Publication Date:
2024-01-12
Description:
The genus Calonectria includes many important plant pathogens with a wide global distribution. In order
\nto better understand the reproductive biology of these fungi, we characterised the structure of the mating type locus
\nand flanking genes using the genome sequences for seven Calonectria species. Primers to amplify the mating type
\ngenes in other species were also developed. PCR amplification of the mating type genes and multi-gene phylogenetic
\nanalyses were used to investigate the mating strategies and evolution of mating type in a collection of 70 Calonectria
\nspecies residing in 10 Calonectria species complexes. Results showed that the organisation of the MAT locus and
\nflanking genes is conserved. In heterothallic species, a novel MAT gene, MAT1-2-12 was identified in the MAT1-2
\nidiomorph; the MAT1-1 idiomorph, in most cases, contained the MAT1-1-3 gene. Neither MAT1-1-3 nor MAT1-2-12
\nwas found in homothallic Calonectria (Ca.) hongkongensis, Ca. lateralis, Ca. pseudoturangicola and Ca. turangicola.
\nFour different homothallic MAT locus gene arrangements were observed. Ancestral state reconstruction analysis
\nprovided evidence that the homothallic state was basal in Calonectria and this evolved from a heterothallic ancestor.
Keywords:
Ecology
;
Evolution
;
Behavior and Systematics
;
Cylindrocladium
;
fungal biology
;
fungal pathogens
;
MAT locus
;
mating type
;
phylogeny
;
sexual reproduction
Repository Name:
National Museum of Natural History, Netherlands
Type:
info:eu-repo/semantics/article
Format:
application/pdf
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