SPORES ARE THE MAJOR MEANS FOR DISPERSAL OF FUNGI. SPORE GERMINATION IS A UNIQUE PROCESS IN FUNGI THAT INITIATES COLONIZATION OF BOTH DISEASE-CAUSING FUNGI AND OF HARMLESS AND BENEFICIAL FUNGI. HOWEVER, VERY LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THIS PROCESS, DESIPITE ITS IMPORTANCE TO THE INITIATION OF FUNGAL DISEASE IN AGRICULTURAL CROPS AND IN ANIMALS AND HUMANS. WE WILL INVESTIGATE THIS PROCESS TO DETERMINE THE IMPORTANT GENETIC ELEMENTS FOR THE PROCESS AND TO UNDERSTAND HOW FUNGI HAVE EVOLVED TO ATTACK SPECIFIC HOSTS INCLUDING PLANTS, INSECTS, FISH, MAMMALS, AND OTHER FUNGI VIA SPORE GERMINATION. WE WILL STUDY SEVEN MEMBERS OF THE FUNGAL CLASS SORDARIOMYCETES: TWO INSECT PATHOGENS (METARHIZIUM ANISOPLIAE AND CORDYCEPS MILITARIS), TWO PLANT PATHOGENS (ENDOPHYTE EPICHLOE FESTUCAE AND FUSARIUM GRAMINEARUM), TWO FUNGAL PARASITES (TOLYPOCLADIUM OPHIOGLOSSOIDES AND TRICHODERMA ASPERELLUM), AND A SAPROTROPH (NEUROSPORA CRASSA). COMPARATIVE GENOMICS AND GENE EXPRESSION ANALYSES WILL BE PERFORMED ON THESE FUNGI ON COMMON MEDIUM AND ON THEIR HOSTS TO OBTAIN INSIGHTS INTO THEIR SHARED GENETIC PROGRAMMING AND INTO THE EVOLVED BASIS OF THEIR DIVERGENT HOSTS. THE OUTCOMES OF THIS PROJECT WILL BE A GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT ALLOWS A FUNGUS TO TARGET A SPECIFIC HOST. THIS KNOWLEDGE CAN BE USED TO GENERATE NEW APPROACHES TO CONTROL OF PLANT AND ANIMAL FUNGAL PATHOGENS, AND USE FUNGI TO BETTER CONTROL DESCTRUCTIVE INSECTS. THIS PROJECT ADDRESSES THE USDA STRATEGIC GOAL OF PROTECTECTING AGRICULTURAL HEALTH BY PREVENTING AND MITIGATING THE SPREAD OF AGRICULTURAL PESTS AND DISEASES.