Paralogous genes in fungal taxonomy: beta-tubulin and ITS rDNA as examples

Ref ID: 19334

Author:

Ví­t Hubka, Tomáš V283;trovskí½, Petr Baldrian, Miroslav Kola345;í­k

Author address:

Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic

Full conference title:

Asian Mycological Congress 2013 and the 13th International Marine and Freshwater Mycology Symposium

Date: 19 August 2014

Abstract:

Paralogous genes represent well-known problem in taxonomy that uses molecular features as
the indispensable tool for delineation of taxa. Incongruent phylogenetic trees and incorrect taxonomic
conclusions can result from mixing of paralogous genes in taxonomic studies. Beta-tubulin (benA), ITS
rDNA and RPB2 all represent important loci in fungal taxonomy and the examples of incorrect use of their
paralogues are presented. Beta-tubulin paralogue tubC was amplified and mistaken with benA gene in
approximately 20 studies dealing with taxonomy of Aspergillus section Nigri. It was previously shown that
both paralogues can be successfully distinguished using codon usage analysis. Similar analysis was
applied on fungal beta-tubulin sequences deposited in GenBank and the results suggest that similar
problem with beta-tubulin paralogues is probably not only restricted to Aspergillus. Multicopy ITS rDNA is
another fungal barcode gene, with many time documented paralogues. Intragenomic sequence variability
is typicaly low (<3%), but more divergent copies were also found. Some of them possess deviations in GC content, length and secondary structure stability, suggesting their lower functionality. Such deep paralogues, representing possible pseudogenes found in Geosmithia and Hymenochaetales sp. are documented here.

Abstract Number: P-66

Conference Year: 2013

Link to conference website: NULL

New link: NULL

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