Breakthrough Genomic Study Reveals Pathogenic Secrets of Fusarium solani Strain Killing Farmed Prawns

A team of scientists from the Fuzhou Institute of Oceanography has decoded the genome of Fusarium solani isolate 1-Jan — a newly identified fungal strain responsible for widespread prawn deaths in South China. The discovery offers the most detailed look yet at how this pathogen invades and damages its aquatic hosts.

The study, published in Current Genetics, reports that the F. solani 1-Jan genome spans 51.8 Mb, containing 9,769 genes. Comparative analysis linked it closely with Fusarium solani JS-169 and Nectria haematococca, revealing shared evolutionary origins and infection mechanisms.

Using PacBio and Illumina sequencing, researchers identified over 1,100 pathogenicity-related genes from databases including PHI, DFVF, and CAZy. Many of these genes regulate chitin degradation — a process critical to breaking down the exoskeleton of prawns, explaining the black lesions seen in infected specimens.

The paper highlights that F. solani 1-Jan harbors 95 unique genes linked to virulence, including chitinase-related enzymes that may drive tissue destruction. The study also provides a full phylogenetic map showing its close relation to other Fusarium strains infecting plants and humans.

The findings lay the groundwork for managing fungal infections in aquaculture. The genomic insights helps to understand how Fusarium adapts from plants to marine hosts.

The research contributes valuable genomic data for future antifungal drug development and prawn-disease management strategies.

Reference

Ge, H., Wu, Q., Ning, Y., Wu, L., Li, H., Wen, P., Guo, X., Wang, W., Wang, X., Li, M., Dai, Y., Lin, X., & Lin, Q. (2025). Genomic characterization and analysis of Fusarium Solani isolate 1-Jan, a novel pathogenic strain infecting Penaeus vannamei. Current Genetics, 71(1), 24. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00294-025-01323-y