scholarly journals Identification of the Mating-Type (MAT) Locus That Controls Sexual Reproduction of Blastomyces dermatitidis

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 109-117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenjun Li ◽  
Thomas D. Sullivan ◽  
Eric Walton ◽  
Anna Floyd Averette ◽  
Sharadha Sakthikumar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Reproduction ◽  
Mating Type ◽  
Genetic Recombination ◽  
Sexual Cycle ◽  
Blastomyces Dermatitidis ◽  
Comparative Genomic ◽  
Dimorphic Fungi ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Northern United States

ABSTRACTBlastomyces dermatitidisis a dimorphic fungal pathogen that primarily causes blastomycosis in the midwestern and northern United States and Canada. While the genes controlling sexual development have been known for a long time, the genes controlling sexual reproduction ofB. dermatitidis(teleomorph,Ajellomyces dermatitidis) are unknown. We identified the mating-type (MAT) locus in theB. dermatitidisgenome by comparative genomic approaches. TheB. dermatitidis MATlocus resembles those of other dimorphic fungi, containing either an alpha-box (MAT1-1) or an HMG domain (MAT1-2) gene linked to theAPN2,SLA2, andCOX13genes. However, in some strains ofB. dermatitidis, theMATlocus harbors transposable elements (TEs) that make it unusually large compared to theMATlocus of other dimorphic fungi. Based on theMATlocus sequences ofB. dermatitidis, we designed specific primers for PCR determination of the mating type. TwoB. dermatitidisisolates of opposite mating types were cocultured on mating medium. Immature sexual structures were observed starting at 3 weeks of coculture, with coiled-hyphae-containing cleistothecia developing over the next 3 to 6 weeks. Genetic recombination was detected in potential progeny by mating-type determination, PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP), and random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analyses, suggesting that a meiotic sexual cycle might have been completed. The F1 progeny were sexually fertile when tested with strains of the opposite mating type. Our studies provide a model for the evolution of theMATlocus in the dimorphic and closely related fungi and open the door to classic genetic analysis and studies on the possible roles of mating and mating type in infection and virulence.

scholarly journals Molecular and Morphological Data Support the Existence of a Sexual Cycle in Species of the Genus Paracoccidioides

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 380-389 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcus de Melo Teixeira ◽  
Raquel Cordeiro Theodoro ◽  
Lorena da Silveira Derengowski ◽  
André Moraes Nicola ◽  
Eduardo Bagagli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Paracoccidioides Brasiliensis ◽  
Sexual Cycle ◽  
Morphological Data ◽  
Comparative Genomic ◽  
Mating Types ◽  
Isolated Populations ◽  
Dimorphic Fungi ◽  
Filamentous Form ◽  
Content Type

ABSTRACTThe genusParacoccidioidesincludes the thermodimorphic speciesParacoccidioides brasiliensisandP. lutzii, both of which are etiologic agents of paracoccidioidomycosis, a systemic mycosis that affects humans in Latin America. Despite the common occurrence of a sexual stage among closely related fungi, this has not been observed withParacoccidioidesspecies, which have thus been considered asexual. Molecular evolutionary studies revealed recombination events within isolated populations of the genusParacoccidioides, suggesting the possible existence of a sexual cycle. Comparative genomic analysis of all dimorphic fungi andSaccharomyces cerevisiaedemonstrated the presence of conserved genes involved in sexual reproduction, including those encoding mating regulators such as MAT, pheromone receptors, pheromone-processing enzymes, and mating signaling regulators. The expression of sex-related genes in the yeast and mycelial phases of bothParacoccidioidesspecies was also detected by real-time PCR, with nearly all of these genes being expressed preferentially in the filamentous form of the pathogens. In addition, the expression of sex-related genes was responsive to the putative presence of pheromone in the supernatants obtained from previous cocultures of strains of two different mating types.In vitrocrossing of isolates of different mating types, discriminated by phylogenetic analysis of the α-box (MAT1-1) and the high-mobility-group (HMG) domain (MAT1-2), led to the identification of the formation of young ascocarps with constricted coiled hyphae related to the initial stage of mating. These genomic and morphological analyses strongly support the existence of a sexual cycle in species of the genusParacoccidioides.

