Aspects of genetic interaction in hybrids of Aspergillus nidulans and Aspergillus rugulosus obtained by protoplast fusion.

Hybrids were produced by protoplast fusion between strains of Aspergillus rugulosus and mitotic master strains of Aspergillus nidulans with a genetic marker on each linkage group. Analysis of segregants induced by growth on benomyl revealed recombination between every pair of unlinked markers. Parental combinations of markers were often recovered at significantly higher frequencies than expected. This aberrant segregation was not correlated with any particular pair of linkage-groups and was attributed to inter-species incompatibility. The segregation of genetic markers of A. rugulosus from the hybrids suggested that A. nidulans and A. rugulosus may differ in haploid chromosome number and chromosome size. In sexual crosses between A. nidulans and strains containing chromosomes of mixed parental origin recombinants were recovered. The results support the classification of A. nidulans and A. rugulosus as separate species.