The Dothideomycetes fungus Cochliobolus
lunatus m118, anamorph Curvularia lunata var.
lunata, belongs to a family of many important cereal
pathogens, and is a pathogen of sorghum, but can also be an
opportunistic human pathogen. The strain was selected long ago as a
prospective microorganism for steroid biotransformation in the
laboratories of Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany. It is
deposited in the Mycotheque de l’Universite Catholique de
Louvain, Belgium (MUCL 38696).
Sorghum is the fifth most important cereal crop in the world and
fungal infections cause significant economic losses. This African
grass, related to sugar cane and maize, is grown for food, fodder,
alcoholic beverage and biofuel production. Fungi belonging to more
than 40 genera are reported to be associated with sorghum grain
mold disease; C. lunatus, Fusarium
verticillioides, and Alternaria alternata are among
the more devastating. The genome sequence of the host organism
Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench is available, which
facilitates understanding of the host-pathogen relationship.
