Monokaryotic Fruiting in Schizophyllum commune: Survey of a Population from Wisconsin

The ability to produce monokaryotic fruiting bodies in culture was exam- ined in the progeny from 41 dikaryotic fruiting bodies of Schizop,hyllum commune collected in Wisconsin, All of the dikaryotic fruits produced some progeny which formed monokaryotic fruits spontaneously and/or in response to mechanical injury. All but two of the dikaryotic fruits produced -progeny which fruited in response to biochemical induction. Just as the three fruiting traits could be observed among the progeny from a single fruiting body, so could a monosporous colony exhibit any combination of the three fruiting responses, These three rnonokaryotic fruiting phenotypes are widely distributed in a natural population and not simply the product of selection among laboratory strains.