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Insight into the Evolutionary and Domesticated History of the Most Widely Cultivated Mushroom Agaricus bisporus via Mitogenome Sequences of 361 Global Strains

Summary

This research investigated the genetic history of the common button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) by analyzing mitochondrial DNA from hundreds of mushroom samples collected worldwide. The study revealed how this species evolved and was domesticated for cultivation, providing insights that could help develop better mushroom varieties. Key impacts on everyday life: • Helps improve commercial mushroom production through better understanding of beneficial genetic traits • Enables development of new mushroom varieties with enhanced growing characteristics • Aids conservation of wild mushroom diversity by identifying important natural populations • Provides tools for quality control in mushroom breeding programs • Demonstrates how modern genomics can improve food production

Background

Agaricus bisporus is the most widely cultivated edible mushroom globally with only around 300 years of known cultivation history. It represents an ideal organism to investigate both natural evolutionary history and early domestication. Previous studies have provided limited understanding of the evolution and cultivation history of this important fungal species.

Objective

To analyze mitochondrial genome sequences of 352 A. bisporus strains and 9 strains from 4 closely related species from around the world to understand population structure, evolutionary history, and impacts of domestication on this species.

Results

The analysis revealed seven distinct clades within A. bisporus, with all domesticated cultivars present in only two clades. Molecular dating showed the species originated in Europe around 4.6 million years ago. The insertion of plasmid-derived dpo genes caused structural changes in the mitogenome. The population contains 30 different intron distribution patterns, while cultivars contain only two patterns, showing intron loss compared to wild strains.

Conclusion

The study provides novel insights into A. bisporus evolution and domestication through mitogenome analysis. The species likely originated in Europe before spreading to Asia and North America. Cultivated strains show distinct mitogenome patterns including intron loss, suggesting adaptation to cultivation conditions. The findings provide new approaches for germplasm evaluation in mushroom breeding.
  • Published in:BMC Genomics,
  • Study Type:Genomic Analysis,
  • Source: 10.1186/s12864-023-09257-w
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