Molecular dissection of perithecial mating line development in < em > Colletotrichum fructicola < /em > , a species with a nontypical mating system featured by plus-to-minus switch and plus-minus mediated sexual enhancement

This study provides insights into mechanisms underlying the mysterious phenomenon of plus-minus mediated sexual enhancement being unique to Colletotrichum fungi.IMPORTANCEPlus-minus regulation of Colletotrichum sexual differentiation was reported in the early 1900s. Both plus and minus strains produce fertile perithecia in a homothallic but inefficient manner. However, when the two strain types encounter each other, efficient differentiation of fertile perithecia is triggered. The plus strain, by itself, can also generate minus ascospore progeny at high frequency. This nontypical mating system facilitates sexual reproduction and is Colletotrichum-specific, the underlying molecular mechanisms, however, remain elusive. The current study revisits this longstanding mystery using C. fructicola as an experimental system. The presence of both cross-fertilized and self-fertilized perithecia within the mating line were directly evidenced by live cell imaging with fluorescent markers. Based on further gene expression and gene mutation analysis, a model explaining mating line development (plus-minus mediated sexual enhancement) is proposed. Data reported here has the potential to better understand Colletotrichum mating and filamentous ascomycete sexual regulation.PMID:33863706 | DOI:10.1128/AEM.00474-21
Source: Applied and Environmental Microbiology - Category: Microbiology Authors: Source Type: research