Ulocladium was thought to be a strictly asexual genus of filamentous fungi. However, Ulocladium strains were shown to possess both MAT1-1-1 and MAT1-2-1 genes as observed in homothallic filamentous Ascomycetes. Here, we demonstrate that the U. botrytis MAT genes play essential roles for controlling asexual traits (conidial size and number). Using reciprocal genetic transformation, we demonstrate that MAT genes from the related heterothallic species Cochliobolus heterostrophus can also influence U. botrytis colony growth, conidial number and size, and have a strong effect on the range of the number of septa/conidium. Moreover, U. botrytis MAT genes can also affect similar aspects of asexual reproduction when expressed in C. heterostrophus. Heterologous complementation using C. heterostrophus MAT genes shows that they have lost the ability to regulate sexual reproduction in U. botrytis, under the conditions we employed, while the reciprocal heterologous complementation demonstrates that U. botrytis MAT genes have the ability to partially induce sexual reproduction in C. heterostrophus. Thus, the genetic backgrounds of C. heterostrophus and U. botrytis play significant roles in determining the function of MAT genes on sexual reproduction in these two fungi species. These data further support the role of MAT genes in controlling asexual growth in filamentous Ascomycetes but also confirm that heterothallic and homothallic Dothideomycete fungi can be interconverted by the exchange of MAT genes.

Through the field test of Mayanpo slope at Xiangjiaba Hydropower Station, external deformation, deep deformation, groundwater level and stability of the slope with weak interlayer are analyzed in this paper. The results show that: ① displacement deformation increases with time and decreases with increasing depth. Changes of displacement can be divided into three stages: deformation rapidly increases in the early, and slowly increases in the medium, and becomes gradually stable in the later. Changing rate of displacement decreases with time, and the rate can also be divided into three stages, basically consistent with the displacement changing stage; ② a certain thickness of weak interlayer and evident dislocation exists in slope strata. Dislocation rate first increases and then decreases until basically stable, and local fluctuation is mainly affected by rainfall and dynamic equilibrium adjustment of the slope internal deformation; ③based on the penalty function contact of pile soil and the surface of rock mass, the three-dimensional numerical model of coupling of seepage and strain has been established, and through analyzing and comparing with field test data, it is verified that the model is feasible in the study on slope deformation; ④ through stability analysis of Mayanpo slope by strength reduction FEM, stability coefficient is 1.72.