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Identification of Resistance to Wet Bubble Disease and Genetic Diversity in Wild and Cultivated Strains of Agaricus bisporus

Summary

This research identified naturally disease-resistant mushroom strains from China’s Tibetan Plateau that could help protect commercial mushroom crops from a devastating fungal disease. The study also developed new genetic tools to help breed better mushroom varieties. Impacts on everyday life: – Could lead to more disease-resistant mushroom varieties in supermarkets – May help reduce crop losses and stabilize mushroom prices for consumers – Provides tools for developing improved mushroom strains with desired traits – Helps preserve valuable wild mushroom genetic resources – Could increase sustainability of commercial mushroom farming

Background

Wet bubble disease (WBD) caused by Mycogone perniciosa is one of the most devastating fungal diseases affecting commercial cultivation of Agaricus bisporus worldwide. The disease can cause yield losses of 15-30% and up to 50-60% in severe cases. China is one of the largest producers of A. bisporus but faces frequent and expanding outbreaks of WBD across multiple provinces. Breeding resistant cultivars is considered the most effective control strategy, but highly WBD-resistant strains are rare.

Objective

To screen and classify wild and cultivated strains of A. bisporus for resistance to M. perniciosa, and develop simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers for genetic diversity analysis to support breeding programs.

Results

Ten wild strains from the Tibetan Plateau in China showed high resistance to WBD, while 13 cultivated strains were highly susceptible. Two strains showed moderate resistance. The 17 SSR markers detected 88 alleles across all strains, with 2-8 alleles per locus. Cluster analysis separated the strains into two main groups corresponding to wild and cultivated populations. The wild strains from China showed higher genetic diversity and limited gene flow with cultivated strains.

Conclusion

The study identified valuable WBD-resistant germplasm in wild A. bisporus strains from China’s Tibetan Plateau region. The newly developed SSR markers revealed significant genetic differentiation between wild and cultivated populations. These findings provide resources for breeding WBD-resistant mushroom varieties and studying resistance mechanisms.
  • Published in:International Journal of Molecular Sciences,
  • Study Type:Experimental Research,
  • Source: 10.3390/ijms17101568
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