Manipulations with Filamentous Fungi

[John J Weiland]

I'm kind of new to these beasts, and am looking for some input into the 
following questions.  The fungus I'm working with is a pathogen of barley 
called Pyrenophora teres.

1)	We currently store long-term cultures of the fungus on silica 
gel.  Is this a standard long term storage media?  Can spores be stored 
in glycerol at -80 degrees C.  Can they be stored as stabs in agar (like 
many bacterial isolates)?

2)	Conidia of P. teres can be collected from mycelia grown in 
culture.  Ascospores, however, result from the mating of two opposite 
mating types of the fungus on barley plants (but not in culture).  Has 
anyone seen mention of mutations in the fungus, or culture conditions, 
that may induce productive mating of such a fungus in culture, rather 
than on its normal host plant?

3)	Any papers out there on the "bulk segregation analysis" of traits 
in haploid fungi using PCR?   Did Michelmore's group do it with the 
fungus, or just with the plant traits?

Thanks in advance!

John Weiland		jweiland at badlands.nodak.edu