scholarly journals Multiple Pathways to Homothallism in Closely Related Yeast Lineages in the Basidiomycota

mBio ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Cabrita ◽  
Márcia David-Palma ◽  
Patrícia H. Brito ◽  
Joseph Heitman ◽  
Marco A. Coelho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Reproduction ◽  
Mating Type ◽  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Phaffia Rhodozyma ◽  
Sexual Cycle ◽  
Natural Setting ◽  
Single Individual ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Heterothallic Species

ABSTRACT Sexual reproduction in fungi relies on proteins with well-known functions encoded by the mating type (MAT) loci. In the Basidiomycota, MAT loci are often bipartite, with the P/R locus encoding pheromone precursors and pheromone receptors and the HD locus encoding heterodimerizing homeodomain transcription factors (Hd1/Hd2). The interplay between different alleles of these genes within a single species usually generates at least two compatible mating types. However, a minority of species are homothallic, reproducing sexually without an obligate need for a compatible partner. Here, we examine the organization and function of the MAT loci of Cystofilobasidium capitatum, a species in the order Cystofilobasidiales, which is unusually rich in homothallic species. We determined MAT gene content and organization in C. capitatum and found that it resembles a mating type of the closely related heterothallic species Cystofilobasidium ferigula. To explain the homothallic sexual reproduction observed in C. capitatum, we examined HD protein interactions in the two Cystofilobasidium species and determined C. capitatum MAT gene expression both in a natural setting and upon heterologous expression in Phaffia rhodozyma, a homothallic species belonging to a clade sister to that of Cystofilobasidium. We conclude that the molecular basis for homothallism in C. capitatum appears to be distinct from that previously established for P. rhodozyma. Unlike in the latter species, homothallism in C. capitatum may involve constitutive activation or dispensability of the pheromone receptor and the functional replacement of the usual Hd1/Hd2 heterodimer by an Hd2 homodimer. Overall, our results suggest that homothallism evolved multiple times within the Cystofilobasidiales. IMPORTANCE Sexual reproduction is important for the biology of eukaryotes because it strongly impacts the dynamics of genetic variation. In fungi, although sexual reproduction is usually associated with the fusion between cells belonging to different individuals (heterothallism), sometimes a single individual is capable of completing the sexual cycle alone (homothallism). Homothallic species are unusually common in a fungal lineage named Cystofilobasidiales. Here, we studied the genetic bases of homothallism in one species in this lineage, Cystofilobasidium capitatum, and found it to be different in several aspects from those of another homothallic species, Phaffia rhodozyma, belonging to the genus most closely related to Cystofilobasidium. Our results strongly suggest that homothallism evolved independently in Phaffia and Cystofilobasidium, lending support to the idea that transitions between heterothallism and homothallism are not as infrequent as previously thought. Our work also helps to establish the Cystofilobasidiales as a model lineage in which to study these transitions.

scholarly journals A Surface Glycoprotein Indispensable for Gamete Fusion in the Social Amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum

2012 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 638-644 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoshinori Araki ◽  
Hideki D. Shimizu ◽  
Kentaro Saeki ◽  
Marina Okamoto ◽  
Lixy Yamada ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Adhesion ◽  
Sexual Reproduction ◽  
Dictyostelium Discoideum ◽  
Mating Type ◽  
Surface Glycoprotein ◽  
Sexual Cycle ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Social Amoeba ◽  
The Social

