Sexual reproduction is an important process amongst eukaryotic organisms, with one function being to maintain genetic variation. The idea that complex eukaryotic species can persist for millions of years in the absence of sex defies fundamental evolutionary dogma, yet a group of organisms known as ancient asexuals were thought to have evolved clonally under deep evolutionary time. Prominent among these are the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), which are obligate plant symbionts that colonize the root cells of plants and extend their hyphae into the soil assisting the plant in acquiring key nutrients. Unlike most eukaryotes, AMF cells are multinucleate with thousands of nuclei moving through a continuous cytoplasm. Genomic analyses have identified a putative mating-type (MAT) locus within the nuclear genomes of model AMF Rhizophagus irregularis, a region that in other fungi dictates the process of sexual reproduction. Additional findings demonstrated that AMF strains carry one of two nuclear organizations. They can be either homokaryotic (AMF homokaryons), where all nuclei within the cytoplasm are virtually identical, or heterokaryotic (AMF dikaryons), where two MAT-locus variants co-exist within the cytoplasm. Despite a lack of observable traits indicative of sex, this homo/heterokaryotic dichotomy is reminiscent of the nuclear organization of sexual fungi. My research aims to build on these findings to investigate the actual role of the MAT-locus in driving AMF reproduction. To address this, I build my thesis into three main chapters. The first chapter reviews our current understanding of AMF genetics and what drives genome evolution in these organisms. The second chapter establishes a relatively easy, inexpensive, and reproducible approach to genotype known MAT variants of R. irregularis in natural and experimental conditions. The last chapter uses experimental crossings between strains to assess cytoplasmic compatibility and nuclear exchange. I demonstrate that dikaryotic spore progenies can be formed after co-culturing two distinct AMF homokaryotic strains. Further analyses of various genomic regions also reveal possible recombination in homokaryotic spore progenies from co-cultures. Overall, this research provides new experimental insights into the origin of genetic diversity in AMF. These findings open avenues to produce genetically new AMF strains in the lab using conventional crossing procedures and provide a glimpse of the mechanisms that generate AMF genetic diversity in the field.

Submitted by Marlene Santos (marlene.bc.ufg@gmail.com) on 2017-09-29T19:13:24Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - William Andrés López Arboleda - 2015.pdf: 1579315 bytes, checksum: 378fd0e65f3b2919d56630143950ed75 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2017-10-02T13:35:40Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - William Andrés López Arboleda - 2015.pdf: 1579315 bytes, checksum: 378fd0e65f3b2919d56630143950ed75 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-10-02T13:35:40Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - William Andrés López Arboleda - 2015.pdf: 1579315 bytes, checksum: 378fd0e65f3b2919d56630143950ed75 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-03-27 / Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is a phytopathogenic fungus that infects more than 400 plant species, including common bean. Genetic variability studies in connection with phenotypic traits of agronomic interest are important to drive the control strategies against this pathogen. The aims of this study were: to evaluate the genetic variability, fungicide sensitivity, aggressiveness and to determine the proportion of MAT (Mating Type) alleles of 79 isolates of S. sclerotiorum distributed in four populations from common bean. Two populations represented a single sampling location in two different times (2000 and 2013 growing seasons). To evaluate the fungicide sensitivity a cell viability test based on the alamarBlue dye using mycelial growth was standardized. Dose-response curves for fluazinam, procymidone and benomyl were estimated using this test and were compared with dose-response curves estimated by the mycelial growth inhibition on PDA plate and the FRAC (Fungicide Resistance Action Committee) protocol. Despite the differences to assess the fungicide sensitivity between the three methods, the dose-response curves showed similar trends for the three fungicides. The fungicide sensitivity assessment at the four populations showed low sensitivity to benomyl in the Planaltina population. Furthermore, this population presented a principally clonal population structure, with a haplotype represented by 18 out of 20 isolates. Significant population differentiation in all pairwise comparisons of phi, except the comparison between EV_2013-NH, was detected. Five genetically homogeneous groups were inferred by the DAPC analysis. No group was conformed by isolates from the four populations. Only two haplotypes between the two populations from the same sampling location were shared. The hypothesis of random mating was rejected at the four populations; however this hypothesis was not rejected at the two major populations inferred by the DAPC analysis. The screening of mating type locus showed a dominance of Inv+ isolates and a high proportion of Inv+/Inv- isolates (presumable heterokaryons). / Sclerotinia sclerotiorum é um fungo fitopatogênico capaz de colonizar mais de 400 hospedeiras, sendo o agente causal do mofo branco no feijoeiro. Estudos de variabilidade genética associados a características fenotípicas de interesse agronômico, como a sensibilidade a fungicidas, oferecem informações importantes para direcionar estratégias de controle sobre este patógeno. Os objetivos deste trabalho foram avaliar a variabilidade genética, sensibilidade a fungicidas e agressividade de 79 isolados de S. sclerotiorum distribuídos em quatro populações procedentes de culturas de feijoeiro em pivô central. Duas destas populações representaram um único local de coleta em duas épocas diferentes (2000 e 2013). Para avaliar a sensibilidade a fungicidas foi padronizado um teste de viabilidade celular baseado no corante alamarBlue® sobre o crescimento micelial em microplaca de 96 poços. Curvas de dose-resposta para os fungicidas fluazinam, procimidona e benomyl, usando um isolado de S. sclerotiorum, foram estimadas com este método, e comparadas com curvas de dose-resposta obtidas com os métodos de inibição do crescimento em placa e o proposto pelo Fungicide Resistance Action Committee (FRAC). Apesar das diferentes abordagens as curvas dose-resposta mostraram tendências semelhantes para os três fungicidas. A avaliação da sensibilidade a fungicidas nas quatro populações indicou uma alta insensibilidade ao benomyl na população de Planaltina. Por outro lado, a estrutura populacional foi principalmente clonal com um haplótipo representado por 18 dos 20 isolados desta população. Diferenciação populacional significativa foi detectada em todas as comparações par a par do phi, com a exceção da comparação EV-2013-NH. A analise DAPC identificou cinco grupos geneticamente homogêneos. Nenhum dos grupos esteve constituído por isolados das quatro populações. Só dois haplótipos foram compartilhados pelas populações EV_2000 e EV_2013. A hipótese de acasalamento aleatório foi rejeitada nas quatro populações, no entanto não foi rejeitada nas duas maiores populações sugeridas pelo DAPC. O screening do Mating type locus (MAT) mostrou uma prevalência de isolados Inv+ e uma alta proporção de isolados Inv+/Inv-