Mating System of the Edible Mushroom, Pleurotus Cystidiosus

Mating system or sexual system determines sexual compatibility in fungi. The aim of this research was to determine the type of mating system of the dibble commercial mushroom, Pleurotus cystidiosus. The experiments were carried out by crossing each pair of the 14 single spore isolates (SSIs, monokaryons) from one single fruiting body of P. cystidiosus in all combinations, on MEA plates, and incubated at 30°C for 3 weeks, followed by clamp connection examinations. The presence or absence of clamps indicates compatible or incompatible mating, respectively. The ratio number of compatible matings to the number of total mating of P. cystidiosus was determined to be 1:4. This ratio indicates that the sexuality of the species is an example of tetrapolar (bifactorial) heterothallism. The 14 SSIs were also separated into 4 groups according to the four mating types (A₁B₁, A₁B₂, A₂B₁, and A₂B₂) of the species.

Keywords: mating system, mating type, incompatibility, tetrapolar, Pleurotus spp.

Corresponding author: E-mail:  kdpannee@kmitl.ac.th