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The complete mitochondrial genome of the vascular wilt fungus Verticillium dahliae: a novel gene order for Verticillium and a diagnostic tool for species identification

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Abstract

The complete sequence (27,184 bp) of the mitochondrial (mt) genome of the phytopathogenic fungus Verticillium dahliae has been determined. It contains 14 protein-coding genes related to oxidative phosphorylation, two rRNA genes and a set of 25 tRNA genes. A single intron, that harbors an intronic ORF coding for a putative ribosomal protein (rps), is located within the large rRNA gene (rnl). Gene order comparisons of V. dahliae mtDNA and complete mt genomes of Pezizomycotina revealed four units of synteny for Sordariomycetes, namely rnl-trn (11–12)-nad2-nad3, nad4L-nad5-cob-cox1, nad1-nad4-atp8-atp6 and rns-trn (1–5)-cox3-trn (1–5)-nad6-trn (2–5). These four units, in different combinations, merged to single continuous unit in the orders of Hypocreales and Sordariales. V. dahliae (Phyllachorales) and all members of the genus showed a unique feature which is the translocation of the nad1-nad4-atp8-atp6-rns-cox3-nad6 region in between genes nad3 and atp9 of the Hypocreales mtDNA gene order. Analysis of mt intergenic sequences of Verticillium species permitted the design of a species-specific primer allowing the discrimination of V. longisporum against V. dahliae and V. albo-atrum. By considering the protein-coding gene sequences as one unit, a phylogenetic comparison with representatives of Ascomycota complete mtDNA was performed.

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Acknowledgements

The authors express their thanks to the Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation for the student fellowship that M.P. Pantou received.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, University of Athens, Panepistemiopolis, Athens, TK15701, Greece

    Malena P. Pantou, Vassili N. Kouvelis & Milton A. Typas

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  1. Malena P. Pantou
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  2. Vassili N. Kouvelis
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  3. Milton A. Typas
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Correspondence to Milton A. Typas.

Additional information

Communicated by U. Kück

Nucleotide sequence data reported are available in the GenBank database under the accession numbers DQ351941–DQ351957.

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Pantou, M.P., Kouvelis, V.N. & Typas, M.A. The complete mitochondrial genome of the vascular wilt fungus Verticillium dahliae: a novel gene order for Verticillium and a diagnostic tool for species identification. Curr Genet 50, 125–136 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00294-006-0079-9

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