六种假丝酵母（Candida）的基因组序列已被确定，并与白念珠菌（一种海洋酵母和面包酵母）的基因组序列进行了对比。假丝酵母是人类所遭受的伺机性真菌感染的最常见原因。

基因组对比显示了与致病性物种相关的惊人的基因家族扩展现象。假丝酵母生物学的其他方面，包括遗传编码的演化，以及交配和减数分裂过程的架构，也可通过对不同物种进行对比来研究。

推荐原始出处：

Nature 459, 657-662 (4 June 2009) | doi:10.1038/nature08064

Evolution of pathogenicity and sexual reproduction in eight Candida genomes

Geraldine Butler1, Matthew D. Rasmussen2, Michael F. Lin2,3, Manuel A. S. Santos4, Sharadha Sakthikumar3, Carol A. Munro5, Esther Rheinbay2,6, Manfred Grabherr3, Anja Forche7, Jennifer L. Reedy8, Ino Agrafioti9, Martha B. Arnaud10, Steven Bates11, Alistair J. P. Brown5, Sascha Brunke12, Maria C. Costanzo10, David A. Fitzpatrick1, Piet W. J. de Groot13, David Harris14, Lois L. Hoyer15, Bernhard Hube12, Frans M. Klis13, Chinnappa Kodira3,22, Nicola Lennard14, Mary E. Logue1, Ronny Martin12, Aaron M. Neiman16, Elissavet Nikolaou5, Michael A. Quail14, Janet Quinn17, Maria C. Santos4, Florian F. Schmitzberger10, Gavin Sherlock10, Prachi Shah10, Kevin A. T. Silverstein18, Marek S. Skrzypek10, David Soll19, Rodney Staggs18, Ian Stansfield5, Michael P. H. Stumpf9, Peter E. Sudbery20, Thyagarajan Srikantha19, Qiandong Zeng3, Judith Berman7, Matthew Berriman14, Joseph Heitman8, Neil A. R. Gow5, Michael C. Lorenz21, Bruce W. Birren3, Manolis Kellis2,3,23 & Christina A. Cuomo3,23

Candida species are the most common cause of opportunistic fungal infection worldwide. Here we report the genome sequences of six Candida species and compare these and related pathogens and non-pathogens. There are significant expansions of cell wall, secreted and transporter gene families in pathogenic species, suggesting adaptations associated with virulence. Large genomic tracts are homozygous in three diploid species, possibly resulting from recent recombination events. Surprisingly, key components of the mating and meiosis pathways are missing from several species. These include major differences at the mating-type loci (MTL); Lodderomyces elongisporus lacks MTL, and components of the a1/2 cell identity determinant were lost in other species, raising questions about how mating and cell types are controlled. Analysis of the CUG leucine-to-serine genetic-code change reveals that 99% of ancestral CUG codons were erased and new ones arose elsewhere. Lastly, we revise the Candida albicans gene catalogue, identifying many new genes.