Fertility depression among cheese-making Penicillium roqueforti strains suggests degeneration during domestication.

ABSTRACT: Genetic differentiation occurs when gene flow is prevented, due to reproductive barriers or asexuality. Investigating the early barriers to gene flow is important for understanding the process of speciation. Here, we therefore investigated reproductive isolation between different genetic clusters of the fungus Penicillium roqueforti, used for maturing blue cheeses, and also occurring as food spoiler or in silage. We investigated premating and postmating fertility between and within three genetic clusters (two from cheese and one from other substrates), and we observed sexual structures under scanning electron microscopy. All intercluster types of crosses showed some fertility, suggesting that no intersterility has evolved between domesticated and wild populations despite adaptation to diff

SUBMITTER: Ropars J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5129480 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature