Genome analysis provides insight about pathogenesis of Indian strains of Rhizoctonia solani in rice

The Rhizoctonia solani species complex is comprised of strains belonging to different anastomosis groups and causes diseases in several economically important crops, including rice. However, individuals within same anastomosis group exhibit distinct morphological and pathological differences on the same host. In this study, we have sequenced the genome of two aggressive Indian strains (BRS11 and BRS13) belonging to AG1-IA anastomosis group and compared them with the available genome of R. solani AG1-IA. We identified several SNPs and Indels in both of these genomes, in comparison to the AG1-IA genome. Furthermore, we observed expansion and emergence of orthogroups in these Indian strains and identified those potentially associated with pathogenesis. Amongst them, transposable elements, cell wall degrading enzymes, transcription factors, and oxalate decarboxylase were noteworthy. The current study unravels genetic variations and identifies genes that might account for pathogenicity variations amongst R. solani strains.