ABSTRACT Sexual reproduction is essential for the maintenance of species in a wide variety of multicellular organisms, and even unicellular organisms that normally proliferate asexually possess a sexual cycle because of its contribution to increased genetic diversity. Information concerning the molecules involved in fertilization is accumulating for many species of the metazoan, plant, and fungal lineages, and the evolutionary consideration of sexual reproduction systems is now an interesting issue. Macrocyst formation in the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum is a sexual process in which cells become sexually mature under dark and submerged conditions and fuse with complementary mating-type cells. In the present study, we isolated D. discoideum insertional mutants defective in sexual cell fusion and identified the relevant gene, macA , which encodes a highly glycosylated, 2,041-amino-acid membrane protein (MacA). Although its overall similarity is restricted to proteins of unknown function within dictyostelids, it contains LamGL and discoidin domains, which are implicated in cell adhesion. The growth and development of macA -null mutants were indistinguishable from those of the parental strain. The overexpression of macA using the V18 promoter in a macA -null mutant completely restored its sexual defects. Although the macA gene encoded exactly the same protein in a complementary mating-type strain, it was expressed at a much lower level. These results suggest that MacA is indispensable for gamete interactions in D. discoideum , probably via cell adhesion. There is a possibility that it is controlled in a mating-type-dependent manner.

scholarly journals Parasexuality and Ploidy Change in Candida tropicalis

2013 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 1629-1640 ◽  
Author(s):  
Riyad N. H. Seervai ◽  
Stephen K. Jones ◽  
Matthew P. Hirakawa ◽  
Allison M. Porman ◽  
Richard J. Bennett
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Reproduction ◽  
Candida Tropicalis ◽  
Culture Conditions ◽  
Sexual Cycle ◽  
Chromosome Loss ◽  
Parasexual Cycle ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ploidy Changes ◽  
Diploid Cells

ABSTRACTCandidaspecies exhibit a variety of ploidy states and modes of sexual reproduction. Most species possess the requisite genes for sexual reproduction, recombination, and meiosis, yet only a few have been reported to undergo a complete sexual cycle including mating and sporulation.Candida albicans, the most studiedCandidaspecies and a prevalent human fungal pathogen, completes its sexual cycle via a parasexual process of concerted chromosome loss rather than a conventional meiosis. In this study, we examine ploidy changes inCandida tropicalis, a closely related species toC. albicansthat was recently revealed to undergo sexual mating.C. tropicalisdiploid cells mate to form tetraploid cells, and we show that these can be induced to undergo chromosome loss to regenerate diploid forms by growth on sorbose medium. The diploid products are themselves mating competent, thereby establishing a parasexual cycle in this species for the first time. Extended incubation (>120 generations) ofC. tropicalistetraploid cells under rich culture conditions also resulted in instability of the tetraploid form and a gradual reduction in ploidy back to the diploid state. The fitness levels ofC. tropicalisdiploid and tetraploid cells were compared, and diploid cells exhibited increased fitness relative to tetraploid cellsin vitro, despite diploid and tetraploid cells having similar doubling times. Collectively, these experiments demonstrate distinct pathways by which a parasexual cycle can occur inC. tropicalisand indicate that nonmeiotic mechanisms drive ploidy changes in this prevalent human pathogen.

scholarly journals Horizontal Gene Transfer Clarifies Taxonomic Confusion and Promotes the Genetic Diversity and Pathogenicity of Plesiomonas shigelloides

mSystems ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhiqiu Yin ◽  
Si Zhang ◽  
Yi Wei ◽  
Meng Wang ◽  
Shuangshuang Ma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Gene Transfer ◽  
Horizontal Gene Transfer ◽  
Evolutionary Dynamics ◽  
Genomic Analysis ◽  
Comparative Genomic ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Pan Genome ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Taxonomic Confusion

The taxonomic position of P. shigelloides has been the subject of debate for a long time, and until now, the evolutionary dynamics and pathogenesis of P. shigelloides were unclear. In this study, pan-genome analysis indicated extensive genetic diversity and the presence of large and variable gene repertoires. Our results revealed that horizontal gene transfer was the focal driving force for the genetic diversity of the P. shigelloides pan-genome and might have contributed to the emergence of novel properties. Vibrionaceae and Aeromonadaceae were found to be the predominant donor taxa for horizontal genes, which might have caused the taxonomic confusion historically. Comparative genomic analysis revealed the potential of P. shigelloides to cause intestinal and invasive diseases. Our results could advance the understanding of the evolution and pathogenesis of P. shigelloides, particularly in elucidating the role of horizontal gene transfer and investigating virulence-related elements.

