Monitorización de eventos de transposición en el genoma del hongo fitopatógeno Fusarium oxysporum

Abstract

Transposable elements (TEs) represent an important source of genetic variationand are thought to have a major role in evolutionary dynamics. Fusarium oxysporumis a phytopathogenic fungus known for its ability to cause vascular wilt disease inhundreds of crops and for acting as an opportunistic pathogen in immunocompromisedhumans. This capability to infect multiple organisms makes F. oxysporuman excellent model to explore, through experimental evolution approaches, thegenetic and evolutionary mechanisms of adaptation to different environments.Genome re-sequencing of F. oxysporum populations passaged through a varietyof conditions suggested an important role of TEs in adaptive evolution. As a nextstep, we are developing an NGS strategy based on Insertion Sequencing to monitorTE insertion/excision events in different environments. Furthermore, we arestudying the regulation of transposases, the enzymes that control these events.We expect that this experimental approach will advance our understanding on themechanisms of TE dynamics in F. oxysporum and on their role in evolutionary dynamicsof this microorganism.