Cross-kingdom horizontal gene transfers between plant and fungal genomes: Insights from large-scale comparative genomics
Date:
I won the Best Short Talk Award with this presentation !
Abstract: Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is increasingly recognized as a significant driver of eukaryotic genome evolution. In this study, we conducted a large-scale analysis of cross-kingdom HGT between plants and fungi using whole-genome comparisons across hundreds of species. Employing rigorous phylogenetic and sequence-based methods, we identified dozens of novel HGT events, predominantly involving gene transfer from fungi to plants. These transfers were especially prevalent in bryophytes and grasses, with many cases in grasses originating from endophytic fungi of the Epichloë genus. Furthermore, we identified a rare case of plant-to-fungi HT involving a 2 kbp plant-derived transposable element (TE) integrated into the genome of a parasitic fungus. Remarkably, this plant TE proliferated extensively within the fungal genome, creating over a hundred copies and significantly altering its genomic landscape. Additionally, our analysis provides evidence suggesting this fungus subsequently mediated secondary transfers of the plant TE back into multiple plant genomes, highlighting its role as a vector for plant-to-plant HT. Collectively, these findings underscore the importance of HGT in promoting genomic plasticity and innovation across the plant kingdom.