Light effects on fruiting body development of wildtype in comparison to light insensitive mutant strains of the basidiomycete Coprinopsis cinerea grazing of mites (Tyrophagus putrescentiae) on the strains and production of volatile organic compounds during fruiting body development Coprinopsis cinerea in Thailand is a speciality mushroom (hed cone noi) that is grown in small family businesses on agricultural wastes e.g. on water hyacinths and straw and the fungi are offered in pickled form to the customers. In research it is used as a model organism to study fruiting body development in the homobasidiomycete fungi (Agaricomycotina). C. cinerea is a heterothallic species with two distinct types of mycelia alternating in its life cycle i.e. the infertile monokaryon and the fertile dikaryon. Dikaryons with two distinct haploid nuclei in their cells form by fusion of two compatible monokaryons having different haploid nuclei. Mating between two monokaryons is controlled by the two mating type loci A and B. For a compatible mating two monokaryons need to have different alleles at both loci. These are also needed for induction of fruiting body (mushroom) development. Certain mutations in the mating type genes cause self compatibility of monokaryons allowing such mutants (e.g. strain AmutBmut) to develop fruiting bodies without prior mating to a compatible monokaryon. Because strains like AmutBmut contain only one type of haploid nuclei and developmental mutants are easy to obtain from them they are preferred strains for genetic studies in fruiting body development ...