First draft genome assemblies of two hemiendophytic powdery mildew fungi, Pleochaeta shiraiana and Phyllactinia moricola, infecting woody plants

Due to their obligate biotrophic lifestyle, it is challenging to apply omics approaches to study powdery mildew fungi (Erysiphaceae) that are important pathogens of many plants worldwide. This is particularly true for the species with hemiendophytic mycelium, which belong to a distinct, well-supported phylogenetic lineage that includes four genera within the Erysiphaceae. So far, only a single draft genome assembly is available for this entire group. The first draft genomes of Pleochaeta shiraiana and Phyllactinia moricola reported here provide the first genomic resources for two tree-parasitic powdery mildew species with hemiendophytic mycelium, representing two genera that have not been investigated with genomics tools yet.