Evidence of heterokaryosis in Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2)

Summary

Hyphae from mixed cultures of complementary auxotrophs of Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) did not grow on minimal media (MM) when fertility plasmids (SCP1 and SCP2) were missing in both strains. The addition of one part per cent of complete medium (CM) to MM allowed growth of vigorous colonies among the tiny colonies of the parental types. The former, amounting to 1%–10% of the total population, turned out to be heterokaryons. They could be propagated on the same medium by plating of hyphal fragments. When five parts per cent of CM were added to MM, beside the heterokaryotic colonies vigorous ‘spindles’ of aerial mycelium were formed whenever complementary colonies overlapped. When the SCP1 and SCP2 plasmids were present in one or both parents a clear constraint on the outburst of heterokaryotic aerial mycelium was observed.