*2.5. Growth and Development Phenotyping*

Phenotypic differences between the mutant strains and wild type were analyzed by culturing them on CM agar medium in dark and light conditions. Colony morphology was recorded by photographs at four days after inoculation. To assess the self-fertility of each strain, mycelium plugs of 5 mm diameter were excised from the edge of 4-day-old colonies and then inoculated on carrot agar medium. The Petri dishes were put under constant light for four days when the mycelia overgrew the petri dish; then, we added 1 mL of Tween-20 in the petri dish and overwhelmed the aerial mycelia by the back of a spoon. Afterwards, the plates were transferred to near-UV light for homothallic sexual development induction. After two months, the plates were checked for perithecium formation and maturation and photo recorded via a stereomicroscope equipped with a CCD digital camera (SMC168, Moticam Pro 205B Motic, Xiamen, China). For ascospore observation, a very small brick of perithecium was picked <sup>o</sup>ff, pressed on a glass slide under a cover glass, and then observed using a microscope (AE30, Motic, Xiamen, China).
