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The Genome Sequence of the Chicken of the Woods Fungus, Laetiporus sulphureus (Bull.) Murrill, 1920

Summary

Scientists have successfully mapped the complete genetic blueprint (genome) of the chicken of the woods mushroom, a bright orange fungus that grows on trees. This research helps us better understand how these fungi break down wood and create hollow spaces in trees that are important for wildlife. Impact on everyday life: – Helps protect wildlife habitats by understanding how tree hollows form – Advances our knowledge of natural wood decomposition processes – Contributes to understanding fungi that are both edible and important for ecosystem health – May lead to discoveries in natural wood recycling methods – Helps identify different varieties of this mushroom species for foragers and naturalists

Background

Laetiporus sulphureus (chicken of the woods) is a poroid fungus that produces large, fleshy, orange to citric yellow, annual bracket-like sporocarps with undulating margins up to 40cm in size. It has a smooth, vivid yellow pore layer and can occur individually or in large imbricate clusters. The species is distributed across Europe, North and South America, causing brown-rot in the heartwood of various angiosperm trees, particularly Quercus. It is a key engineer of tree hollowing and represents a group of cryptically diverse taxa currently undergoing significant revision.

Objective

To sequence and assemble the genome of Laetiporus sulphureus to help resolve the cryptic diversity of this genus in the UK and expand understanding of how these essential wood recyclers operate and interact in their environment.

Results

The final genome assembly has a total length of 37.4 Mb in 14 sequence scaffolds with a scaffold N50 of 2.6 Mb. The assembly has a BUSCO completeness of 95.9% (single 94.8%, duplicated 1.1%) using the polyporales_odb10 reference set. 100% of the assembly sequence was assigned to 14 chromosomal-level scaffolds.

Conclusion

The genome sequence provides a high-quality reference assembly that will aid in understanding the cryptic diversity of Laetiporus sulphureus and its role in wood decomposition and hollow formation in trees. This information may be critical for protecting organisms that depend on dead wood and tree hollow habitats.
  • Published in:Wellcome Open Research,
  • Study Type:Genome Sequencing Study,
  • Source: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.17750.1
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