scholarly journals Comparative Genomics Suggests Primary Homothallism of Pneumocystis Species

mBio ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
João M. G. C. F. Almeida ◽  
Ousmane H. Cissé ◽  
Álvaro Fonseca ◽  
Marco Pagni ◽  
Philippe M. Hauser
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Genomics ◽  
Sexual Reproduction ◽  
Mating Type ◽  
Fungal Pathogens ◽  
Pneumocystis Carinii ◽  
Severe Pneumonia ◽  
Genomic Region ◽  
Pneumocystis Jirovecii ◽  
Content Type

ABSTRACT   Pneumocystis species are fungal parasites of mammal lungs showing host specificity. Pneumocystis jirovecii colonizes humans and causes severe pneumonia in immunosuppressed individuals. In the absence of in vitro cultures, the life cycle of these fungi remains poorly known. Sexual reproduction probably occurs, but the system of this process and the mating type (MAT) genes involved are not characterized. In the present study, we used comparative genomics to investigate the issue in P. jirovecii and Pneumocystis carinii, the species infecting rats, as well as in their relative Taphrina deformans. We searched sex-related genes using 103 sequences from the relative Schizosaccharomyces pombe as queries. Genes homologous to several sex-related role categories were identified in all species investigated, further supporting sexuality in these organisms. Extensive in silico searches identified only three putative MAT genes in each species investigated (matMc, matMi, and matPi). In P. jirovecii, these genes clustered on the same contig, proving their contiguity in the genome. This organization seems compatible neither with heterothallism, because two different MAT loci on separate DNA molecules would have been detected, nor with secondary homothallism, because the latter involves generally more MAT genes. Consistently, we did not detect cis-acting sequences for mating type switching in secondary homothallism, and PCR revealed identical MAT genes in P. jirovecii isolates from six patients. A strong synteny of the genomic region surrounding the putative MAT genes exists between the two Pneumocystis species. Our results suggest the hypothesis that primary homothallism is the system of reproduction of Pneumocystis species and T. deformans. IMPORTANCE   Sexual reproduction among fungi can involve a single partner (homothallism) or two compatible partners (heterothallism). We investigated the issue in three pathogenic fungal relatives: Pneumocystis jirovecii, which causes severe pneumonia in immunocompromised humans; Pneumocystis carinii, which infects rats; and the plant pathogen Taphrina deformans. The nature, the number, and the organization within the genome of the genes involved in sexual reproduction were determined. The three species appeared to harbor a single genomic region gathering only three genes involved in sexual differentiation, an organization which is compatible with sexual reproduction involving a single partner. These findings illuminate the strategy adopted by fungal pathogens to infect their hosts.

scholarly journals Identification of Eighteen Berberis Species as Alternate Hosts of Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici and Virulence Variation in the Pathogen Isolates from Natural Infection of Barberry Plants in China

2013 ◽  
Vol 103 (9) ◽  
pp. 927-934 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Zhao ◽  
Long Wang ◽  
Zhiyan Wang ◽  
Xianming Chen ◽  
Hongchang Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Reproduction ◽  
Stripe Rust ◽  
Puccinia Striiformis ◽  
Genetic Recombination ◽  
Natural Infection ◽  
Rust Fungi ◽  
Sexual Cycle ◽  
Natural Conditions ◽  
Rust Pathogen ◽  
Its Regions

