Full genome sequencing of Lichtheimia corymbifera - a human pathogenic Mucorales species

The order Mucorales encompasses several human pathogenic species, which cause life-threatening infections. However, almost nothing is known about the pathogenicity mechanisms of these organisms. To date, only two Mucorales genomes (Mucor circinelloides and Rhizopus oryzae) are available for comparative studies, moreover, those species are closely related and do not represent the more basal groups such as the genera Lichtheimia, which are the second most important cause of mucormycosis in Europe. To provide broader insights into the molecular basis of the pathogenicity- associated traits of the basal Mucorales, we report the full genome sequence of L. corymbifera, a clinically relevant human pathogen that exhibits different virulent traits as compared to M. circinelloides and R. oryzae.