Abstract
Intra and interspecfic fusants were produced by the protoplast fusion of auxotrophic mutants from Trichoderma koningii ATCC 26113 and Trichoderma reesei QM 9414. It was found that 0.6M $MgSO_4\;and\;0.6M\;NH_4Cl$ was the best osmotic stabilizer for the preparation of protoplasts from the mycelium of T. koningii and T. reesei respectively. However, $MgSO_4$ was the most suitable one for the regeneration of the protoplasts from both species. The intraspecific protoplast fusion frequencies between the auxotrophic mutants from T. reesei were $1.8{\times}10^{-2}\;to\;5.1{\times}10^{-1}$. Interspecific protoplast fusion frequencies between the auxotrophic mutants from T. koningii and T. reesei were $3.6{\times}10^{-3}$\;to\;8.4{\times}10^{-2}. Interspecific complementing fusants, however, were not alwats produced. Fusants obtained from interspecific potoplast fusion were spontaneously segregated into various strains including parental types, non-parental auxotrophic hybrids, and prototrophic hybrids on complete plate. Interspecific hybrids revealed to have partially enhanced celluloytic activities.
