Comparative population genomics of the leprose asexual lichenized fungi Lepraria spp.
Faculty Mentor
Jessica Allen
Document Type
Oral Presentation
Start Date
10-5-2023 10:45 AM
End Date
10-5-2023 11:05 AM
Location
PUB 319
Department
Biology
Abstract
Lepraria is a genus of lichenized fungi that reproduce exclusively through clonal propagation and have never been observed to produce sexual structures. Despite this, previous research demonstrated that Lepraria neglecta possesses an intact and highly conserved mating type (MAT) locus. The presence of genes widely recognized as the center of control for sexual reproduction in this genus raises questions about the reproduction biology of Lepraria spp. and about the functions of MAT genes in fungi generally. Clonal reproduction is plagued by the accumulation of deleterious mutations including transposable elements and clonal interference. Predominantly or exclusively asexual organisms must develop mechanisms to manage these issues with clonal reproduction, or they will go extinct. Here, we present the reference genome assemblies and MAT locus characterizations of five Lepraria species. We additionally collected 260 specimens of Lepraria finkii and 112 individuals of Lepraria lanata across their respective ranges in the Appalachians Mountains to investigate the landscape-level distribution of MAT genes and test for chromosome recombination in populations of Lepraria finkii and Lepraria lanata. This research represents a new synthesis of micro and macro evolutionary processes in a putatively asexual genus.
Recommended Citation
Pfeffer, Bubba, "Comparative population genomics of the leprose asexual lichenized fungi Lepraria spp." (2023). 2023 Symposium. 4.
https://dc.ewu.edu/srcw_2023/res_2023/os2_2023/4
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Comparative population genomics of the leprose asexual lichenized fungi Lepraria spp.
PUB 319
Lepraria is a genus of lichenized fungi that reproduce exclusively through clonal propagation and have never been observed to produce sexual structures. Despite this, previous research demonstrated that Lepraria neglecta possesses an intact and highly conserved mating type (MAT) locus. The presence of genes widely recognized as the center of control for sexual reproduction in this genus raises questions about the reproduction biology of Lepraria spp. and about the functions of MAT genes in fungi generally. Clonal reproduction is plagued by the accumulation of deleterious mutations including transposable elements and clonal interference. Predominantly or exclusively asexual organisms must develop mechanisms to manage these issues with clonal reproduction, or they will go extinct. Here, we present the reference genome assemblies and MAT locus characterizations of five Lepraria species. We additionally collected 260 specimens of Lepraria finkii and 112 individuals of Lepraria lanata across their respective ranges in the Appalachians Mountains to investigate the landscape-level distribution of MAT genes and test for chromosome recombination in populations of Lepraria finkii and Lepraria lanata. This research represents a new synthesis of micro and macro evolutionary processes in a putatively asexual genus.
