Virulence-Associated Genes of Calonectria ilicola, Responsible for Cylindrocladium Black Rot

The Cylindrocladium black rot caused by Calonectria ilicicola is a destructive disease affecting a broad range of crops. Herein, we study virulence-associated genes of C. ilicicola Ci14017 isolated from diseased peanut roots (Arachis hypogaea L.). Ci14017 was identified via phylogenetic analysis of the internal transcribed spacer region and standard Koch's postulate testing. Virulence-associated genes were based on genome analyses and comparative analysis of transcriptome and proteome profiles of sensitive and resistant peanut cultivars. Ci14017 identified as C. ilicicola has a 66 Mb chromosome with 18,366 predicted protein-coding genes. Overall, 46 virulence-associated genes with enhanced expression levels in the sensitive cultivars were identified. Sequence analysis indicated that the 46 gene products included two merops proteins, eight carbohydrate-active enzymes, seven cytochrome P450 enzymes, eight lipases, and 20 proteins with multi-conserved enzyme domains. The results indicate a complex infection mechanism employed by Ci14017 for causing Cylindrocladium black rot in peanuts.