Isolation and characterization of perithecial development mutants in neurospora.

The isolation and characterization of mutants that block perithecial development in Neurospora crassa are described. Several classes of mutants have been isolated after UV mutagenesis, and those that block perithecial development when used as the female (protoperithecial) component of a cross have been further characterized. These mutants fall into 29 complementation groups. Twelve of the 33 mutants block development at the protoperithecial stage; no other clustering of block points is observed. Many of the mutants show an altered vegetative growth rate as well; in several mutants this lower growth rate cosegregates with the female sterile phenotype. Only one mutant also blocks development of the perithecium when used as the conidial parent. None of the mutants are temperature sensitive; two can be suppressed by growth on a complete crossing medium. There is no indication that the mutants are at or in the mating-type locus, nor are any of the mutants mating-type specific. Genetic mosaics have been formed using mixtures of mutant and marked wild-type nuclei; no mutants are cell autonomous by this criterion. The significance of these results in terms of "developmental" mutants isolated in other organisms and in relation to models of eukaryotic development is discussed.