Draft genome sequence and annotation of Trichoderma hamatumFBL 587 (Sordariomycetes): insights into the mycoremediation of contaminated soil

Several Trichoderma species can synthesize molecules of high biotechnological value, including antifungal compounds and cell-wall degrading enzymes and provide applications in mycoremediation. The saprotrophic fungal strain FBL 587, deposited in the culture collection of the Fungal Biodiversity Laboratory, Sapienza University of Rome, was isolated from Polish DDT-contaminated soils. Tolerance indices (Rt:Rc (%); T.I. (%)) were used to assess fungal tolerance to 1 mg/L DDT. Metabolic responses to DDT through diametric extension, dry weight and medium pH after growth were also investigated, and results highlighted potential applications in DDT mycoremediation. DNA sequence analysis from the RPB2 and EF-1α genes indicated that FBL 587 is closely related to Trichoderma hamatum (Bonord.) Bainer. To evaluate the safety of biotechnological application of this strain in DDT bioremediation, whole-genome sequencing (WGS), assembly and annotation were performed. In the genome sequence (38.9 Mb, GC 48.54 %), a total of 10,944 protein-coding genes were predicted and annotated with the GO and the CAZy databases. Bioinformatic analyses were conducted on genes and clusters of particular interest, including on putative loci involved in the metabolism of organochlorine and aromatic compounds. Prediction of biosynthesis gene cluster was also carried out, highlighting genes potentially involved in the production of compounds and secondary metabolites of biotech value. Additional research including RNA-Seq studies are ongoing to fully assess the potential for mycoremediation. The WGS project of T. hamatum FBL 587 has been submitted to GenBank (NCBI). The costs for the Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) work for the WGS project were supported by INAIL-DIT, Rome (Italy).