9514008 MAY Fungi are one of the most diverse groups of organisms on earth yet little is known about the processes that generate and maintain this diversity. Moreover, the genetic diversity of fungi allows them to evolve new pathogenic types quickly in response to advances in crop breeding and medical practices. In this project, the reproductive biology of Coprinus cinereus is studied to determine the evolutionary forces acting on one important gene, which controls mating compatibility. Unlike animals with just two compatible types, C. cinereus has many and any two types are compatible. The diversity of mating-type genes along with their extreme levels of DNA sequence variation make them an excellent system for understanding the evolutionary forces acting on protein-coding genes. The observed patterns of sequence diversity will be compared with those predicted by theoretical models. The results will shed light on the maintenance of genetic diversity in many important highly variable genes such as mating compatibility genes in plants and histocompatibility genes in animals.
