Genome sequencing, assembly and annotation of 25 isolates of Magnaporthe oryzae Triticum. Pyricularia oryzae

Magnaporthe (syn. Pyricularia) oryzae Triticum is the causal agent of wheat blast. It is one of the most serious diseases of wheat, and it was first reported in Brazil in 1985. Wheat blast can affect wheat plants at any stage of development; however, the most significant damage occurs during the adult plant stage, particularly when the pathogen infects the wheat heads. Wheat head blast reduces grain yield and quality and can cause yield losses of up to 100% under favorable environmental conditions. In this study, we sequenced, assembled, and annotated the genomes of 25 isolates of Magnaporthe oryzae Triticum obtained from segments of symptomatic wheat plants collected in seven Brazilian states from 2012 to 2017. The reactions of 11 wheat cultivars (six cultivars carrying the 2NS translocation and five cultivars non-carrying the 2NS translocation) were studied in the face of leaf and head infection by the 25 monosporic isolates, determining infection specificity and pathogen aggressiveness. Based on genome annotation, phylogenetic analyses of AVR effector genes were able to group the isolates according to their aggressiveness. This genomic resource will facilitate further research into different and novel aspects of plant-pathogen interactions.