The wheat stripe rust pathogen (Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici) population in China has been reported to be a distinct genetic group with higher diversity than those in many other countries. Genetic recombination in the P. striiformis f. sp. tritici population has been identified with molecular markers but whether sexual reproduction occurs in China is unknown. In this study, we surveyed barberry plants for infection by rust fungi in the stripe rust “hotspot” regions in Gansu, Sichuan, and Shaanxi provinces; collected barberry plants and inoculated plants of 20 Berberis spp. with germinated teliospores under controlled greenhouse conditions for susceptibility to P. striiformis f. sp. tritici; and tested P. striiformis f. sp. tritici isolates obtained from aecia on naturally infected barberry plants on the wheat genotypes used to differentiate Chinese P. striiformis f. sp. tritici races to determine virulence variations. Different Berberis spp. were widely distributed and most surveyed plants had pycnia and aecia of rust fungi throughout the surveyed regions. In total, 28 Berberis spp. were identified during our study. From 20 Berberis spp. tested with teliospores of P. striiformis f. sp. tritici from wheat plants, 18 species were susceptible under greenhouse conditions. Among 3,703 aecia sampled from barberry plants of three species (Berberis shensiana, B. brachypoda, and B. soulieana) under natural infections in Gansu and Shaanxi provinces, four produced P. striiformis f. sp. tritici uredinia on susceptible wheat ‘Mingxian 169’. Sequence of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of the four isolates from barberry shared 99% identity with the P. striiformis f. sp. tritici sequences in the National Center for Biotechnology Information database. The four isolates had virulence patterns different from all previously reported races collected from wheat plants. Furthermore, 82 single-uredinium isolates obtained from the four barberry isolates had high virulence diversity rates of 9.0 to 28.1%, indicating that the diverse isolates were produced through sexual reproduction on barberry plants under natural conditions. In addition to P. striiformis f. sp. tritici, sequence analysis of polymerase chain reaction products of the ITS regions and inoculation tests on wheat identified P. graminis (the stem rust pathogen). Our results indicated that P. striiformis f. sp. tritici can infect some Berberis spp. under natural conditions, and the sexual cycle of the fungus may contribute to the diversity of P. striiformis f. sp. tritici in China.

scholarly journals Conserved Regulators of Mating Are Essential for Aspergillus fumigatus Cleistothecium Formation

2010 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 774-783 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edyta Szewczyk ◽  
Sven Krappmann
Keyword(s):  
Aspergillus Fumigatus ◽  
Genetic Recombination ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Hyphal Fusion ◽  
Expression Of Genes ◽  
Body Development ◽  
Fruiting Body Development ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
Long Time

ABSTRACT Sexual reproduction of the human pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus (teleomorph: Neosartorya fumigata) was assumed to be absent or cryptic until recently, when fertile crosses among geographically restricted environmental isolates were described. Here, we provide evidence for mating, fruiting body development, and ascosporogenesis accompanied by genetic recombination between unrelated, clinical isolates of A. fumigatus, and this evidence demonstrates the generality and reproducibility of this long-time-undisclosed phase in the life cycle of this heterothallic fungus. Successful mating requires the presence of both mating-type idiomorphs MAT1-1 and MAT1-2, as does expression of genes encoding factors presumably involved in this process. Moreover, analysis of an A. fumigatus mutant deleted for the nsdD gene suggests a role of this conserved regulator of cleistothecium development in hyphal fusion and hence heterokaryon formation.

scholarly journals Asexual Propagation of a Virulent Clone Complex in a Human and Feline Outbreak of Sporotrichosis

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 158-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcus de Melo Teixeira ◽  
Anderson Messias Rodrigues ◽  
Clement K. M. Tsui ◽  
Luiz Gonzaga Paulo de Almeida ◽  
Anne D. Van Diepeningen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variability ◽  
Mating Type ◽  
Sequence Data ◽  
Fungal Infections ◽  
Haplotype Diversity ◽  
Sporothrix Schenckii ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Comparative Genomic ◽  
Asexual Propagation ◽  
Content Type

