Fungal clones win the battle, but recombination wins the war

Clonal reproduction is common in fungi and fungal-like organisms during epidemics and invasion events. The success of clonal fungi shaped systems for their classification and some pathogens are tacitly treated as asexual. We argue that genetic recombination driven by sexual reproduction must be a st...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:IMA fungus 2019-10, Vol.10 (1), p.1-18, Article 18
Main Authors: Drenth, André, McTaggart, Alistair R, Wingfield, Brenda D
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptability
Asexuality
Cloning
Epidemics
Evolution
Fungal adaptation
Fungal pathogens
Fungi
Genes
Genetic diversity
Genetic engineering
Hybridization
Hypotheses
Invasive species
MycoLens
Pathogens
Plant diseases
Population
Recombination
Sexual reproduction
Taxonomy
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Summary:Clonal reproduction is common in fungi and fungal-like organisms during epidemics and invasion events. The success of clonal fungi shaped systems for their classification and some pathogens are tacitly treated as asexual. We argue that genetic recombination driven by sexual reproduction must be a starting hypothesis when dealing with fungi for two reasons: (1) Clones eventually crash because they lack adaptability; and (2) fungi find a way to exchange genetic material through recombination, whether sexual, parasexual, or hybridisation. Successful clones may prevail over space and time, but they are the product of recombination and the next successful clone will inevitably appear. Fungal pathogen populations are dynamic rather than static, and they need genetic recombination to adapt to a changing environment.
ISSN:2210-6359
2210-6340
2210-6359
DOI:10.1186/s43008-019-0020-8