Tracing the evolution and genomic dynamics of mating-type loci in <i>Cryptococcus</i> pathogens and closely related species.

ABSTRACT: Sexual reproduction in basidiomycete fungi is governed by MAT loci (P/R and HD), which exhibit remarkable evolutionary plasticity, characterized by expansions, rearrangements, and gene losses often associated with mating system transitions. The sister genera Cryptococcus and Kwoniella provide a powerful framework for studying MAT loci evolution owing to their diverse reproductive strategies and distinct architectures, spanning bipolar and tetrapolar systems with either linked or unlinked MAT loci. Building on recent comparative genomic analyses, we generated additional chromosome-level assemblies, uncovering distinct trajectories shaping MAT loci organization. Contrasting with the small-scale expansions and gene acquisitions observed

SUBMITTER: Coelho MA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11844451 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature