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Nitric Oxide Improves the Tolerance of Pleurotus ostreatus to Heat Stress by Inhibiting Mitochondrial Aconitase

Summary

This research explores how oyster mushrooms cope with heat stress through a protective molecule called nitric oxide. The findings help explain the biological mechanisms that allow mushrooms to survive high temperatures, which is crucial for mushroom cultivation. Impacts on everyday life: – Improved understanding of how to grow mushrooms in warmer conditions – Potential applications for enhancing crop heat tolerance in agriculture – Better methods for mushroom cultivation during summer months – Insights into natural stress protection mechanisms that could inspire new agricultural practices – Knowledge that could help adapt food production to climate change

Background

Heat stress is an abiotic stress that causes irreversible damage to organisms when temperature exceeds critical thresholds. In Pleurotus ostreatus (oyster mushroom), high temperature can slow mycelial growth and lead to excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) production causing oxidative damage. Nitric oxide (NO) is known to play protective roles against oxidative stress in various organisms, but its regulatory mechanisms in fungi are not fully understood.

Objective

To investigate how nitric oxide enhances heat stress tolerance in P. ostreatus by examining its effects on mitochondrial aconitase (ACO) and subsequent metabolic pathways.

Results

Heat stress induced NO accumulation in mycelia. Exogenous NO reduced ROS levels and oxidative damage while improving heat tolerance. NO was found to inhibit both gene expression and protein levels of mitochondrial aconitase (ACO). Reduced ACO activity led to increased citric acid accumulation, which induced alternative oxidase (aox) gene expression. Overexpression of aox enhanced mycelial resistance to both heat stress and hydrogen peroxide.

Conclusion

The study demonstrates that NO enhances P. ostreatus heat stress tolerance through a pathway involving ACO inhibition, increased citric acid accumulation, and subsequent induction of alternative oxidase. This metabolic shift helps reduce ROS production and oxidative damage under heat stress conditions.
  • Published in:Applied and Environmental Microbiology,
  • Study Type:Laboratory Research,
  • Source: 10.1128/AEM.02303-19
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