TARGETED MUTATION OF THE SC3 HYDROPHOBIN GENE OF SCHIZOPHYLLUM-COMMUNE AFFECTS FORMATION OF AERIAL HYPHAE

The SC3 hydrophobin gene of Schizophyllum commune was disrupted by hom ologous integration of an SC3 genomic fragment interrupted by a phleom ycin resistance cassette. The phenotype of the mutant was particularly clear in sealed plates in which formation of aerial hyphae was blocke d. In non-sealed plates aerial hyphae did form but these were hydrophi lic and not hydrophobic as in wild-type strains. Complementation with a genomic SC3 clone restored formation of hydrophobic aerial hyphae in sealed plates. In a dikaryon homozygous for the SC3 mutation normal s porulating fruiting bodies were produced but aerial hyphae were hydrop hilic.