Ab Enzymes Gmbh

Thomas Haarmann

Patrick Lorenz

Christian P Kubicek

Bernhard Seiboth

Rita Linke

The invention relates to a process for identifying gene(s)/genetic element(s) associated with mating impairment in strains ofQM6a or strains derived thereof comprising the steps of a) providing a first strain being aQM6a strain having a MAT1-2 locus or a strain derived thereof, b) sexually crossing said strain with a second strain being a mating competent strain of a() strain having a complementary locus, i.e. the MAT1-1 locus, c) repeatedly back-crossing the MAT1-1 progenies from the crossing of b) or the back-crossing thereof with the first strain of a), until a strain is obtained that is substantially identical to the firstQM6a strain or a strain derived thereof, but carries the MAT1-1 locus and is mating competent for crossing withQM6a or any of its MAT1-2 progeny, d) selecting the progeny from step c) that is mating competent for crossing with a() having a MAT1-2 locus, and e) identifying the gene(s)/genetic element(s) associated with mating impairment by comparing the genome of the progenies selected in step d) with the genome sequences of the first strain of a) whereby said gene(s)/genetic element(s) may be fully or partially missing or existing in a mutated form or in a form having deletions or insertions in the first strain thus being a gene or a genetic element directly or indirectly associated with mating impairment in strains ofQM6a or a strain derived thereof as well as to a process for correcting the mating impairment of aQM6a strain or a strain derived thereof having a MAT1-1 locus and that is not competent to mate with aQM6a strain having a MAT1-2 locus or a strain derived thereof, wherein one or more mutated or fully or partially missing gene(s) and/or genetic element(s) identified as above is/are replaced by or complemented with the corresponding functional gene(s) and/or genetic element(s). Moreover, the invention relates to the use of a thus obtained fungal strain of the genusin industrial breeding and production of a product of interest. Moreover, the invention relates to the genes associated with mating impairment ofQM6a and strains derived therefrom and to genes essential for mating ofQM6a and strains derived therefrom.

Growing community of inventors

Alsbach-Hahnlein, Germany

Thomas Haarmann