Genetic control of recombination and the incompatibility system in Schizophyllum commune

Abstract

Crossing-over between the α and the β loci constituting the A incompatibility factor gives rise to two new specificities which are compatible with both parental As and with each other. The frequency of monokaryotic mycelia carrying re-combinant A factors is shown to be under genotypic control in a multiple crosses programme (6 × 6), selection for high and low recombination frequencies (two generations), and crosses between the selection lines. The recombination values based on samples of 100 monokaryons, range from 0 to 21%; however, the more accurately estimated values of the ‘High’ and ‘Low’ selections are 14% and 4%, each being based on approximately 2,000 mycelia.The data are compatible with a gene-system consisting of the postulated locus rec which has a major effect on recombination and which is linked to the A factor, and several minor effects by other loci. Alternative interpretations are presented and discussed. The apparent dominance of low frequencies of recombination on high frequencies can be related to the breeding behaviour of S. commune. Thus close linkage between α and β allows a high number of A specificities to be maintained in a population as well as high out-breeding potential, while the inbreeding potential (i.e. dikaryotic combinations between monokaryons originating from a single fruit-body) is kept low and near its minimum.The significance of the two-locus structure of the incompatibility factors is examined theoretically in an Appendix at the end of the Discussion section.