PRODUCTION OF NEW SPECIES OF EDIBLE MUSHROOMS BY PROTOPLASTS FUSION METHOD .2. ANALYSIS OF THE MYCELIA AND BASIDIOSPORES OF A FUSANT BETWEEN PLEUROTUS-OSTREATUS AND AGROCYBE-CYLINDRACEA

Mycelia and basidiospores of a strain obtained by protoplast fusion of Pleurotus ostreatus (Jacq.: Fr.) Kummer and Agrocybe cylindracea (DC.: Fr.) Maire edible mushrooms were analyzed. The results indicated the following: 1) The fusant showed true clamp connections. 2) The fusant had great stability even after 20 months of repeated transplantations every two weeks as to the growth rate of mycelia, formation of the zone line between their parent strains and them as well as their isozyme patterns. 3) The widths and lengths of the spores of the fusant ranged from 4.0 to 7.0 mum and from 5.5 to 8.5 mum, respectively. The spores had rather round shapes. 4) The fusant showed bipolar heterothallism. 5) The auxotrophic properties of the parent strains employed in the fusion were observed in one basidiospore formed in the fruiting body of the fusant.