A Whole-Genome Assembly for Hyaloperonospora parasitica, A Pathogen Causing Downy Mildew in Cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata L.)

Abstract

Hyaloperonospora parasitica is a global pathogen that can cause leaf necrosis and seedling death, severely threatening the quality and yield of cabbage. However, the genome sequence and infection mechanisms of H. parasitica are still unclear. Here, we present the first whole-genome sequence of H. parasitica isolate BJ2020, which causes downy mildew in cabbage. The genome contains 4631 contigs and 9991 protein-coding genes, with a size of 37.10 Mb. The function of 6128 genes has been annotated. We annotated the genome of H. parasitica strain BJ2020 using databases, identifying 2249 PHI-associated genes, 1538 membrane transport proteins, and 126 CAZy-related genes. Comparative analyses between H. parasitica, H.arabidopsidis, and H. brassicae revealed dramatic differences among these three Brassicaceae downy mildew pathogenic fungi. Comprehensive genome-wide clustering analysis of 20 downy mildew-causing pathogens, which infect diverse crops, elucidates the closest phylogenetic affinity between H. parasitica and H. brassicae, the causative agent of downy mildew in Brassica napus. These findings provide important insights into the pathogenic mechanisms and a robust foundation for further investigations into the pathogenesis of H. parasitica BJ2020.