Abstract
Asexuality was considered to be a common feature of a large part of fungi, including those of the genus Aspergillus. However, recent advances and the available genomic and genetic engineering technologies allowed to gather more and more indications of a hidden sexuality in fungi previously considered asexual. In parallel, the acquired knowledge of the most suitable conditions for crossings was shown to be crucial to effectively promote sexual reproduction in the laboratory. These discoveries not only have consequences on our knowledge of the biological processes ongoing in nature, questioning if truly asexual fungal species exist, but they also have important implications on other research areas. For instance, the presence of sexuality in certain fungi can have effects on their pathogenicity or on shaping the ecosystem that they normally colonize. For these reasons, further investigations of the sexual potential of Aspergillus species, such as the industrially important A. niger, will be carried on.
Highlights
Asexuality was considered to be a common feature of a large part of fungi, including those of the genus Aspergillus
It was previously suggested that recombination derived from meiosis and the mating-type might play a role in the increased pathogenicity of certain Aspergillus isolates, such as Aspergillus fumigatus [18]
Genetic engineering strategies allowed the confirmation of the functionality of the MAT genes in the sexual development of A. fumigatus [41, 42], before a sexual cycle could be described for this species [24]
Summary
Asexuality was considered to be a common feature of a large part of fungi, including those of the genus Aspergillus. The scope of this primer is to provide an overview of the recent advances and the future perspectives in the discovery and in the study of sexuality in members of the genus Aspergillus, with a focus on the important industrial species Aspergillus niger.
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