Project Information

The Chaetomium globosum sequence project is part of the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT Fungal Genome Initiative. Its goal is to release a 7X genome sequence coverage for Chaetomium globosum, strain CBS 148.51. Dr. Wendy Untereiner at Botany Department of Brandon University provided the genomic DNA for the sequencing project.

Our specific aims are as follows:

1. Generate and assemble sequence reads yielding 7X coverage of the C. globosum genome through whole genome shotgun sequencing.
2. Perform automated annotation of the sequence assembly.
3. Distribute the sequence assembly and results of our annotation and analysis through a freely accessible, public web server at the Broad and by deposition of the sequence assembly in GenBank.

The Broad produced whole genome shotgun sequence from plasmids and Fosmids. The resulting 7X assembly was made public December 2004, and the results of automated genome annotation will be made public in the 2005 releases.

Data Releases

Dec 2004 - Release 1 consists of a 7X whole-genome shotgun assembly generated at the Broad

2005 Release will include the results of automated genome annotation and analysis.

Questions about the project should be directed to annotation-webmaster(at)broad.mit.edu.

Chaetomium is a genus of filamentous fungi (Phylum Ascomycota, Class Sordariomycetes) encompassing species that typically possess densely setose, ovoid to pyriform ostiolate ascomata, clavate asci and pigmented, one-celled ascospores (Domsch et al. 1993). Species of Chaetomium are important in the decomposition of plant and other cellulose-rich materials, and can be isolated easily from dung, plant debris and soil. The genus contains a number of species capable of growth at elevated temperatures as well as a few species that cause infections in vertebrates. Chaetomium globosum, the type species of the genus, can be isolated easily from decaying plant material, seeds and other cellulosic substrates. It is the most frequently isolated and cosmopolitan of the over 150 species of Chaetomium described to date (Domsch et al. 1993).

Chaetomium globosum is a medically important fungus and is encountered typically as an agent of skin and nail infections in humans. This species more rarely causes cerebral and systemic infections, but such mycoses have high mortality rates, particularly in immunocompromised patients (Serena et al. 2003). Chaetomium globosum is important to human health as a contaminant in indoor environments since it is known to produce mycotoxins (Nielsen et al. 1999; Pieckova 2003) and act as an allergen.

References

1. Domsch, K.H. et al. (1999). Compendium of soil fungi. Volume 1. Academic Press, London, UK.
2. Nielsen, K.F. et al. (1999). Production of mycotoxins on artificially and naturally infested building materials. Mycopathologia 145(1):43-56.
3. Pieckova, E. (2003). In vitro toxicity of indoor Chaetomium Kunze ex Fr. Ann. Agric. Environ. Med. 10(1):9-14.
4. Serena, C. et al. (2003). In vitro activities of new antifungal agents against Chaetomium spp. and inoculum standardization. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 47(10):3161-3164.

The images on the home page are, from left to right:

1, 2,4: www.enius.de

3- EMSL Analytics
5-Scanning electron micrograph of paper stains digested by Chaetomium globosum. (Journal of the American Institute for Conservation)