The Blackberry Mutant Ofsordaria Fimicola

The blackberry mutant of Sordaria fimicola is characterized by sparse mycelium, bands of darkly pigmented hyphae radiating from the colony edge toward the center, premature protoperithecium development, the collection of a mass of ascospores in a droplet of water at the tip of the perithecium, and the inhibition of perithecium development in a wild-type colony at the line of intersection with a mutant colony. The gene is 10.5 map units from the tan ascospore color mutant. The blackberry inhibitor is a low-molecular weight compound which blocks the development of wild-type perithecia less than 36 hr old. Inhibitor secretion by blackberry decreases rapidly 24 hr after perithecium development begins.