bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.03.14.435325; this version posted March 15, 2021. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under aCC-BY 4.0 International license. 1 Hülle-cell-mediated protection of fungal reproductive and overwintering structures 2 against fungivorous animals 3 4 Li Liu1, Benedict Dirnberger1, Oliver Valerius1, Enikő Fekete-Szücs1, Rebekka Harting1, 5 Christoph Sasse1, Daniela E. Nordzieke2, Stefanie Pöggeler2, Petr Karlovsky3, Jennifer 6 Gerke1*, Gerhard H. Braus1* 7 8 1University of Göttingen, Molecular Microbiology and Genetics and Göttingen Center for 9 Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), 37077 Göttingen, Germany. 10 2University of Göttingen, Genetics of Eukaryotic Microorganisms and Göttingen Center 11 for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), 37077 Göttingen, Germany. 12 3University of Göttingen, Molecular Phytopathology and Mycotoxin Research, 37077 13 Göttingen, Germany. 14 15 *Correspondence should be addressed to Gerhard H. Braus (
[email protected]) and 16 Jennifer Gerke (
[email protected]) 1 bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.03.14.435325; this version posted March 15, 2021. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under aCC-BY 4.0 International license. 17 Abstract 18 Fungal Hülle cells with nuclear storage and developmental backup functions are 19 reminiscent of multipotent stem cells. In the soil, Hülle cells nurse the overwintering 20 fruiting bodies of Aspergillus nidulans.