FIG 7.

Relative expression levels across sexual development and phenotypes of RNA silencing genes. Phenotypes of knockouts of RNA silencing genes were assayed on synthetic complete medium and carrot agar medium. Perithecia were crushed 6 days after a cross between mat A protoperithecia and mat a conidia. Expression for all genes is reported on a log scale. (A) Expression of the stc1-like gene, sad-1, and rid (RIP defective). (B) Expression of sms-2 (suppressor of meiotic silencing) and sad-2 (suppressor of ascus dominance). (C) Expression of sad-3, sad-4, sad-5, and sms-3. (D) Expression of Quelling-defective genes, including qde-1, qde-2, and qde-3 and qip (NCU00076, qde-2 interacting protein). (E) The Δsms-3 strain produced tiny hairy perithecia without differentiation of the centrum parenchyma (magnification, ×400). (F) The Δstc1 strain produced nomal-size perithecia with no apparent development of the centrum parenchyma (×400). (G and H) The Δqde-1 and Δsms-2 strains produced normal-size perithecia with undifferentiated thin-walled cells hard to detect in the centrum parenchyma area (×200). (I and J) The Δsad-1 and Δsad-3 strains produced normal-size perithecia with beaks and young asci without ascospores (×400). Scale bar = 10 mm for perithecia overview in KO phenotyping assays. Detailed images of the wild-type crushed perithecia are presented in Fig. 1G to L.