Characterizing the gene-environment interaction underlying natural morphological variation in Neurospora crassa conidiophores using high-throughput phenomics and transcriptomics

We use high-throughput methods of phenotyping and transcriptomics to characterize the genes involved in conidiophore development from strains derived from natural populations. Three conidiophore phenotypes are identified in natural populations: Wildtype (WT), Bulky, and Wrap. These phenotypes affect sporulation distance and germination on different carbon sources. These three phenotypes differ in expression of clock-controlled genes (ccgs), the conidiation-specific gene con-6, and genes involved in metabolism and communication.