A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Phylogenomics including new sequence data of phytoplankton-infecting chytrids reveals multiple independent lifestyle transitions across the phylum
Authors: Thomé Pauline C., Wolinska Justyna, Van Den Wyngaert Silke, Reñé Albert, Ilicic Doris, Agha Ramsy, Grossart Hans-Peter, Garcés Esther, Monaghan Michael T., Strassert Jürgen F.H.
Publisher: Elsevier
Publication year: 2024
Journal: Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution
Journal name in source: Molecular phylogenetics and evolution
Journal acronym: Mol Phylogenet Evol
Article number: 108103
Volume: 197
ISSN: 1055-7903
eISSN: 1095-9513
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2024.108103
Web address : https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2024.108103
Self-archived copy’s web address: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/404684607
Parasitism is the most common lifestyle on Earth and has emerged many times independently across the eukaryotic tree of life. It is frequently found among chytrids (Chytridiomycota), which are early-branching unicellular fungi that feed osmotrophically via rhizoids as saprotrophs or parasites. Chytrids are abundant in most aquatic and terrestrial environments and fulfil important ecosystem functions. As parasites, they can have significant impacts on host populations. They cause global amphibian declines and influence the Earth's carbon cycle by terminating algal blooms. To date, the evolution of parasitism within the chytrid phylum remains unclear due to the low phylogenetic resolution of rRNA genes for the early diversification of fungi, and because few parasitic lineages have been cultured and genomic data for parasites is scarce. Here, we combine transcriptomics, culture-independent single-cell genomics and a phylogenomic approach to overcome these limitations. We newly sequenced 29 parasitic taxa and combined these with existing data to provide a robust backbone topology for the diversification of Chytridiomycota. Our analyses reveal multiple independent lifestyle transitions between parasitism and saprotrophy among chytrids and multiple host shifts by parasites. Based on these results and the parasitic lifestyle of other early-branching holomycotan lineages, we hypothesise that the chytrid last common ancestor was a parasite of phytoplankton.
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Funding information in the publication:
This work was supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG; grant STR1349/2-1, project no. 432453260).
