Abstract:
Sexual reproduction in filamentous ascomycete fungi results in the production of highly
specialized sexual tissues, which arise from relatively simple, vegetative mycelia. This conversion
takes place after the recognition of and response to a variety of exogenous and endogenous cues,
and relies on very strictly regulated gene, protein, and metabolite pathways. This makes studying
sexual development in fungi an interesting tool in which to study gene–gene, gene–protein, and
protein–metabolite interactions. This review provides an overview of some of the most important genes
involved in this process; from those involved in the conversion of mycelia into sexually-competent
tissue, to those involved in the development of the ascomata, the asci, and ultimately, the ascospores.
