Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Repeat-Induced Point Mutations (RIP) Drives the Formation of Distinct Sub-Genomic Compartments in Fusarium Circinatum

Stephanie van Wyk
,
Brenda D. Wingfield
ORCID logo ,
Nicolaas A. van der Merwe
,
Lieschen De Vos
,
Mkhululi Maphosa
ORCID logo ,
Lizel Potgieter
,
Emma T. Steenkamp
*
Version 1 : Received: 27 December 2020 / Approved: 28 December 2020 / Online: 28 December 2020 (12:18:11 CET)

How to cite: van Wyk, S.; Wingfield, B.D.; Merwe, N.A.V.D.; De Vos, L.; Maphosa, M.; Potgieter, L.; Steenkamp, E.T. Repeat-Induced Point Mutations (RIP) Drives the Formation of Distinct Sub-Genomic Compartments in Fusarium Circinatum. Preprints 2020, 2020120697. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202012.0697.v1. van Wyk, S.; Wingfield, B.D.; Merwe, N.A.V.D.; De Vos, L.; Maphosa, M.; Potgieter, L.; Steenkamp, E.T. Repeat-Induced Point Mutations (RIP) Drives the Formation of Distinct Sub-Genomic Compartments in Fusarium Circinatum. Preprints 2020, 2020120697. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202012.0697.v1.

Abstract

Repeat-Induced Point mutations (RIP) serves as a genome defence mechanism that impedes the deleterious consequences of repeated motifs such as transposable elements in fungi. Genomic regions with RIP are biased for adenosine and thymine transitions and the cumulative influence of RIP is thought to have a considerable impact on genome composition. We investigated the impact of RIP on localized genomic regions and whole-genome sequences for representatives of the pine pathogen, Fusarium circinatum. We set out to determine the intraspecific variation in acquired RIP and the role of RIP in the development of diverse F. circinatum sub-genomic compartments. The results of the study show that the AT-enriched sub-genomic compartment accounts for ca. 97% of the calculated RIP and was further prominent in both core and accessory genomic regions. However, more extensive RIP was observed in the accessory sub-compartment and more variable regions of the genome. Regions with RIP indicated increased intrinsic curvature of the DNA which may influence DNA-protein interactions and may promote constitutive heterochromatin formation. The results show that RIP is an important source of functional novelty and genome variation. RIP contributes to the evolution of the genetic landscape and differentiation of diverse sub-genomic compartments of this important fungal pathogen.

Keywords

Repeat-Induced Point Mutations; RIP; Accessory Chromosome; Genome Compartmentalization; GC Content; Genetic Variation; Fusarium circinatum; Transposable Elements; Interstitial Telomeric Repeats; Effector Genes.

Subject

LIFE SCIENCES, Biochemistry

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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