Pathogenic Mechanisms of Athelia bombacina in Pear Revealed with Whole Genome Sequencing and Comparative Genomics

This is the first report of the genome-scale assembly and annotation of A. bombacina. It is a new and important pathogenic fungus infecting fruits during storage; its hosts include not only pears, but also apples, peaches, and strawberries. This study aimed to develop genomic resources for A. bombacina and to thus provide both high quality data and a theoretical basis for further studies of its pathogenesis, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics.