Blurred boundaries : lifestyle lessons from ectomycorrhizal fungal genomes

Jonathan M. Plett, Francis Martin

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    121 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Soils contain a multitude of fungi with vastly divergent lifestyles ranging from saprotrophic to mutualistic and pathogenic. The recent release of many fungal genomes has led to comparative studies that consider the extent to which these lifestyles are encoded in the genome. The genomes of the symbiotic fungi Laccaria bicolor and Tuber melanosporum are proving especially useful in characterizing the genetic foundation of mutualistic symbiosis. New insights gleaned from these genomes, as compared to their saprotrophic and pathogenic cousins, have helped to redefine and shape our understanding of the nature of the symbiotic lifestyle. Here we detail the current state of research into this complex relationship and discuss avenues for future exploration.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)14-22
    Number of pages9
    JournalTrends in Genetics
    Volume27
    Issue number1
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2011

    Keywords

    • fungi
    • genome, fungal
    • pathogenic fungi
    • systems biology

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