Fungi from the genus Fusarium are important pathogens of animals and crop plants. Some have a wide host range, whereas others are more specific in the organisms they infect. Here, clues are provided as to how differences in specificity come about. The genomes of two Fusarium fungi with differing host ranges have been sequenced, and compared with the genome of a third species. Experiments show that transferring two whole chromosomes turns a non-pathogenic Fusarium strain into a pathogenic one.
- Li-Jun Ma
- H. Charlotte van der Does
- Martijn Rep
