Genes involved in sexual reproduction

Sexual reproduction in the field by means of apothecia seems to be important for Botrytis cinerea and other Botrytis species. Apothecial development is governed by the mating-type (MAT) locus, which contains a number of novel genes, lacking homologs outside the Sclerotiniaceae, and some unusual sequence features. We study MAT locus sequence and evolution in the genus Botrytis, as well as the functionality of genes in the MAT locus of Botrytis cinearea.