POOR FRUITERS AND BARRAGE MUTANTS IN GELASINOSPORA

Abstract

Anomalous sterility and slow fruiting occur among the following types of cultures: (1) mated homokaryotic mycelia grown from dwarf ascospores; (2) heterokaryotic mycelia grown from normal-sized ascospores; (3) hyphal-tip cultures from heterokaryotic mycelia. Such behavior may be caused by a mutant nucleus whose nutritional factors do not complement those in the nuclei of opposite mating type. Among the sterile and slow-fruiting strains were found 'barrage' mutants. They differ in texture and growth rate from wild strains. When grown in pairs, their hyphac, as they approach each other, exhibit aversion or barrage. Progeny of mated barrage strains are likewise barrage strains.