reduced number of glycoside hydrolases as compared to other fungal classes. A striking finding in the R. proliferus genome was a higher number of carbohydrate esterases (CE), which may suggest towards presence of higher saprotrophic activity in this species as compared to the previously reported AM fungi. The genome sequence and annotation of R. proliferus presented here would serve as an important reference for functional genomics studies required for developing biofertilizer formulations in future. In addition, the findings from this work may also prove important in deciphering molecular mechanisms in AM fungi that govern the host-specific interaction and associated agriculture benefits.
Rhizophagus Proliferus Genome Sequence Reiterates Conservation of Genetic Traits in AM Fungi, but Predicts Putative Higher Saprotrophic Activity
