Diversity and Mechanisms of Genomic Adaptation in Penicillium

Penicillium is a diverse fungal genus with hundreds of species occurring worldwide in various substrates, from soil to food, and with various lifestyles, from necrotrophic pathogenicity to endophytic mutualism. Several species are important for human affairs, being widely used in industry, such as the penicillin-producer P. rubens, the two cheese starters P. camemberti and P. roqueforti, and the mould used for fermenting sausages, P. nalgiovense. Other species are food spoilers that produce harmful mycotoxins or cause damages in fruit crops. Currently , 30 genomes of Penicillium belonging to 18 species are available. In this chapter, we reconstruct a phylogenetic tree based on available Penicillium genomes and outline the main features of the genomes, such as gene and transposable element content. We then review the recent advances that the available genomic and transcriptomic resources in the Penicillium genus have allowed regarding our understanding of the genomic processes of adaptation, including changes in gene content, expression and strikingly frequent and recent horizontal gene transfers. In addition, we summarize recent studies using genetic markers on the level of genetic diversity, mode of reproduction and population structure within Penicillium species. Overall, the Penicillium genus appears a highly suitable model for studying the mechanisms of adaptation. Introduction Penicillium is a diverse fungal genus with 354 accepted species today (Visagie et al., 2014b), occurring worldwide in various substrates, from soil to food. Their lifestyles also cover a broad range, from necrotrophic pathogenicity to endophytic mutualism, although most are saprotrophs. As a consequence of these ecological niches, many Penicillium species have important economic and social relevance for human populations. Several species are widely used in industry, such as the penicillin-producer P. rubens, the two cheese starters P. camem-berti and P. roqueforti, and the mould used for fermenting sausages, P. nalgiovense (Bernaldez et al., 2013). Other species cause damages and yield loss in fruit crops, e.g. P. digitatum and P. italicum, while others are a concern for food safety because of their production of myco-toxins, such as patulin (Eckert and Eaks, 1989; McCallum et al., 2002).