Fungal Genomics

This volume details protocols covering nearly all aspects of fungal genomics. New and updated chapters guide the reader through experimental genomics, biotechnologies, and the analysis and processing of data. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Fungal Genomics : Methods and Protocols, Second Edition aims to ensure successful results in the further study of this vital field.

The volume is divided into four sections, the first of which, Genome Sequences and Beyond, illustrates the impact of genome-based information and techniques on research ranging from model organisms like yeast to less-studied basal fungal lineages. Furthermore, it highlights novel types of analysis made possible by multi-genome comparisons as well as the impact of genomics on culture collections and vice versa. The second section, Cell and Developmental Biology, addresses questions that are important for fungal biology, e.g. the development of fungal fruiting bodies, and biology in general, e.g. chromatin organization and circadian rhythms. The third section, Genomics for Biotechnology, covers the search for plant biomass-converting enzymes in fungal genomes and work with industrially important fungi. The fourth section, focusing on Pathogenicity, offers chapters on the genomic analysis of plant and animal/human pathogens. It illustrates how genomics at all levels, from genome to metabolome, is used to study mechanisms of the interactions of fungi with other organisms.

Research in the genomics of a handful of fungi has matured at an unprecedented rate allowing comprehensive review. Developments in fungal genomics should be of great significance to new strategies in fields where disciplinary crossovers of fungal genomics, genes and their regulation, expression, and engineering will have a strong impact in dealing with agriculture, foods, natural resources, life sciences, biotechnology, informatics, metabolomics, pharmaceuticals and bioactive compounds. This volume analyzes the commonly used molecular markers systems, and elaborates the development of biochemical genetics, which provides a model system that established the relationship between genes and enzymes. Current knowledge about the genomic and genetic variability of Candida albicans, the polymorphic fungus that is an opportunistic human pathogen of increasing medical importance, has been covered in detail. Current understanding of the genetics and functional genomic analysis of the most important fungal pathogens of staple food crops, rice and wheat among others is covered including chapters dealing with the genomics of economically important fungi such asMagnaporthe grisea, Aspergillus, Fusarium, Penicillium, Trichoderma, Rhizoctonia, Mycosphaerella graminicola, and entomopathogenic fungi. With several thousand recent citations, it is hoped that volume four will serve as a useful reference for knowledgeable veterans and beginners as well as those crossing disciplinary boundaries into the exciting field of biotechnology, genomics and bioinformatics of fungi.

Through the integration of bioinformatic, genetic, transcriptomic, proteomic, metabolomic, phenomic and other massive datasets, genomics is revealing exciting new insights into fungal cell biology. The central theme of this volume is the strong impact that genomics is having upon our understanding of fungal biology, across a wide range of species, including model yeasts (such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe), filamentous fungi (such as Neurospora crassa and Aspergillus nidulans) and pathogenic fungi (such as Magnaporthe grisae, Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans and Histoplasma capsulatum). World-renowned scientists address the following topics in these fungi: systems biology and evolution, circadian rhythms, apoptosis and stress responses, secretion, and environmental signalling networks. Particular emphasis is placed on fungal pathogenicity. Various genomic technologies are discussed, including genome-wide sequence comparisons, transcript profiling, proteomics, metabolomics and bioinformatics.

Having experienced unprecedented growth since the turn of the millennium, the dramatic expansion of resources and techniques in fungal genomics is poised to fundamentally redefine the study of fungal biology. In Fungal Genomics: Methods and Protocols, expert researchers explore the three most likely fronts upon which the field will advance: the sequencing of more and more fungal genomes, the mining of sequenced genomes for useful information, and most importantly, the use of genomics sequences to provide a foundation for powerful techniques to explain biological processes. Much of the book is dedicated to explaining established and emerging genomics-based technologies in filamentous fungi, including gene expression profiling techniques, techniques for fungal proteomics as well as various case studies that could be adapted to a wide range of fungi. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular BiologyTM series format, protocol chapters include brief introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step laboratory protocols, and key unpublished tips, potential pitfalls, common mistakes, and special considerations based on the unique experiences of the contributors. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Fungal Genomics: Methods and Protocols provides fungal biologists at any stage of their careers a user-friendly resource for fungal genomics, especially as readers branch out into unfamiliar but exciting new areas of study.

The fungal kingdom consists of a wide variety of organisms with a diverse range of forms and functions. Fungi have been utilized for thousands of years and their importance in agriculture, medicine, food production and the environmental sciences is well known. New advances in genomic and metabolomic technologies have allowed further developments in the use of fungi in industry and medicine, increasing the need for a compilation of new applications, developments and technologies across the mycological field. Applied Mycology brings together a range of contributions, highlighting the diverse nature of current research. Chapters include discussions of fungal associations in the environment, agriculture and forestry, long established and novel applications of fungi in fermentation, the use of fungi in the pharmaceutical industry, the growing recognition of fungal infections, current interests in the use fungal enzymes in biotechnology and the new and emerging field of myconanotechnology. Demonstrating the broad coverage and importance of mycological research, this book will be of interest to researchers and students in all biological sciences.

This unique book covers a broad diversity of fungal systems and provides unique insight into the functions of those fungi in various ecosystems – from soil, to plant, to human. Bringing together fungal genomic information on a variety of lifestyles and traits, the book covers saprotrophism, pathogenesis (including biotrophs, hemibiotrophs, necrotrophs) and symbiosis. Advances in high-throughput sequencing now offer unprecedented opportunities for identification of novel key molecular mechanisms controlling plant-microbe interactions, evolution of fungi and developmentally- and ecologically-relevant traits, this book explores how these massive streams of fungal sequences can be exploited to gain a deeper understanding of the evolution of fungi and their ecological role. Although tremendous progress has been made in recent years in fungal genomics, thanks to the sequencing of over one hundred fungal genomes, until now no book has used this information to bridge fungal genomics, molecular ecology and ecology. Edited by a recognized leader in fungal genomics and soil metagenomics with over a decade of experience, Genomics & Metagenomics for Harnessing the Ecology of Fungi will be a useful resource for the experienced as well as the new researchers entering the field.

Fungi research and knowledge grew rapidly following recent advances in genetics and genomics. This book synthesizes new knowledge with existing information to stimulate new scientific questions and propel fungal scientists on to the next stages of research. This book is a comprehensive guide on fungi, environmental sensing, genetics, genomics, interactions with microbes, plants, insects, and humans, technological applications, and natural product development.

This is a concise guide to the combined use of classical and molecular methods for the genetic analysis and breeding of fungi. It presents basic concepts and experimental designs, and demonstrates the power of fungal genetics for applied research in biotechnology and phytopathology. Case studies of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida albicans, Aspergillus niger, Neurospora crassa, Podospora anserina, Phytophthora infestans and others are included.