Evolutionary Dynamics and Functional Bifurcation of the C2H2 Gene Family in Basidiomycota
This study performed a phylogenomic analysis of the C2H2 gene family across 30 Basidiomycota species, identifying 1032 genes distributed across six evolutionary clades (Groups I–VI). Functional diversification and lineage-specific expansions were observed: Group II (37.1%) formed a conserved core, w...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-06-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Fungi |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/11/7/487 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Summary: | This study performed a phylogenomic analysis of the C2H2 gene family across 30 Basidiomycota species, identifying 1032 genes distributed across six evolutionary clades (Groups I–VI). Functional diversification and lineage-specific expansions were observed: Group II (37.1%) formed a conserved core, while wood decayers (e.g., <i>Schizophyllum commune</i>) and edible fungi (e.g., <i>Pleurotus ostreatus</i>) exhibited clade-specific expansions in Groups III and V, respectively. Physicochemical profiling revealed an acidic bias in Agaricomycotina proteins (pI 4.3–5.8) compared to alkaline trends in pathogens (Ustilaginomycotina/Pucciniomycotina; pI 8.3–8.6). Comparative genomics indicated that saprotrophs retained long genes (12.4 kb) with abundant introns (mean = 6.2/gene), whereas pathogens exhibited genomic streamlining (introns ≤ 2). Synteny network analysis revealed high ancestral conservation in core clusters (Cluster_1–2: 58% homologs) under strong purifying selection (Ka/Ks = 0.18–0.22), while peripheral clusters (Cluster_Mini) approached neutral evolution (Ka/Ks = 0.73). This study reveals stage-specific expression dynamics of 17 C2H2 zinc finger genes in <i>Sarcomyxa edulis</i>, highlighting their roles in coordinating developmental transitions (e.g., <i>SeC2H2_1</i> in low-temperature adaptation, <i>SeC2H2_7/12</i> in primordia initiation, and <i>SeC2H2_8/9/13</i> in fruiting body maturation) through temporally partitioned regulatory programs, providing insights into fungal morphogenesis and stress-responsive adaptation. These findings underscore the dual role of C2H2 genes in sustaining conserved regulatory networks and facilitating ecological adaptation, providing new insights into fungal genome evolution. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 2309-608X |