Giant transposons, known as ‘Starships’, mediate horizontal gene transfer between fungal genomes. Here, Sato et al. show that Starships occupy genome regions crucial for infection in a plant pathogenic fungus, show signatures of horizontal transfer between distant fungal species, and may facilitate the formation of new virulence genes.
- Yukiyo Sato
- Roos Bex
- Bart P.H.J. Thomma
