Pseudocercospora eumusae genome sequencing and assembly

The hemibiotrophic Ascomycetous fungus (class of dothideomycetes) Pseudocercospora eumusae Crous & X. Mourichon (Pe) (sexual morph: Mycosphaerella eumusae Crous & X. Mourichon) is the causal agent of eumusae leaf spot disease of banana. The pathogen was first described in mid-1990s in Southern and Southeast Asia and, although it is currently spreading to new banana-growing areas, so far it seems to be restricted to these parts of Asia and some parts of Africa. The pathogen together with Pseudocercospora fijiensis (sexual morph: Mycosphaerella fijiensis), causal agent of the Black Sigatoka disease of banana, and Pseudocercospora musae (sexual morph: Mycosphaerella musicola), causal agent of Yellow Sigatoka disease on banana, constitutes the notorious Sigatoka disease complex, currently the biggest threat to the banana production worldwide. Notably, P. eumusae is able to infect banana and plantain cultivars that are resistant to both P. musae and P. fijiensis, causing yield losses of up to 40%. Specifically, banana cultivars in the genomic groups AA, AAA, AAB and ABB are all reported to be susceptible to the disease. The symptoms of the eumusae leaf spot disease are visible initially as faint brown streaks that gradually enlarge and merge to form under favorable conditions necrotic areas with light gray centers and chlorotic/yellowish perimeters. As with the other two constituents of the Sigatoka disease compelx, P. eumusae reproduces both asexually through the production of conidiophores that give rise to water-dispersed conidia, and sexually through the formation of asci that contain the wind-dispersed ascospores. Current disease control measures include a combination of cultural practices and fungicide applications that can reach up to 50 per season.