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Activation of Mycelial Defense Mechanisms in the Oyster Mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus Induced by Tyrophagus putrescentiae

Summary

This research investigated how oyster mushrooms defend themselves against mite attacks. The study revealed sophisticated defense mechanisms that mushrooms use to detect and fight off pest attacks, similar to how plants defend against insects. The findings have several practical implications: • Could lead to improved mushroom cultivation methods with better pest resistance • May help develop natural pest control solutions for agriculture • Provides insights for breeding more resilient mushroom varieties • Could inspire new approaches to food preservation • Demonstrates potential for developing natural pesticides from mushroom compounds

Background

Fungal chemicals play vital roles in recognizing damage- and microbe-associated molecules (DAMPs/MAMPs) that trigger defense responses in fungi. Pleurotus ostreatus is a widely cultivated edible fungus prone to attack from fungivorous insects and mites, but has evolved defense systems against these attacks. The molecular mechanisms of fungal defense systems, particularly for edible mushrooms, remain unclear.

Objective

To investigate how the oyster mushroom responds to fungivory and mechanical wounding by conducting transcriptome, proteome, and secondary metabolic analyses. The study aimed to determine whether vegetative mycelia of P. ostreatus respond differently to mite fungivory compared to mechanical wounding by identifying genes, proteins, hormones, and metabolites specifically regulated by mite feeding.

Results

The analysis revealed 11,495 transcripts and 866 proteins, with 4,416 differentially expressed genes and 62 differentially expressed proteins in response to mite feeding and mechanical wounding. Nine pathways were specifically activated by mite feeding, including MAPK signaling and phenylalanine metabolism. Fungivory stimulated synthesis of C8-aryl compounds and sesquiterpenes that repelled T. putrescentiae. Both jasmonic acid and jasmonic acid methyl ester were specifically regulated by mite feeding and mechanical wounding.

Conclusion

The study demonstrated that ROS/MAPK signaling pathway, JA regulation, specific gene expression, protein synthesis, and anti-mite substance metabolism are involved in coordinated inducible chemical-based defense responses in P. ostreatus against T. putrescentiae. This represents the first comprehensive analysis of these defense mechanisms in this species.
  • Published in:Food Research International,
  • Study Type:Laboratory Research,
  • Source: 10.1016/j.foodres.2022.111708
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