Research interests:

Fruiting-body development in filamentous ascomycetes is a complex cellular differentiation process that requires special environmental conditions and is controlled by many developmentally regulated genes. We are interested in the genes regulating this development process. We use the homothallic (self-fertile) ascomycete Sordaria macrospora as a model organism. Since S. macrospora is able to complete the sexual cycle without a mating partner, recessive mutations affecting fruiting body development are directly visible. Numerous mutants which are blocked at various stages of fruiting-body development have been generated and molecular genetic procedures have been applied to isolate genes involved in fruiting-body.

Sordaria macrospora projects:

• Fruiting-body development in fungi – complementation of developmental mutants


• Analysis of mating-type genes, pheromones and pheromone receptors


• The role of carbonic anhydrases in the development of Sordaria macrospora


• Autophagy in filamentous ascomycetes


• Fungal inteins