Data_Sheet_1_Spore Germination of the Obligate Biotroph Spongospora subterranea: Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Germination Associated Genes.PDF

For soilborne pathogens, germination of the resting or dormant propagule that enables persistence within the soil environment is a key point in pathogenesis. Spongospora subterranea is an obligate soilborne protozoan that infects the roots and tubers of potato causing root and powdery scab disease for which there are currently no effective controls. A better understanding of the molecular basis of resting spore germination of S. subterranea could be important for development of novel disease interventions. However, as an obligate biotroph and soil dwelling organism, the application of new omics techniques for the study of the pre-infection process in S. subterranea has been problematic. Here, RNA sequencing was used to analyse the reprogramming of S. subterranea resting spores during the transition to zoospores in an in-vitro model. More than 63 million mean high-quality reads per sample were generated from the resting and germinating spores. By using a combination of reference-based and de novo transcriptome assembly, 6,664 unigenes were identified. The identified unigenes were subsequently annotated based on known proteins using BLAST search. Of 5,448 annotated genes, 570 genes were identified to be differentially expressed during the germination of S. subterranea resting spores, with most of the significant genes belonging to transcription and translation, amino acids biosynthesis, transport, energy metabolic processes, fatty acid metabolism, stress response and DNA repair. The datasets generated in this study provide a basic knowledge of the physiological processes associated with spore germination and will facilitate functional predictions of novel genes in S. subterranea and other plasmodiophorids. We introduce several candidate genes related to the germination of an obligate biotrophic soilborne pathogen which could be applied to the development of antimicrobial agents for soil inoculum management.

针对土壤传播病原体，休眠或休止繁殖体的萌发，使其能在土壤环境中持续存在，是病原发生过程中的关键环节。Spongospora subterranea是一种严格土壤传播的原生动物，感染马铃薯根部和块茎，导致根部和粉状疫病，目前尚无有效的控制方法。深入了解S. subterranea休眠孢子的分子基础，对于开发新型病害干预措施具有重要意义。然而，作为一种严格寄生物和土壤居住生物，将新的组学技术应用于研究S. subterranea感染前过程存在一定的难题。在本研究中，利用RNA测序技术分析了S. subterranea休眠孢子在体外模型中向游动孢子的转变过程中的重编程。每个样本生成了超过6300万条平均高质量读段。通过参考基因组和从头转录组组装相结合的方法，鉴定出6,664个单基因。随后，根据已知蛋白质使用BLAST搜索对这些单基因进行了注释。在5,448个注释基因中，有570个基因在S. subterranea休眠孢子的萌发过程中被鉴定为差异表达，其中大部分显著基因属于转录和翻译、氨基酸生物合成、运输、能量代谢过程、脂肪酸代谢、应激反应和DNA修复。本研究生成的数据集提供了与孢子萌发相关的生理过程的基础知识，并将有助于对S. subterranea和其他卵菌门生物的新基因进行功能预测。我们引入了与严格寄生物土壤传播病原体萌发相关的候选基因，这些基因可用于开发土壤接种物管理的抗菌剂。