Fungi.guru: Comparative genomic and transcriptomic resource for the fungi kingdom

Area of Science:

• Mycology
• Genomics
• Bioinformatics

Background:

• Fungi are eukaryotic heterotrophs crucial for ecosystem balance and decomposition.
• They produce diverse secondary metabolites with potential pharmacological applications.
• Limited knowledge of fungal gene function hinders the exploitation of their metabolic potential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an online bioinformatics tool, fungi.guru, for analyzing genomic and gene expression data of fungi.
• To facilitate cross-species identification of conserved pathways, functional gene modules, and gene families.
• To aid in elucidating gene functions, biological processes, and cellular components in fungi.

Main Methods:

• Gathered genomic and gene expression data from 19 widely-researched fungal species.
• Developed an online platform, fungi.guru, integrating tools for comparative genomics and functional analysis.
• Applied the tool to identify specific pathways in *Aspergillus fumigatus*, *Coprinopsis cinerea*, *Fusarium graminearum*, and *Pyricularia oryzae*.

Main Results:

• Successfully built and deployed fungi.guru, an accessible online resource.
• Demonstrated the tool's capability to identify conserved pathways across fungal species.
• Exemplified elucidation of gene function in secondary metabolite production (gliotoxin), cellulose catabolism, and DNA replication.

Conclusions:

• fungi.guru provides valuable tools for fungal gene function and pathway analysis.
• The platform aids in understanding fungal metabolic diversity and potential applications.
• This resource can advance research in mycology, biotechnology, and pharmacology.