A Draft Genome Sequence Reveals the Helminthosporium solani Arsenal for Cell Wall Degradation

Helminthosporium solani is a slow-growing fungal pathogen belonging to the family Massarinaceae. It causes blemishes on potato tubers, affecting processing and fresh market trade. Despite its worldwide distribution, little is known about the biology of H. solani. Here we report the generation of a draft genome sequence of H. solani with an estimated genome size of ~35 megabases, for use in phylogenetic and pathogenicity studies of this fungal pathogen. This sequence is also the first reference genome within the family Massarinaceae. We identified a large suite of genes in the H. solani genome that encode putative cell wall degrading enzymes. Based on comparison with other genomes, we speculate that H. solani is a hemibiotroph or necrotroph. The presence of a large number of genes in the glycoside hydrolase (GH) 10 and 43 families, which aid in the hydrolysis of glucoronoarabinoxylan, also suggests that H. solani may be able to survive on grass hosts and indicates the need to re-examine the life cycle and host range of this pathogen.