Chromosome-Scale Genome Sequence of Nothopassalora personata (syn. Cercosporidium personatum), a Devastating Fungal Pathogen of Peanut

Abstract

Nothopassalora personata, the causal agent of late leaf spot, is an economically important fungus that poses a significant threat to peanut production worldwide. Currently, studies on N. personata are focused on epidemiology, host resistance, early environmental detection, and molecular studies based on a limited number of genes for classification. A high-quality whole genome sequence can be a valuable tool for studying complex species and identifying molecular mechanisms in pathogenicity and adaptation. This study reports a high-quality, chromosome-scale genome assembly for N. personata with a total length of 54.6 Mb, an N50 of 2.54 Mb, a longest contig length of 4.47 Mb and a BUSCO genome completeness score of 99.5% with mostly single copy genes. Genome annotation revealed 11,295 protein-encoding genes and 12,121 transcripts in which 411 of the 995 predicted proteins were putative effectors. Genome comparison with the closely related fungi Dothistroma septosporum NZE10 and Fulvia fulva (syn. Passalora fulva, Cladosporium fulvum) isolate Race 5 revealed 13 chromosomes. This genome sequence resource can be used as a reference for aligning sequences of multiple isolates to provide relevant information on the diversity and population genetic structure of N. personata to further inform peanut resistance breeding programs and devise the best disease management strategies.