Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 8, 2026

Sexual Crosses with the Mucoromycete Phycomyces blakesleeanus
Published on: June 6, 2025
Heterothallic Type of Mating System for Cordyceps cardinalis
Gi-Ho Sung1, Bhushan Shrestha, Sang-Kuk Han
1Mushroom Research Division, National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Science, Rural Development Administration, Suwon 441-707, Korea.
Abstract:
Cordyceps cardinalis successfully produced its fruiting bodies from multi-ascospore isolates. However, subcultures of multi-ascospore isolates could not produce fruiting bodies after few generations. Fruiting body production also differed from sector to sector of the same isolate. Single ascospore isolates were then co-inoculated in combinations of two to observe the fruiting characteristics. Combinations of certain isolates produced perithecial stromata formation, whereas other combinations did not produce any fruiting bodies. These results show that C. cardinalis is a heterothallic fungus, requiring two isolates of opposite mating types for fruiting body production. It was also shown that single ascospore isolates are hermaphrodites.
Related Concept Videos
Mate Choice
Yeast Signaling
Hybrid Zones
Dosage Compensation
In addition to sexual development, the X chromosome has genes involved in autosomal functions such as brain development and the immune system. Therefore, males and females with distinct numbers of X chromosomes will have...
Structure of Cadherins
Fixed Action Patterns

