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Carbon Metabolism and Transcriptome in Developmental Paths Differentiation of a Homokaryotic Coprinopsis cinerea Strain

Summary

This research examines how mushroom-forming fungi can develop different structures (like spores or fruiting bodies) depending on environmental conditions. The study reveals how fungi regulate their energy usage and gene activity to adapt to different situations. Impacts on everyday life: • Helps understand how fungi adapt and survive in changing environments • Provides insights for improving mushroom cultivation techniques • Advances our knowledge of fungal biology which is important for agriculture and medicine • Could lead to better methods for controlling fungal growth in various settings • May help develop new strategies for producing useful fungal products

Background

The balance between sexual and asexual reproduction is a key mystery in fungal biology. Fungi can adapt to changing environments by choosing different developmental strategies, but the evolution of these developmental paths and their metabolic regulation during differentiation and morphogenesis are poorly understood.

Objective

To analyze carbohydrate metabolism and gene expression regulation during early differentiation processes from vegetative mycelium to differentiated structures (fruiting body, oidia and sclerotia) in the homokaryotic Coprinopsis cinerea strain A43mutB43mut pab1-1 #326. The study aimed to track changes during morphogenesis and evolution of developmental strategies.

Results

The main carbon flows during differentiation involved conversion between glucose and glycogen, and between glucose and beta-glucan. Genes related to carbohydrate transport and metabolism showed significant differential expression among developmental paths. Sclerotia formation showed specific upregulation of genes involved in carbon metabolism and energy production. All transcriptomes showed purifying selection, with transcriptome age correlating to environmental stress levels. Oidiation had the lowest TAI and TDI values, while fruiting showed the highest.

Conclusion

C. cinerea can divert to different developmental paths including vegetative growth, oidiation, fruiting and sclerotia formation in response to environmental conditions. These paths show distinct gene expression patterns and carbohydrate metabolism regulation. Glycogen serves as storage carbon for early development stages before conversion to beta-glucan during fruiting or sclerotia formation.
  • Published in:Fungal Genetics and Biology,
  • Study Type:Experimental Research,
  • Source: 10.1016/j.fgb.2020.103432
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