Chromosome-Level Genome Assembly and Functional Annotation of Fusarium musae from a Human Isolate: Insights into Host-Specific Infection Mechanisms

A comprehensive genome assembly, annotation, and expression analysis of a Fusarium musae IUM11-0508 clinical isolate was conducted to better understand the genomic basis of host specificity and pathogenicity. Hybrid assembly produced a 45 Mb genome organized into 12 chromosomes and two additional unplaced contigs, putatively representing minichromosomes. In addition, the mitochondrial genome was assembled and annotated. Fusarium musae IUM11-0508 was grown on three different media: Blood (Blood Sheep Medium to simulate human bloodstream conditions), FDM (Fusarium Defined Medium), and BPE (Banana Peel Extract to mimic the natural environment). RNA-Seq data obtained from these conditions improved the initial nuclear annotation, increasing the number of predicted coding sequences (CDS) from 13,875 to 15,703 (a 13% increase), and highlighted condition-specific gene expression patterns potentially contributing to environmental adaptation. Moreover, to investigate virulence genes, gene expression was analyzed during F. musae infection of Galleria mellonella larvae, a widely used in vivo model for human fungal infections. This infection-based transcriptomic profiling confirmed the expression of 754 previously annotated genes and identified approximately 117 additional putative CDS uniquely expressed during infection. The genome was also examined for transposable elements, revealing a specific element present at four distinct loci. Notably, several genes adjacent to these elements showed high sequence similarity to genes from non-Fusarium species, suggesting possible horizontal gene transfer events that may have introduced novel functions related to pathogenicity or adaptation. This work presents the first comprehensive genomic resource for F. musae, revealing key features of its genome structure, gene expression, and host-specific adaptations. It provides a valuable foundation for future research into fungal pathogenesis and the evolution of this emerging pathogen.