Sex and the Imperfect Fungi

Overview

Journal Microbiol Spectr

Specialty Microbiology

Date 2017 Jun 10

PMID 28597816

Citations 20

Authors

Paul S Dyer

Ulrich Kuck

Affiliations

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Abstract

Approximately 20% of species in the fungal kingdom are only known to reproduce by asexual means despite the many supposed advantages of sexual reproduction. However, in recent years, sexual cycles have been induced in a series of emblematic "asexual" species. We describe how these discoveries were made, building on observations of evidence for sexual potential or "cryptic sexuality" from population genetic analyses; the presence, distribution, and functionality of mating-type genes; genome analyses revealing the presence of genes linked to sexuality; the functionality of sex-related genes; and formation of sex-related developmental structures. We then describe specific studies that led to the discovery of mating and sex in certain , , , and species and discuss the implications of sex including the beneficial exploitation of the sexual cycle. We next consider whether there might be any truly asexual fungal species. We suggest that, although rare, imperfect fungi may genuinely be present in nature and that certain human activities, combined with the genetic flexibility that is a hallmark of the fungal kingdom, might favor the evolution of asexuality under certain conditions. Finally, we argue that fungal species should not be thought of as simply asexual or sexual, but rather as being composed of isolates on a continuum of sexual fertility.

Citing Articles

Rethinking asexuality: the enigmatic case of functional sexual genes in Lepraria (Stereocaulaceae).

Doellman M, Sun Y, Barcenas-Pena A, Lumbsch H, Grewe F BMC Genomics. 2024; 25(1):1003.

PMID: 39455957 PMC: 11515122. DOI: 10.1186/s12864-024-10898-8.

Functional analysis of the mating type genes in Verticillium dahliae.

Zhang Y, Ji X, Zong J, Dai X, Klosterman S, Subbarao K BMC Biol. 2024; 22(1):108.

PMID: 38714997 PMC: 11077750. DOI: 10.1186/s12915-024-01900-6.

The Gene a Major Target of Transcription Factor MAT1-1-1 Encodes a Nuclear Protein Involved in Sporulation.

Ramsak B, Kuck U Front Fungal Biol. 2023; 3:937023.

PMID: 37746180 PMC: 10512297. DOI: 10.3389/ffunb.2022.937023.

Population genomics reveals meiotic recombination in .

Fokkens L, Rep M Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2023; 120(30):e2309677120.

PMID: 37463217 PMC: 10372575. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2309677120.

Comparative genomic study of the Penicillium genus elucidates a diverse pangenome and 15 lateral gene transfer events.

Petersen C, Sorensen T, Nielsen M, Sondergaard T, Sorensen J, Fitzpatrick D IMA Fungus. 2023; 14(1):3.

PMID: 36726175 PMC: 9893605. DOI: 10.1186/s43008-023-00108-7.

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