Comprehensive annotation of the Parastagonospora nodorum reference genome using next-generation genomics, transcriptomics and proteogenomics

Parastagonospora nodorum, the causal agent of Septoria nodorum blotch (SNB), is an economically important pathogen of wheat (Triticum spp.), and a model for the study of necrotrophic pathology and genome evolution. The reference P. nodorum strain SN15 was the first Dothideomycete with a published genome sequence, and has been used as the basis for comparison within and between species. Here we present an updated reference genome assembly with corrections of SNP and indel errors in the underlying genome assembly from deep resequencing data as well as extensive manual annotation of gene models using transcriptomic and proteomic sources of evidence (https://github.com/robsyme/Parastagonospora_nodorum_SN15). The updated assembly and annotation includes 8,366 genes with modified protein sequence and 866 new genes. This study shows the benefits of using a wide variety of experimental methods allied to expert curation to generate a reliable set of gene models

Rhabdoviruses as Vaccine Vectors for Veterinary Pathogens

Rhabdoviruses are simple RNA viruses, which are open to genetic manipulation. Recombinant vector vaccines based on vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) or rabies virus (RABV) are capable of inducing strong and protective immune responses in animals and humans as exemplified by the VSV-based Ebola virus vaccine. As several rhabdoviruses are harmful for animals and/or humans, the recombinant vector vaccine derived from them needs to be properly attenuated. Single-cycle vector vaccines and interferon-stimulating viruses represent attractive strategies to achieve attenuation. VSV and RABV are notifiable Office International des Epizooties (OIE)-listed pathogens, and this has impeded their general use in the veterinary field. However, vector vaccines based on different non-notifiable rhabdoviruses may represent an attractive alternative