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Comparative Mitogenomics Provides Valuable Insights for the Phylogeny and New DNA Barcodes of Ganoderma

Summary

Researchers successfully sequenced the mitochondrial genomes of four commonly cultivated medicinal mushroom species in the Ganoderma genus. They identified two specific genes, atp9 and nad4L, as reliable molecular barcodes that can accurately distinguish between different Ganoderma species. These DNA barcodes serve as a universal identification tool, similar to product barcodes in supermarkets, helping to identify and classify Ganoderma species for medicinal and commercial purposes.

Background

Ganoderma is an important medicinal fungal genus in the family Ganodermataceae with many cultivated species. While nuclear genomes have been sequenced, mitogenomes from dikaryotic strains have not been explicitly recorded. Mitochondrial genomes provide valuable molecular markers for phylogenetic and evolutionary studies due to their small size, stable gene composition, and high mutation rates.

Objective

To sequence and annotate mitogenomes from four commonly cultivated Ganoderma species and identify the most reliable molecular markers for phylogenetic analysis and DNA barcoding of the genus. The study aimed to compare these mitogenomes with reference sequences and establish new DNA barcodes for species identification.

Results

Four novel mitogenomes ranging from 60,320 to 104,711 bp were successfully sequenced. The atp9 (222 bp) and nad4L (267 bp) genes were identified as the most reliable markers for phylogenetic analysis, consistently encoding the same protein products across 52 Ganoderma mitogenomes. Single nucleotide polymorphism rates increased with evolutionary divergence, ranging from 2-3 SNPs in earlier clades to 5-6 SNPs in later clades.

Conclusion

The atp9 and nad4L genes are reliable new DNA barcodes for Ganoderma species identification and phylogenetic studies. These genes successfully distinguish between species and provide valuable insights into evolutionary relationships within the genus and family Ganodermataceae. The study demonstrates that mitogenomic comparative analysis is essential for understanding Ganoderma systematics and evolution.
  • Published in:Journal of Fungi,
  • Study Type:Comparative Genomics Study,
  • Source: 10.3390/jof10110769
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