Figure 3

Evaluation of strain properties for selection of a female fertile derivative of QM9414 with mating type MAT1-1. (A) Parallel inoculation with test strains. CBS999.97 MAT1-1 and CBS999.97 MAT1-2 (designated as MAT1-1 and MAT1-2) as well as QM6a were inoculated around the outside of the plate and the strain to be tested (as indicated under the diagrams) in the center of the plate. Mating between CBS999.97 MAT1-1 and CBS999.97 MAT1-2 serves as positive control for sexual development. Fruiting body formation between MAT1-1 and QM6a serves as a positive control for testing female fertility of the respective strain. Fruiting body formation with QM6a is only possible if the tested strain has regained female fertility. A female fertile strain of MAT1-1 should form fruiting bodies with CBS999.97 MAT1-2 and the female sterile QM6a. Three strains with different characteristics are shown including the selected female fertile MAT1-1 strain QF1. QSGH6 has mating type MAT1-2 and QSGH4 is female sterile. (B) In order to confirm sexual competence of QF1 with strains used in research, QF1 was inoculated on a plate (left side) opposite of the strain to be tested (right side). The decreased conidiation of QF1 is a characteristic of the initiation of sexual development. (C) Phenotype of QM9414 and QF1. All strains shown in A-C were grown on malt extract medium.