eprintid: 10050546
rev_number: 22
eprint_status: archive
userid: 608
dir: disk0/10/05/05/46
datestamp: 2018-06-19 16:20:24
lastmod: 2021-12-16 01:44:47
status_changed: 2018-06-19 16:20:24
type: article
metadata_visibility: show
creators_name: Gagunashvili, AN
creators_name: Andrésson, OS
title: Distinctive characters of Nostoc genomes in cyanolichens
ispublished: pub
divisions: UCL
divisions: B02
divisions: D13
divisions: G23
keywords: Cyanobacteria, Nostoc, Lichen,Symbiosis,Symbiotic competence
note: Copyright © The Author(s) 2018. Open Access: This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and
reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the
Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver
(http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.
abstract: Background
Cyanobacteria of the genus Nostoc are capable of forming symbioses with a wide range of organism, including a diverse assemblage of cyanolichens. Only certain lineages of Nostoc appear to be able to form a close, stable symbiosis, raising the question whether symbiotic competence is determined by specific sets of genes and functionalities.

Results
We present the complete genome sequencing, annotation and analysis of two lichen Nostoc strains. Comparison with other Nostoc genomes allowed identification of genes potentially involved in symbioses with a broad range of partners including lichen mycobionts. The presence of additional genes necessary for symbiotic competence is likely reflected in larger genome sizes of symbiotic Nostoc strains. Some of the identified genes are presumably involved in the initial recognition and establishment of the symbiotic association, while others may confer advantage to cyanobionts during cohabitation with a mycobiont in the lichen symbiosis.

Conclusions
Our study presents the first genome sequencing and genome-scale analysis of lichen-associated Nostoc strains. These data provide insight into the molecular nature of the cyanolichen symbiosis and pinpoint candidate genes for further studies aimed at deciphering the genetic mechanisms behind the symbiotic competence of Nostoc. Since many phylogenetic studies have shown that Nostoc is a polyphyletic group that includes several lineages, this work also provides an improved molecular basis for demarcation of a Nostoc clade with symbiotic competence.
date: 2018-06-05
date_type: published
publisher: BioMed Central
official_url: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-018-4743-5
oa_status: green
full_text_type: pub
language: eng
primo: open
primo_central: open_green
article_type_text: Article
verified: verified_manual
elements_id: 1562911
doi: 10.1186/s12864-018-4743-5
lyricists_name: Gagunashvili, Andrey
lyricists_id: AGAGU01
actors_name: Gagunashvili, Andrey
actors_id: AGAGU01
actors_role: owner
full_text_status: public
publication: BMC Genomics
volume: 19
article_number: 434
issn: 1471-2164
citation:        Gagunashvili, AN;    Andrésson, OS;      (2018)    Distinctive characters of Nostoc genomes in cyanolichens.                   BMC Genomics , 19     , Article 434.  10.1186/s12864-018-4743-5 <https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-018-4743-5>.       Green open access   
 
document_url: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10050546/1/document.pdf