Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42501350›Full record

ArticleMolecular ecology2026

Homothallic or Heterothallic? A Genomic Investigation Into the Sexual Capabilities of the Ascomycete Fungus Clonostachys rosea.

David Manyara, Andi M Wilson, Edoardo Piombo, Mikael Brandström Durling, Martin Broberg, Birgit Jensen, Alessandra Ruffino, Sidhant Chaudhary, Henrik H De Fine Licht, Mukesh Dubey and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Molecular ecology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

David ManyaraDepartment of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8370-2651
Andi M WilsonDepartment of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3239-0045
Edoardo PiomboDepartment of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2830-1967
Mikael Brandström DurlingDepartment of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6485-197X
Martin BrobergDepartment of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.
Birgit JensenDepartment of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2476-805X
Alessandra RuffinoDepartment of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.
Sidhant ChaudharyDepartment of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0004-8656-3724
Henrik H De Fine LichtDepartment of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3326-5729
Mukesh DubeyDepartment of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7393-366X
Magnus KarlssonDepartment of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6098-138X

Funding

SLU grogrundSvenska Forskningsrådet Formas 942-2015-1128Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Modes of reproduction and sexual strategies strongly influence the genetic diversity and evolutionary potential of a species. The ascomycete fungus Clonostachys rosea is reported to be homothallic (sexually self-fertile), although a rapid decay of genome-wide linkage disequilibrium is also reported, something that is not in line with an obligate homothallic mode of reproduction. To investigate this phenomenon, we identified the mating-type (MAT1) locus in 66 genome-sequenced C. rosea strains under the hypothesis that each strain contains genes from both MAT1 idiomorphs. Eleven strains indeed contained genes from both the MAT1-1 and MAT1-2 idiomorphs, suggesting homothallism. However, most strains harboured genes from either the MAT1-1 or MAT1-2 idiomorphs and co-existed in North America, Europe and China, suggesting heterothallism. The MAT1 locus of heterothallic strains was highly conserved, and the linkage disequilibrium half decay distance was 1050 bp, suggesting sexual outcrossing. The presence of conserved MAT1-1 or MAT1-2 idiomorphs in strains of other Clonostachys species shows that heterothallism is likely the ancestral state. A phylogenetic analysis of 2800 single-copy orthologous genes revealed that homothallic and heterothallic strains separated in two well-supported clades, indicating a single lineage of homothallic C. rosea, likely originating in South America, followed by intercontinental dispersal. Homothallic C. rosea strains displayed higher nucleotide diversity than heterothallic strains, indicating a lack of outcrossing. This unique case of both homothallic and heterothallic lineages within the same species provides an opportunity to study the genomic consequences of selfing in very closely related strains.

Indexed as

Genes, Mating Type, FungalHypocrealesDNA, FungalEvolution, MolecularGenetic VariationGenome, FungalLinkage DisequilibriumPhylogenyReproductionSequence Analysis, DNADNA, FungalClonostachys roseaevolutionheterothallismhomothallismmating‐type locuspopulation genomics

Identifiers

PMID42501350
PMCPMC13401452

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.