Self-nonself recognition systems as drivers of speciation in fungi

A universal feature of cellular organisms is the capacity to recognize self from nonself, which ensures correct identification of mating partners, protection from parasites, and stability of multicellular growth. The genes controlling self-nonself recognition are typically fast-evolving and can affect multiple phenotypic traits.

As one of these traits is sexual compatibility, I propose that the evolution of self-nonself recognition genes can contribute to the buildup of reproductive isolation, and ultimately speciation.

One group of such genes, the NOD-like receptors (NLRs), are important components of the innate immune system in plants and animals.

NLRs also exist in the fungus Podospora anserina, where they are known to cause sexual incompatibility and offspring inviability.

Over the course of three years, I will characterize the molecular function of two P. anserina NLRs and study their micro- and macroevolutionary dynamics using strain transformations, long-read amplicon sequencing, population genomics, and interspecies crosses.

The project will be co-mentored by Rike Stelkens (Stockholm University), Pierre Gladieux (INRAE Montpellier) and Sven Saupe (University of Bordeaux).

The results will contribute to our understanding of the genetics of reproductive isolation in fungi, while setting the stage for a larger assessment of NLR-mediated convergent evolution in the speciation process across different eukaryotic groups.