Genome sequences of members of the Fusarium oxysporum species complex

Members of the Fusarium oxysporum species complex can cause severe disease on numerous economically important plant species, but the can also occur in plants as endophytes and they are frequently recovered from soil. Most members of the complex are referred to as F. oxysporum, but over the past several years several species previously referred to as F. oxysporum have been formally described (e.g., F. nirenbergiae and F. odoratissimum). Members of the complex tend to have large accessory genomes contained on multiple lineage-specific chromosomes. At least some members can produce multiple secondary metabolites (e.g., bikaverin, fusaric acid, fusarubins, and moniliformin), but they are generally not considered to contribute significantly to mycotoxin contamination problems in food and feed crops. Two isolates recovered from carnation growing in Korea can produce fumonisin mycotoxins. Whole genome sequence analysis of one isolate (strain NRRL 39464 = CAR2 = FRC O-1890) has confirmed the presence of the fumonisin biosynthetic gene cluster.