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The Biosynthetic Pathway of 2-Azahypoxanthine in Fairy-Ring Forming Fungus

Summary

This research investigates how certain fungi create ‘fairy rings’ – the mysterious circles of mushrooms or lush grass growth seen in lawns and fields. Scientists discovered the biological pathway that allows the fungus Lepista sordida to produce a chemical that stimulates plant growth. Understanding this process could help manage lawn care and potentially lead to new plant growth stimulants. Impacts on everyday life: • Better understanding of lawn maintenance and fairy ring management • Potential development of new natural plant growth stimulants for agriculture • Improved maintenance of golf courses and sports fields • Enhanced knowledge of fungal-plant interactions in ecosystems • Possible applications in sustainable agriculture practices

Background

Fairy rings are disease symptoms in lawns characterized by rapidly growing, lush green circular bands of grass and/or circles of mushrooms. Over 60 species of basidiomycete fungi are known to form fairy rings worldwide, particularly on golf courses and athletic fields. The fungus Lepista sordida has been studied as a model organism for understanding fairy ring formation mechanisms, with previous research identifying 2-azahypoxanthine (AHX) as a plant growth regulator isolated from this fungus.

Objective

To examine whether 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotide (AICAR) could be a substrate for AHX biosynthesis in L. sordida by investigating: 1) how AICAR feeding affects AHX accumulation and APRT gene expression, 2) the structural features of APRT, and 3) whether L. sordida mycelia has enzyme activity for interconversion between AICAR and AICA.

Results

The study found that feeding AICAR to L. sordida mycelia led to AICAR consumption and AHX accumulation. The APRT gene showed enhanced expression after 12 hours of feeding. The presence of AICAR-converting enzyme activity was demonstrated in crude mycelia extract. Structural analysis revealed conserved domains in the active site of APRTs among mushroom-forming fungi.

Conclusion

The research provided evidence for the AHX biosynthetic pathway in L. sordida by demonstrating that AICAR feeding increases AHX accumulation and APRT gene expression, identifying evolutionarily conserved domains in fungal APRTs, and confirming enzyme activity for AICAR to AICA conversion in mycelia. This study advances understanding of AICA metabolism in the purine metabolic pathway and fairy ring formation mechanisms.
  • Published in:Scientific Reports,
  • Study Type:Laboratory Research,
  • Source: 10.1038/srep39087
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