Fig 9. Diagrams for the expression of pheromone precursors and their cognate receptors in the F. graminearum Z3643 strain and its MAT-deletion strains used in this study (A), and for all of the possible interactions between the fungal cells or nuclei for mating in F. graminearum (B).

These diagrams were constructed based on the differential MAT-locus expression in various MAT-deletion strains determined by qPCR (Table 1). The MAT genotypes in the F. graminearum strains are indicated in a circle depicting a fungal cell. MAT1-1;MAT1-2, a self-fertile F. graminearum wild-type (WT) strain carrying both MAT1-1 and MAT1-2 loci; MAT1-1, a self-sterile strain lacking the MAT1-2 locus; MAT1-2, a self-sterile strain lacking MAT1-1; no MAT, a WT strain not expressing both MAT loci. Sexual cells, fungal cells grown under the sexual condition, where MAT gene expression is specifically induced. Vegetative cells: fungal cells during the vegetative growth stage, where no MAT expression occurred. The possible interactions between pheromone precursors and their cognate receptors are indicated by dashed arrows.