Needles in fungal haystacks: Discovery of a putative a-factor pheromone and a unique mating strategy in the Leotiomycetes.

ABSTRACT: The Leotiomycetes is a hugely diverse group of fungi, accommodating a wide variety of important plant and animal pathogens, ericoid mycorrhizal fungi, as well as producers of antibiotics. Despite their importance, the genetics of these fungi remain relatively understudied, particularly as they don't include model taxa. For example, sexual reproduction and the genetic mechanisms that underly this process are poorly understood in the Leotiomycetes. We exploited publicly available genomic and transcriptomic resources to identify genes of the mating-type locus and pheromone response pathway in an effort to characterize the mating strategies and behaviors of 124 Leotiomycete species. Our analyses identified a putative a-factor mating pheromone in these species. This significant finding represen

SUBMITTER: Wilson AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10569646 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature