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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Poplarville, Mississippi » Southern Horticultural Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #430776
Research Project: Novel Management Strategies for Invasive Pests, Plant Diseases, and Bee Pollinators of Horticultural and Nursery Crops in the southeastern United States

Location: Southern Horticultural Research Unit

Title: Draft genome sequence data of Colletotrichum camelliae isolated from Camellia japonica in the United States

Author
item Leep, Kenneth
item Arias De Ares, Renee
item Copes, Warren
item Dobbs, John
item Kumpatla, Siva Prasad

Submitted to: Elsevier
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/16/2026
Publication Date: 2/19/2026
Citation: Leep, K.R., Arias De Ares, R.S., Copes, W.E., Dobbs, J.T., Kumpatla, S. 2026. Draft genome sequence data of Colletotrichum camelliae isolated from Camellia japonica in the United States. Elsevier. 66(2026)112613. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2026.112613.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2026.112613

Interpretive Summary: The ornamental horticultural industry in the United States accounts for one-third of the total value of all specialty crops. To maintain productivity of ornamental crops, it is crucial to manage abiotic stresses such as diseases caused by fungal pathogens. In addition, it is equally important to identify any new pathogens and develop diagnostics to monitor their occurrence and spread. Colletotrichum is one of the top 10 economically important pathogenic fungal genera worldwide. Colletotrichum camelliae is an important pathogen that infects tea in almost all tea growing areas around the world. It also infects ornamental crops belonging to Camellia species including Camelllia japonica, the most important ornamental Camellia in the United States. C. camelliae has been documented in the United States, primarily on tea, with a few recent studies reporting its occurrence on Camellia ornamentals. Despite these reports, to date its genome sequence is not available. In this data resource paper, we report on the collection of four C. camelliae isolates on Camellia japonica in George County, Mississippi. To enable the development of diagnostics for accurate identification of this species on ornamentals as well as other crops and for tracking its spread in the United States, we have obtained the whole genome sequences of these isolates and made those sequences available in NCBI Genbank. This is the first time the genome sequence of C. camelliae isolated in the United States is reported. In addition, in this paper, we have also reported the results obtained from the comparison of the whole genome sequences of the isolates to C. camelliae reference genome. The genome sequences reported in this paper and their comparative analyses will help in deriving valuable insights regarding these isolates, developing diagnostic assays for their identification, refining existing phylogenetic trees of Colletotrichum, and for evolutionary studies.

Technical Abstract: Colletotrichum camelliae Massee, a member of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides species complex (CGSC), is an economically important fungal pathogen that causes significant damage to Camellia sinensis (tea) and other Camellia species that include ornamental crops. Although the occurrence of C. camelliae in the United States has been documented, to date most of the reports and all available genome sequences of this pathogen are from strains isolated outside the United States. Here, we report the isolation of four C. camelliae isolates (GCC14, PS22-1, PS23, and PS24) from symptomatic Camellia japonica plants in George County, Mississippi. Whole genome sequencing of all four isolates was performed as paired-end reads of 150 bp using NovaSeq X Plus. Clean reads were de novo assembled, mapped to C. camelliae reference genome sequence, LS-19, and genome-wide variants were analyzed. Sequencing data were submitted to NCBI GenBank BioProject PRJNA1273064, and the following accession numbers were assigned: SRR34108282 (GCC14), SRR33953793 (PS22-1), SRR33955217 (PS23) and SRR33957315 & SRR33956925 (PS24). The genome sequence data reported here for C. camelliae are valuable for developing diagnostic assays for the identification, tracking, and management of this pathogen on Camellia species that include tea and ornamental crops. In addition, comparative genomics, phylogenetics, and evolutionary studies using these and other available genomes can aid in deriving insights on the diversity and pathogenicity of this pathogen, CGSC, and the Colletotrichum genus.