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Transcriptional Reprogramming of the Mycoparasitic Fungus Ampelomyces quisqualis During the Powdery Mildew Host-Induced Germination

First, second, fourth, and tenth authors: Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, 38010 San Michele all'Adige, Italy; third, fifth, sixth, and ninth authors: Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy; and seventh and eighth authors: Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH-Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland.

Ampelomyces quisqualis is a mycoparasite of a diverse range of phytopathogenic fungi associated with the powdery mildew disease. Among them are several Erysiphaceae species with great economic impact on high-value crops such as grape. Due to its ability to parasitize and prevent the spread of powdery mildews, A. quisqualis has received considerable attention for its biocontrol potential. However, and in sharp contrast to the extensively studied biocontrol species belonging to the genus Trichoderma, little is known about the biology of A. quisqualis at the molecular and genetic levels. We present the first genome-wide transcription profiling in A. quisqualis during host-induced germination. A total of 1,536 putative genes showed significant changes in transcription during the germination of A. quisqualis. This finding denotes an extensive transcriptional reprogramming of A. quisqualis induced by the presence of the host. Several upregulated genes were predicted to encode for putative mycoparasitism-related proteins such as secreted proteases, virulence factors, and proteins related to toxin biosynthesis. Our data provide the most comprehensive sequence resource currently available for A. quisqualis in addition to offering valuable insights into the biology of A. quisqualis and its mycoparasitic lifestyle. Eventually, this may improve the biocontrol capacity of this mycoparasite.

Additional keywords: gene expression profiling, transcriptome.