Transcriptome Changes During Major Developmental Transitions Accompanied with Little Alteration of DNA Methylome in Two Pleurotus Species

Author: mycolabadmin
2019-06-17
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Summary

This research examined how genetic and epigenetic factors control development in two commercially important mushroom species. The study revealed that while DNA modifications remain largely stable during mushroom development, gene expression changes dramatically as mushrooms grow from thread-like structures into mature mushrooms. This has important implications for understanding and potentially improving mushroom cultivation. Impacts on everyday life: • Improved understanding of mushroom development could lead to better cultivation techniques • Knowledge gained could help develop more efficient production of edible mushrooms • Insights into fungal development could aid in breeding improved mushroom varieties • Better understanding of gene regulation in fungi has implications for biotechnology applications • Research advances our knowledge of how organisms develop and evolve

Background

Pleurotus tuoliensis (Pt) and P. eryngii var. eryngii (Pe) are two commercially important edible mushroom species that have diverged for approximately 18 million years. They differ in aspects of habitat preference, growth conditions, wood-decaying enzymes and fruit body phenotypes. Understanding the genetic and epigenetic bases underlying their developmental transitions and interspecific differences is important but remains largely unexplored.

Objective

To establish and compare the DNA methylome landscapes and global gene expression profiles during major developmental transitions (from mycelium to primordium and fruit body) in the two mushroom species, and investigate potential relationships between DNA methylation and gene expression changes during development.

Results

The study found that DNA methylation landscapes were highly conserved between the two species and largely stable across developmental stages, being primarily confined to transposable elements (TEs) and depleted in genic regions. While hundreds of genes contained methylated promoters showing negative correlation with expression levels, overall methylation changes contributed little to developmental gene expression dynamics. In contrast, transcriptomes showed significant developmental changes and interspecific divergence, especially at the fruit body stage, with genes related to oxidation-reduction processes showing the highest expression divergence between species.

Conclusion

The DNA methylomes of P. tuoliensis and P. eryngii are highly conserved and largely static during development, while transcriptomes are dynamic. For a subset of genes, CG methylation in promoter and/or body regions primarily plays a repressive role on expression in both mushroom species. The study provides important epigenome and transcriptome information relating to development and divergence of these two commercially important mushroom species.

Published in:Genes,
Study Type:Comparative Genomics Study,
Source: 10.3390/genes10060465