Abstract
The dry rot fungus, Serpula lacrymans, is the most aggressive of the fungi decomposing buildings in the Northern Hemisphere. The species has spread with an invasive nature into temperate regions worldwide. We will infer the genetic, expressional and physi ological basis for the success of the fungus as an invader of human-made wood constructions. We will thereby increase the knowledge of the genetic basis of invasive species and of brown-rot decay and effectiveness of fungi in decomposing wooden materials. The genome of S. lacrymans has recently been sequenced, and the ideal growth conditions of the species are known from previous studies. Thus, based on the background information we hypothesize that 1) genetic diversity in the invasive population is impor tant in order to be an efficient invader, 2) that the gene expression of certain genetic pathways, e.g. translocation proteins, will be important to tolerate the semi-arid and nutrient-patchy habitat inside houses, 3) that genes have been lost in relation to stress and temperature tolerance in the house invading strains, and 4) that the house-invading strains are inferior biological competitors in the wild in their founder areas. The species has invaded Europe and Japan independently from its native range . By re-sequencing Serpula lacrymans strains of the two different house-invasions and the wild relative (Serpula lacrymans var. shastensis) without the ability to infect houses, manipulating the growth conditions of these strains and sequencing RNA from t hese different growth conditions we expect to obtain further knowledge of changes has happened in the transition from the wild into houses, and the role of gene expression in brown rot decomposition. This is important in order to understand how a species spread, and which factor that can increase the aggressiveness, or distribution of an invasive species.
Norway