Genome Sequencing of Penicillium digitatum PHI26

Penicillium digitatum is a fungal necrotroph that causes the common citrus postharvest disease known as green mold. This disease contributes up to 90% of the total loss of citrics world-wide. Nowadays, the control of post-harvest disease is done with the use of fungicides with the subsequent problems regarding toxicity in humans. This, coupled with an increased emergence of fungicide resistant strains, has led to the need to develop new methods to diminish the damage caused by this fungus. A first step in that direction is the sequencing of the genome of P. digitatum, which will help in elucidating the genetic bases of the virulence mechanisms used by this fungus and to investigate its high host-specificity.