Genome-wide functional annotation of Phomopsis longicolla isolate MSPL 10-6

Phomopsis seed decay of soybean is caused primarily by the seed-borne fungal pathogen Phomopsis longicolla (syn. Diaporthe longicolla). This disease severely decreases soybean seed quality, reduces seedling vigor and stand establishment, and suppresses yield. It is one of the most economically important soybean diseases. In this study we annotated the entire genome of P. longicolla isolate MSPL 10-6, which was isolated from field-grown soybean seed in Mississippi, USA. This study represents the first reported genome-wide functional annotation of a seed borne fungal pathogen in the Diaporthe–Phomopsis complex. The P. longicolla genome annotation will enable research into the genetic basis of fungal infection of soybean seed and provide information for the study of soybean–fungal interactions. The genome annotation will also be a valuable resource for the research and agricultural communities. It will aid in the development of new control strategies for this pathogen. The annotations can be found from: http://bioinformatics.towson.edu/phomopsis_longicolla/download.html. NCBI accession number is: AYRD00000000.