ABSTRACT Sporotrichosis is one of the most frequent subcutaneous fungal infections in humans and animals caused by members of the plant-associated, dimorphic genus Sporothrix . Three of the four medically important Sporothrix species found in Brazil have been considered asexual as no sexual stage has ever been reported in Sporothrix schenckii , Sporothrix brasiliensis , or Sporothrix globosa . We have identified the mating type ( MAT ) loci in the S. schenckii (strain 1099-18/ATCC MYA-4821) and S. brasiliensis (strain 5110/ATCC MYA-4823) genomes by using comparative genomic approaches to determine the mating type ratio in these pathogen populations. Our analysis revealed the presence of a MAT1-1 locus in S. schenckii while a MAT1-2 locus was found in S. brasiliensis representing genomic synteny to other Sordariomycetes . Furthermore, the components of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)-pheromone pathway, pheromone processing enzymes, and meiotic regulators have also been identified in the two pathogens, suggesting the potential for sexual reproduction. The ratio of MAT1-1 to MAT1-2 was not significantly different from 1:1 for all three Sporothrix species, but the population of S. brasiliensis in the outbreaks originated from a single mating type. We also explored the population genetic structure of these pathogens using sequence data of two loci to improve our knowledge of the pattern of geographic distribution, genetic variation, and virulence phenotypes. Population genetics data showed significant population differentiation and clonality with a low level of haplotype diversity in S. brasiliensis isolates from different regions of sporotrichosis outbreaks in Brazil. In contrast, S. schenckii isolates demonstrated a high degree of genetic variability without significant geographic differentiation, indicating the presence of recombination. This study demonstrated that two species causing the same disease have contrasting reproductive strategies and genetic variability patterns.

scholarly journals Role of an Expanded Inositol Transporter Repertoire in Cryptococcus neoformans Sexual Reproduction and Virulence

mBio ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chaoyang Xue ◽  
Tongbao Liu ◽  
Lydia Chen ◽  
Wenjun Li ◽  
Iris Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Gene Family ◽  
Sexual Reproduction ◽  
Cryptococcus Neoformans ◽  
Yeast Cells ◽  
Sexual Cycle ◽  
Fungal Virulence ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Fungal Meningitis

ABSTRACTCryptococcus neoformansandCryptococcus gattiiare globally distributed human fungal pathogens and the leading causes of fungal meningitis. Recent studies reveal thatmyo-inositol is an important factor for fungal sexual reproduction. ThatC. neoformanscan utilizemyo-inositol as a sole carbon source and the existence of abundant inositol in the human central nervous system suggest that inositol is important forCryptococcusdevelopment and virulence. In accord with this central importance of inositol, an expandedmyo-inositol transporter (ITR) gene family has been identified inCryptococcus. This gene family contains two phylogenetically distinct groups, with a total of 10 or more members inC. neoformansand at least six members in the sibling speciesC. gattii. These inositol transporter genes are differentially expressed under inositol-inducing conditions based on quantitative real-time PCR analyses. Expression ofITRgenes in aSaccharomyces cerevisiaeitr1 itr2mutant lacking inositol transport can complement the slow-growth phenotype of this strain, confirming thatITRgenes arebona fideinositol transporters. Gene mutagenesis studies reveal that the Itr1 and Itr1A transporters are important formyo-inositol stimulation of mating and that functional redundancies among themyo-inositol transporters likely exist. Deletion of the inositol 1-phosphate synthase geneINO1in anitr1oritr1amutant background compromised virulence in a murine inhalation model, indicating the importance of inositol sensing and acquisition for fungal infectivity. Our study provides a platform for further understanding the roles of inositol in fungal physiology and virulence.IMPORTANCECryptococcus neoformansis an AIDS-associated human fungal pathogen that causes over 1 million cases of meningitis annually and is the leading cause of fungal meningitis in immunosuppressed patients. The initial cryptococcal infection is caused predominantly via inhalation of sexual spores or desiccated yeast cells from the environment. How this fungus completes its sexual cycle and produces infectious spores in nature and why it frequently infects the central nervous system to cause fatal meningitis are critical questions that remain to be understood. In this study, we demonstrate that inositol acquisition is important not only for fungal sexual reproduction but also for fungal virulence. We identified an expanded inositol transporter gene family that contains over 10 members, important for both fungal sexual reproduction and virulence. Our work contributes to our understanding of how fungi respond to the environmental inositol availability and its impact on sexual reproduction and virulence.

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