Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 13, 2025
08:45
Whole Genome Sequencing of Candida glabrata for Detection of Markers of Antifungal Drug Resistance
Published on: December 28, 2017
13.6K
A call for reform: implementing genome-based approaches for species classification in Glomeromycotina
Nicolas Corradi1, Pedro Madeira Antunes2, Franco Magurno3
1Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, K1N 9A4, Canada.
The New Phytologist
|April 16, 2025
Summary
Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi species descriptions lag behind other fungi due to ribosomal gene issues and morphological variations. Genome-based methods are proposed to accurately identify AM fungal species.
Area of Science:
- Mycology
- Plant Pathology
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi have coevolved with plants for millions of years, yet only around 370 species are formally described.
- This contrasts sharply with other fungal lineages that exhibit tens of thousands of described species despite shorter evolutionary histories.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the reasons behind the significant discrepancy in species description rates between AM fungi and other fungal groups.
- To propose solutions for improving the accuracy and reliability of AM fungal taxonomy.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on AM fungal taxonomy and phylogenetics.
- Analysis of potential sources of error in species identification, including ribosomal gene paralogs and morphological trait polymorphism.
- Proposal of genome-based approaches for species determination.
Main Results:
- Identified paralogs of ribosomal genes as a key factor causing misidentification in phylogenetic analyses of AM fungi.
- Highlighted the challenge posed by polymorphism in homologous morphological traits for accurate species delineation.
- Emphasized the limitations of current taxonomic methods for AM fungi.
Conclusions:
- The low number of described AM fungal species is likely due to technical challenges in identification rather than low biodiversity.
- Genome-based analyses offer a promising avenue to resolve taxonomic ambiguities and accurately define AM fungal species.
- Standardizing taxonomic methods using genomic data is crucial for advancing the field of AM fungal research.
Related Concept Videos
02:54Evolutionary Relationships through Genome Comparisons
5.6K
Genome comparison is one of the excellent ways to interpret the evolutionary relationships between organisms. The basic principle of genome comparison is that if two species share a common feature, it is likely encoded by the DNA sequence conserved between both species. The advent of genome sequencing technologies in the late 20th century enabled scientists to understand the concept of conservation of domains between species and helped them to deduce evolutionary relationships across diverse...
5.6K
02:05Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?
7.0K
The genomes of eukaryotes are punctuated by long stretches of sequence which do not code for proteins or RNAs. Although some of these regions do contain crucial regulatory sequences, the vast majority of this DNA serves no known function. Typically, these regions of the genome are the ones in which the fastest change, in evolutionary terms, is observed, because there is typically little to no selection pressure acting on these regions to preserve their sequences.
In contrast, regions which code...
In contrast, regions which code...
7.0K
03:36Genome Annotation and Assembly
18.7K
The genome refers to all of the genetic material in an organism. It can range from a few million base pairs in microbial cells to several billion base pairs in many eukaryotic organisms. Genome assembly refers to the process of taking the DNA sequencing data and putting it all back together in a correct order to create a close representation of the original genome. This is followed by the identification of functional elements on the newly assembled genome, a process called genome annotation.
18.7K