Parasexual cycle of Verticillium dahliae

Approximately one-fifth of fungi are known to reproduce only asexually despite the supposed evolutionary benefits of sexual reproduction and recombination. Although the parasexual cycle, an alternative pathway to meiosis for recombination, has been known since the early days of fungal genetics, very little is known about its molecular mechanisms, and the extent and patterns of resulting genomic diversification in filamentous fungi. In this project, we examined parasexual progeny isolated from heterokaryons of the important plant-pathogenic ascomycete Verticillium dahliae. Genomes of parasexually derived strains were sequenced and analyzed in comparison to the genomes of their parental strains to provide insights into the mechanisms and extent of genomic reshuffling through the parasexual cycle.