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Small GTPases and Stress Responses of vvran1 in the Straw Mushroom Volvariella volvacea

Summary

This research investigated how a specific gene (vvran1) helps the edible straw mushroom respond to environmental stresses like cold temperatures and oxidative damage. Understanding these stress response mechanisms could help develop more resilient mushroom strains for commercial cultivation. Impacts on everyday life: – Could lead to improved cold-tolerant mushroom varieties for farmers – May help extend shelf-life of harvested mushrooms – Contributes to more efficient and productive mushroom cultivation – Could reduce crop losses due to environmental stress – Potential applications in developing stress-resistant crops

Background

Small GTPases play important roles in the growth, development and environmental responses of eukaryotes. They can bind to GTP and GDP, switching between activated and non-activated states to regulate metabolic pathways. The Ras superfamily includes five families (Ras, Rab, Rho, Ran and Arf) with distinct functions in cell processes. While fungal small GTPases have been annotated in some species, they had not yet been classified in the straw mushroom Volvariella volvacea despite its importance as a major cultivated edible fungus in China.

Objective

To identify and classify the small GTPases in V. volvacea based on its genome sequence, and to investigate the role of vvran1 gene in stress responses.

Results

A total of 44 small GTPases were identified in V. volvacea and classified into five families: 9 Ras, 10 Rho, 15 Rab, 1 Ran, and 9 Arf proteins. The vvran1 gene expression was significantly upregulated under both oxidative and cold stress conditions. The stress response was mediated by superoxide anion signaling through NADPH oxidase activation, as demonstrated by inhibitor studies using DPI and DDC.

Conclusion

The study provided the first comprehensive classification of small GTPases in V. volvacea and demonstrated that vvran1 responds to both oxidative and cold stresses through superoxide anion-mediated signaling pathways. This suggests vvran1 could be a candidate gene for improving stress tolerance in this commercially important mushroom species.
  • Published in:International Journal of Molecular Sciences,
  • Study Type:Laboratory Research,
  • Source: 10.3390/ijms17091527
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