Genetic analysis of Coprinopsis cinerea mutants with defects in fruiting body development

Few genes have so far been cloned and characterized in fruiting of the heterothallic mushroom Coprinopsis cinerea. Fruiting body development normally occurs on the dikaryon. However, the binucleate state of the mycelium hinders easy access of genes. Self-compatible mutants with defects in the mating type pathways can form fruiting bodies without prior fusion to another strain. Uninucleate haploid oidia of such mutants can easily be mutagenized and germinated mycelia tested for defects in fruiting. Mutants can be produced from oidia by classical techniques such as UV treatment or by modern REMI (restriction enzyme-mediated integration) mutagenesis via transformation. Such mutants of self-compatible strains have now been successfully appointed in cloning genes acting in sexual development. Co-isogenic strains of compatible mating types support in genetic characterisation of the mutants.