A fungus (A) that can produce cholesterol (I) autonomously, is new. Independent claims are also included for: (1) production of (I) by culturing (A); (2) production of (I) or its metabolic intermediates or a mixture of sterols labeled by 13C or 14C, by culturing (A); (3) production of an isotopic mixture of (I), its intermediates or metabolites labeled at different positions by isotopic markers, by culturing (A), and (4) labeled (I), its intermediates or metabolites, prepared by method (3).