UF Scientist Aids Effort To Sequence Genome Of Important Fungus

April 23, 2003

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A newly completed project to sequence the genome of an important fungus will enhance genetic research and aid in the fight against plant-killing fungi, including those that could be used in biological weapons, says a University of Florida scientist who participated in the effort.

Edward Braun, an assistant professor of zoology, was among 32 researchers nationwide who worked on sequencing the fungus, Neurospora crassa. A paper about the project, which traces its roots to 1995, is scheduled to appear Thursday in the journal Nature.

The work is important partly because the fungus is simple to experiment on, yet has a genome that shares many similarities with people and animals – both of which are either much more difficult or impossible to use as subjects of similar genetic research, Braun said.

“Neurospora crassa falls in this wonderful middle ground where it’s simple enough to be easily manipulated, allowing a lot of good science, but it’s also developmentally complex so it forms a bridge between simple and more complex animals,” he said.

Sequencing the genome of the fungus also may help researchers better understand fungi, such as corn smut, that attack agricultural plants, he said. Farmers spend millions each year on fungicides to control these fungi, which also can affect potatoes, wheat and other crops. Nevertheless, they often face steep losses because of damage from fungi. From 1991 to 1997, for example, American farmers lost 470 million bushels of wheat worth $2.6 billion because of a fungal infection called Fusarium head blight, according to the American Phytopathological Society.

“Having this relatively complex fungus completely sequenced can give us insights into more complex fungi such as the fungi that affect plants, which may help us develop ways to prevent or avoid infections of plants,” Braun said.

Braun added that enhanced knowledge from the sequencing project also could lead to better preventions for biological weapons that use fungi to attack agricultural crops. “To the extent that understanding a model fungus gives us understanding of pathogenic fungi, this certainly could be important,” he said.

The project required many researchers because of the Neurospora crassa’s complexity, Braun said. The Neurospora genome has 38 million base pairs, about 10 times as many as a typical bacterial genome. Participants included experts in plant pathology, fungal biology and biochemistry, among other fields.

Braun can be reached at (352) 846-1124 orebraun68@hotmail.com.