Structure and number of mating pheromone genes is closely linked to sexual reproductive strategy in Huntiella.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Huntiella resides in the Ceratocystidaceae, a family of fungi that accommodates important plant pathogens and insect-associated saprotrophs. Species in the genus have either heterothallic or unisexual (a form of homothallism) mating systems, providing an opportunity to investigate the genetic mechanisms that enable transitions between reproductive strategies in related species. Two newly sequenced Huntiella genomes are introduced in this study and comparative genomics and transcriptomics tools are used to investigate the differences between heterothallism and unisexuality across the genus.

Results

Heterothallic species harbored up to seven copies of the a-factor pheromone, each of which possessed numerous mature peptide repeats. In comparison, unisexual Huntiella

SUBMITTER: Wilson AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10182648 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature