PhD student
I am a PhD student studying the sexual strategies of fungi in the family Ceratocystidaceae. My interest in the mating systems of fungi began during the final two years of my undergraduate degree as a TPCP/CTHB mentorship student at FABI. I continued this theme during my BSc Honours degree when I studied the mating-type genes of a group of plant and tree pathogens from the genus Davidsoniella.
For my MSc degree, I looked at different genetic transformation systems to transform the African tree pathogen Ceratocystis albifundus. I also explored the transferability of an Agrobacterium-mediated transformation protocol to other members of the family Ceratocystidaceae. From the eight species tested, each representing a different genus, I successfully transformed six. This study will provide a starting point for establishing transformation systems in these and related species of Ceratocystidaceae. This work will further contribute to future studies on the functionality of numerous genes of interest within these species.
My PhD aims to determine the roles of individual mating-type genes in Ceratocystis albifundus using the transformation systems investigated during my Masters. I will also be looking into the expression profiles of pheromone and pheromone receptor genes in natural isolates and in mutant strains. This will allow us to better understand the purpose of these gene in the unusual mating strategy of C. albifundus known as unidirectional mating-type switching. This system is also seen in other globally important plant and tree pathogens in the family Ceratocystidaceae. By studying their mating strategies, we can better understand the population dynamics of these species.
Nickles GR, Stokes CK, Narh DL, Lynn KMT, Fuqua SR, Bryan C, Allen BM, Bivins CP, Bok JW, Brewer JS, Buthelezi ST, Clark JPRM, Coon KL, Corby LR, Coetzee MPA, Dewing C, Duong TA, Harris MA, Keller NP, Kopotsa K, Lane FA, Nichols HL, Nieuwoudt A, Nuñez MA, Medina Munoz ME, Park SC, Pham NQ, Ryan KT, Solís M, Vilgalys R, Wallace JM, Wang YW, Wingfield BD, Wingfield MJ, Worley TK, Zallek TA, Zamanian M, Hoeksma JD, Drott M, Pringle A. (2026) Equipped for success: Genomes and metabolites of the European Amanita muscaria are conserved in its novel South African range. New Phytologist 10.1111/nph.71064
Lane FA, Wingfield BD, Wingfield MJ, Wilken PM. (2025) Mating-type locus structure affects gene expression in unidirectional mating-type switching fungi. bioRxiv 10.1101/2025.10.10.681704
Swalarsk-Parry BS, De Vos L, Fru FF, Santana QC, van der Nest MA, Wingfield BD, Wingfield MJ, Herron DA, Ramaswe JB, Dewing C, Sayari M, van der Merwe NA, van Wyk S, Lane FA, Wilson AM, Adegeye OO, Soal NC, Price J-L, Steenkamp ET. (2024) Wide variation in aggressiveness and growth in South African Fusarium circinatum isolates with geographical origin as the primary determinant. Southern Forests: a Journal of Forest Science 10.2989/20702620.2024.2363749
Wilken PM, Lane FA, Steenkamp ET, Wingfield MJ, Wingfield BD. (2023) Unidirectional mating-type switching is underpinned by a conserved MAT1 locus architecture. Fungal genetics and Biology 10.1016/j.fgb.2023.103859
Lane FA, Du Plessis D, Wingfield BD, Wilken PM. (2021) Transferring an Agrobacterium‐mediated transformation protocol across eight genera in the Ceratocystidaceae. Forest Pathology 10.1111/efp.12688
van der Nest MA, Chávez R, De Vos L, Duong TA, Gil-Durán C, Ferreira MA, Lane FA, Levicán G, Santana QC, Steenkamp ET, Suzuki H, Tello M, Rakoma JR, Vaca I, Valdés N, Wilken PM, Wingfield MJ, Wingfield BD. (2021) Draft genome sequences of Penicillium roqueforti, Fusarium sororula, Chrysoporthe puriensis, and Chalaropsis populi. IMA Fungus 10.1186/s43008-021-00055-1
Krämer D, Lane FA, Steenkamp ET, Wingfield BD, Wilken PM. (2021) Unidirectional mating-type switching confers self-fertility to Thielaviopsis cerberus, the only homothallic species in the genus. Fungal Biology 10.1016/j.funbio.2020.12.007
Wilken PM, Aylward J, Chand R, Grewe F, Lane FA, Sinha S, Ametrano C, Distefano I, Divakur PK, Duong TA, Huhndorf S, Kharwar RN, Lumbsch HT, Navathe S, Pérez CA, Ramírez-Berrutti N, Sharma R, Sun Y, Wingfield BD, Wingfield MJ. (2020) Draft genome sequences of Ambrosiella cleistominuta, Cercospora brassicicola, C. citrullina, Physcia stellaris and Teratosphaeria pseudoeucalypti.. IMA Fungus 10.1186/s43008-020-00039-7
Wingfield BD, Liu M, Nguyen HDT, Lane FA, Morgan SW, De Vos L, Wilken PM, Doung TA, Aylward J, Coetzee MPA, Dadej K, De Beer ZW, Findlay W, Havenga M, Kolarik M, Menzies JG, Naidoo K, Pochopski O, Shoukouhi P, Santana QC, Seifert KA, Soal NA, Steenkamp ET, Tatham CT, Van der Nest MA, Wingfield MJ. (2018) Nine draft genome sequences of Claviceps purpurea s.lat., including C. arundinis, C. humidiphila, and C. cf. spartinae, pseudomolecules for the pitch canker pathogen Fusarium circinatum, draft genome of Davidsoniella eucalypti, Grosmannia galeiformis, Quambalaria eucalypti, and Teratosphaeria destructans. IMA Fungus 10.5598/imafungus.2018.09.02.10