Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense strain:Foc_BF11 Genome sequencing

Fusarium wilt of banana caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc) is a major threat to global banana cultivation and poses serious challenges to sustainable production. Although the disease has significant economic impact, genomic information on Foc isolates is still limited, restricting a detailed understanding of their pathogenicity and constraining efforts to develop effective management strategies and resistant cultivars. To overcome this limitation, twenty F. oxysporum isolates were collected from infected banana plants, pathogenic potential of the collected isolates was confirmed using Koch's postulates, and they were initially characterized by internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequencing. Among these, the highly virulent isolate Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense BF11 was selected for whole genome sequencing to investigate the molecular basis of its pathogenic behavior. Genome sequencing of Foc BF11 produced a draft assembly of approximately 61.45 Mb with a GC content of 48.57 percent and 65,516 predicted protein-coding genes. Effector analysis identified 40 loci homologous to Secreted in Xylem (SIX) effectors including SIX1, SIX2, SIX4, and SIX6, which are key determinants of virulence in banana. Comparative analysis with the PHI-base database revealed eight experimentally validated virulence-associated genes including Rnt2 (FOIG_10760), FoCupin1 (exl99917.1), Asp (FOXG_03994), Foatg22, CHSV/ChsV, CLR1 (FOXG_08626), Ntr1, and FoSSP1 (FOIG_06406), underscoring the pathogenic potential of Foc BF11 and its ability to employ multiple mechanisms to subvert host defenses. The genome also encodes a diverse set of carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes), particularly those involved in degrading plant-derived glycans and complex polymers, which likely facilitate nutrient acquisition during host colonization. Furthermore, 55 biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) associated with secondary metabolite production were detected, including clusters responsible for fusaric acid, bikaverin, and beauvericin synthesis, metabolites known to contribute to symptom development and disease progression. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment highlighted categories related to growth, reproduction, immune suppression, and pathogenesis. This study presents the detailed genomic characterization of the Foc BF11 isolate. Although assembled into contigs rather than complete chromosomes, the Foc BF11 genome is approximately 1.5 to 3.1 percent larger than previously reported chromosome-level assemblies of Indian Foc isolates. This genomic resource provides valuable insights into virulence-associated genes and pathways. This manuscript will support future comparative and functional genomic investigations of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense populations impacting banana production worldwide.