Abstract
The pathogenic fungus Mycocentrospora acerina, responsible for Panax notoginseng round spot disease, poses a serious threat to the development of the P. notoginseng industry. To investigate its genetic information and potential pathogenic mechanisms, this study employed nanopore third-generation sequencing technology to conduct de novo genome sequencing and analysis of M. acerina, followed by an assessment of its plant cell wall-degrading enzyme activities. The sequencing results revealed that the M. acerina genome has a total length of 37.03 Mb, a GC content of 47.68%, an N50 value of 1.66 Mb, and a repeat sequence proportion of 9.37%. A total of 9989 protein-coding genes were predicted. Genome annotation identified 499 carbohydrate-active enzyme (CAZyme) family genes-more than those found in Botrytis cinerea (469), Phanerochaete chrysosporium (381), and Erysiphe necator (136). Moreover, M. acerina harbors a relatively large number of genes encoding plant cell wall-degrading enzymes. Experimental measurements of cell wall-degrading enzyme activities were consistent with the genomic predictions, demonstrating that M. acerina exhibits strong abilities to degrade cellulose, pectin, and lignin. This study provides new insights into the pathogenic mechanisms of M. acerina and establishes a theoretical foundation for developing potential control strategies for P. notoginseng round spot disease.