| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3399231 | Current Opinion in Microbiology | 2011 | 6 Pages |
Fungi have some of the most diverse sex lives in nature, ranging from self-fertility to obligate outcrossing systems with several thousand different sexes, although at least 20% of fungal species have no known sexual stage. However, recent evidence suggests that many supposed ‘asexual’ species do indeed have the potential to undergo sexual reproduction. Using experimental and genomic findings from Aspergillus and Penicillium species as examples, it is argued that evidence such as the presence and expression of apparently functional sex-related genes, the distribution of mating-type genes, detection of recombination from population genetic analyses, and the discovery of extant sexual cycles reveal an on-going revolution in the understanding of fungal asexuality.
► Recent evidence suggests that many supposed ‘asexual’ fungal species have the potential to undergo sexual reproduction. ► Experimental and genomic findings show that certain criteria or ‘sex tests’ can provide evidence for cryptic sexuality. ► Criteria include the distribution of mating-type genes and the detection of recombination from population genetic analyses. ► Recent discoveries of extant sexual cycles in previously considered asexual Aspergillus and Penicillium species are listed. ► The taxonomic implications and arguments for an ongoing revolution in the understanding of fungal asexuality are discussed.
