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Evolutionary Dynamics and Functional Bifurcation of the C2H2 Gene Family in Basidiomycota

Summary

Researchers studied C2H2 genes, which are master regulators controlling important processes in fungal cells, across 30 different mushroom and fungal species. They found that these genes evolved differently depending on whether fungi were decomposers (saprotrophs) or pathogens, with decomposers maintaining more complex gene structures. During mushroom development in Sarcomyxa edulis, different C2H2 genes became active at different stages, controlling temperature adaptation, fruiting body formation, and other developmental processes.

Background

C2H2 zinc finger proteins are essential transcription factors in eukaryotes regulating cellular differentiation, stress response, and secondary metabolism. In fungi, they control host-pathogen interactions, lignocellulose degradation, and morphological development. However, systematic studies on Basidiomycota remain scarce despite the group’s greater species diversity and complex ecological functions.

Objective

This study performs the first comprehensive phylogenomic analysis of the C2H2 gene family across 30 Basidiomycota species to determine how the family is evolutionarily structured, how subphylum-specific gene architectures correlate with ecological adaptation, and what expression differences exist among family members at different growth stages.

Results

Analysis identified 1032 C2H2 genes distributed across six evolutionary clades, with Group II (37.1%) forming a conserved core. Saprotrophs retained long genes with abundant introns while pathogens showed genomic streamlining. Synteny analysis revealed ancestral conservation in core clusters under strong purifying selection (Ka/Ks = 0.18–0.22) versus peripheral clusters approaching neutral evolution (Ka/Ks = 0.73). Expression profiling identified stage-specific roles in developmental transitions.

Conclusion

C2H2 genes sustain conserved regulatory networks while facilitating ecological adaptation through dual evolutionary modes: preservation of core ancestral regulatory modules alongside clade-specific innovations. These findings provide insights into fungal genome evolution and enable utilization of C2H2 regulators in crop disease management and lignocellulosic bioconversion.
  • Published in:Journal of Fungi,
  • Study Type:Phylogenomic Analysis,
  • Source: 10.3390/jof11070487; PMID: 40985387
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