Mapping and analysis of the infection-related dynamics of active DNA regions in the genome of Colletotrichum graminicola.

植物病原子囊菌炭疽病在全世界玉米栽培中造成了巨大的产量损失。除了具有重要的经济意义外，在半生物营养感染策略方面，禾谷镰刀菌已被确立为植物病理学的模式生物。因此，该真菌代表炭疽菌属，其众多的植物病原菌侵染了广泛的农艺上重要的农作物和水果。成功的感染依赖于寄主表面和附着的识别、孢子萌发、附着胞的形成、分泌效应物对宿主防御和库源关系的控制以及侵袭性坏死菌丝体的分化。在许多真核生物中，通过染色质的凝聚直接影响发育基因的转录活性，从而控制着表观遗传调控的分化。目前还不清楚这一动态过程是否也参与了真菌病原菌的侵染相关形态发生或毒力基因的表达。利用FAIREseq(甲醛辅助分离调节元件)，我们旨在鉴定和跟踪玉米病原菌基因组中常染色质在玉米病原菌发育过程中的动态。当前项目的目标是识别表观遗传调控的基因和基因组区域，这些基因和基因组区域对于建立和维持兼容的宿主-病原体相互作用非常重要。

The plant pathogenic ascomycete Colletotrichum graminicola causes substantial yield losses in maize cultivation worldwide. In addition to the economic importance, C. graminicola has been established as a model organism in plant pathology with respect to the hemibiotrophic infection strategy. Thus, the fungus represents the genus Colletotrichum whose numerous plant pathogens infect a broad range of agronomically important crops and fruits.Pathogenic development of the C. graminicola is featured by drastic morphological and physiological changes. Successful infection depends on recognition of the host surface and attachment, spore germination, formation of an appressorium, manipulation of host defense and sink-source relations by secreted effectors as well as differentiation of invasive necrotrophic hyphae.In many eukaryotic organisms, differentiation is controlled by epigenetic regulation via condensation of chromatin which directly affects transcriptional activity of developmental genes. It is still largely unknown whether this dynamic process is also involved in the infection-related morphogenesis of fungal pathogens or the expression of virulence genes.Using FAIREseq (Formaldehyde-Assisted Isolation of Regulatory Elements), we aim at identifying and following the dynamics of euchromatin in the genome of C. graminicola during pathogenic development in maize. The objective of the current project is the identification of epigenetically regulated genes and genomic regions that are important for establishing and maintaining a compatible host-pathogen interaction.