Improved Genome Assembly Resource of the Plant Pathogen Fusarium avenaceum

Fusarium avenaceum is a generalist plant pathogen of concern due to its potential to produce mycotoxins on plant products. Previous research efforts have sequenced and assembled genomes of F. avenaceum. However, those works relied on limited next-generation sequencing technologies that resulted in fragmented and incomplete genome assemblies. To address this, we utilized high-depth 3rd generation long-read sequencing and several different genome assembly software to generate a new, highly contiguous genome of F. avenaceum. Moreover, we conducted a thorough annotation of the genome using a mix of long-read cDNA and short-read RNAseq data. Our genome was more contiguous than the current reference genome Fustri1, matched the estimated genome size and chromosome number, and contained a similar number of annotated genes to other F. avenaceum genome assemblies. Lastly, we conducted a secondary metabolite (SM) cluster analysis that identified 60 gene clusters associated with SM biosynthesis, five more than the reference F. avenaceum genome. In conclusion, our genome and associated annotation information will help advance research on plant-fungal interactions, food safety, and Fusarium sp. diversity.