Comparative transcriptomics and metabolomics provide insight into degeneration-related physiological mechanisms of Morchella importuna after long-term preservation

Author: mycolabadmin
1/30/2025
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Summary

This research studied how to best preserve morel mushroom cultures for long periods without them losing quality. Scientists compared five different storage methods over 7 years and found that storing cultures in nutrient-poor conditions without repeatedly replicating them produced the healthiest mushrooms. The study identified specific genes and metabolic processes that stayed healthy under the best preservation method, offering farmers better ways to maintain morel quality for cultivation.

Background

Morchella importuna (black morel) cultures are prone to degeneration during long-term preservation, leading to reduced yield and malformed fruiting bodies. Different preservation methods have varying effectiveness in maintaining culture viability and fruiting capability. Understanding the physiological mechanisms underlying degeneration is essential for optimizing preservation protocols.

Objective

This study compared five different long-term preservation treatments of Morchella importuna using comparative transcriptomics and metabolomics to identify the mechanisms associated with culture degeneration and fruiting capability. The goal was to determine which preservation methods best maintain morel viability and fruiting performance over extended storage periods.

Results

Preservation on nutrient-limited medium without repeated subculturing (T2) maintained the best fruiting capability, producing 63.56 g/m² dry weight of ascocarps. This treatment showed upregulation of genes involved in cysteine and methionine metabolism, differential accumulation of nucleobase metabolites, and protection of glycerophospholipid and purine metabolism. Repeated subculturing triggered distinct metabolic changes depending on nutrient conditions, affecting carbon, glycerophospholipid, and purine metabolism.

Conclusion

Avoiding repeated subculturing combined with nutrient-limited conditions is the most beneficial preservation method for maintaining Morchella importuna fruiting capability. Metabolic alterations related to sulfur-containing amino-acid biosynthesis, DNA repair, and cellular structural maintenance are key factors in successful long-term preservation. These findings provide insights for optimizing preservation protocols for ascomycete macrofungi.

Published in:Microbial Biotechnology,
Study Type:Comparative Experimental Study,
Source: 10.1111/1751-7915.70045, PMID: 39887921