Cercospora

Colletotrichum

Fungus

Biology

Microbiology

Gene

Genus

Pathogen

Toxin

Leaf spot

Gene cluster

Botany

Genetics

Virulence

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Significance Species in the fungal genus Cercospora cause diseases in many important crops worldwide. Their success as pathogens is largely due to the secretion of cercosporin during infection. We report that the cercosporin toxin biosynthesis ( CTB ) gene cluster is ancient and was horizontally transferred to diverse fungal plant pathogens. Because our analyses revealed genes adjacent to the established CTB cluster with similar evolutionary trajectories, we evaluated their role in Cercospora beticola to show that four are necessary for cercosporin biosynthesis. Lastly, we confirmed that the apple pathogen Colletotrichum fioriniae produces cercosporin, the first case outside the family Mycosphaerellaceae. Other Colletotrichum plant pathogens also harbor the CTB cluster, which points to a wider role that this toxin may play in virulence.

Gene cluster conservation provides insight into cercosporin biosynthesis and extends production to the genus <i>Colletotrichum</i>

Gene cluster conservation provides insight into cercosporin biosynthesis and extends production to the genus Colletotrichum