Figure 2. Mutation of the SSN8 gene enhances heterothallic a-α mating responses.

The MATα and MAT a wild-type, ssn8 mutant, and reconstituted strains were crossed as indicated. Mating was conducted on microscope slides coated with V8 agar at 26°C under light conditions and photos were taken from different areas of mating culture 44 h post incubation at 100× magnification under a microscope. Mating filaments around the edges of mating colonies were shown in upper panels (a, c, e, g, i, k, m, and o) and filamentation in the middle of mating culture was shown in lower panels (b, d, f, h, j, l, n, and p) at magnifications of 100× and 200× respectively. Insets showed chains of basidiospores and basidia at 400× magnification.