Comparative genomics reveals substantial divergence in metal sensitive and metal tolerant isolates of the ericoid mycorrhizal fungus Oidiodendron maius

Some heavy metal tolerant fungal isolates capable of forming ericoid mycorrhiza can also confer increased metal tolerance to the host plant. One of these fungal isolates, Oidiodendron maius Zn, has been characterized and a few molecular mechanisms underlying its metal tolerant phenotype have been identified. Here, we investigate the genomic divergences between the available genome of O. maius Zn and the genomes of metal tolerant and sensitive isolates of O. maius, with the aim of identifying genes or intergenic regions possibly involved in the display of the tolerance. The resequenced genomes of 8 tolerant and 10 sensitive isolates were mapped on the reference, O. maius Zn, yielding 357 gene models from the reference that were either missing or too polymorphic to be identified in the genomes of the sensitive isolates. These regions included genes with functions related to defense mechanisms and with unknown functions. One third of the predicted gene models turned out to be highly polymorphic, including many enriched GO terms, i.e. DNA/RNA metabolism and modification, chromosome/chromatin organization, protein biosynthesis, metabolism and function, energy consumption/transfer and mitochondrion. Overall, our findings indicate that the tolerant phenotype in O. maius likely arises from multiple genetic adaptations rather than a singular mechanism.