Mitochondrial Genome Evolution in Species Causing Ascochyta Blight in Pulses - Ascochyta and Peyronellaea Species

Ascochyta blight is one of the most devastating diseases of pulse crops worldwide. It is caused by a group of related fungal species in the family Didymellaceae. In this study, we investigate the mitochondrial genomes of Ascochyta lentis, A. rabiei and Peyronellaea pinodes with varying host specificities onlentil, chickpea and field pea. The complete mitochondrial genome sequences for each isolatewere obtained from whole genome sequencing using the Illumina HiSeq sequencing platform with an average of 60X coverage. Comparative genome analysis illustrates the genetic component and architecture of the mitochondrial genomes and provides insights into the evolution of these species. Although most mitochondrial genes are conserved among the species, extensive synteny variation is observed. We discuss the involvement of tRNA, intronic sequences, gene deletion and gene fusion in evolution of the mitochondrial genomes in this family and the potential use of mitochondrial genome data as diagnostic tools.