Transcriptome Analysis of Dryadomyces quercus-mongolicae, a Fungus Associated with Korean Oak Wilt Disease that Causes Oak Mortality in South Korea

Korean oak wilt disease associated with Dryadomyces quercus-mongolicae recently emerged as a major tree disease in South Korea. A comprehensive transcriptome analysis is presented for D. quercus-mongolicae grown in vitro on three different culture media, identifying nearly 7,000 expressed transcripts. Most transcripts are associated with proteins essential for fungal survival and growth. The 40S ribosomal protein S25, ceramide very long chain fatty acid hydroxylase, Epl1 protein, and ADP/ATP translocase are particularly important due to their critical roles in the metabolism and environmental adaptation of fungi. Gene ontology analyses revealed that 39.4%, 61.2%, and 43.3% of transcripts were successfully annotated to biological process, molecular functions, and cellular component aspects, respectively. Furthermore, key metabolic pathways were elucidated, including sphingolipid metabolism, L-tryptophan biosynthesis, and glycolysis, which provide important information on physiological functioning of D. quercus-mongolicae. Overall, these findings provide key information on fundamental biological mechanisms of D. quercus-mongolicae.