野生蛹虫草菌株培养特性及子实体多糖含量比较分析

蛹虫草(Cordyceps militaris)是一种药食两用真菌,为获得高产优质的菌种资源,以采集分离的5株蛹虫草野生菌株(XY002、XY008、XY011、XY029、XY032)为研究对象,通过对5株菌株的分子鉴定、交配型基因分子检测、培养特性及子实体多糖含量测定,确定5株菌株皆为蛹虫草菌株,除XY008只含有MAT1-1-1交配型基因外,其他菌株都含有两种交配型基因MAT1-1-1和MAT1-2-1,5株菌株在菌丝生长速度、分生孢子数量、子实体形态、产量及子实体多糖含量均存在较大差异。综合培养特性及多糖含量分析的结果表明,菌株XY011子实体产量较高达29.60 g/瓶,多糖含量最高达100.79 mg/g,子实体长度最长达11.41 cm,而且子实体粗壮,发育周期短,确定为优势菌株,具有较好的开发价值。     

沈阳地区北虫草野生与市售菌株人工培育子实体的蛋白质组学比较

【背景】北虫草作为冬虫夏草的代用品,具有与冬虫夏草类似的药理活性,其富含的蛋白质和氨基酸通常作为衡量真菌营养价值的重要指标,从中分离纯化具有潜在临床应用价值的蛋白质或多肽,已成为一个研究热点。【目的】检测沈阳北虫草野生与市售菌株人工培育子实体的蛋白质组成,分析相同培育条件下获得的蛋白种类、数量及其功能的差异,为深入研究鉴定沈阳地区北虫草药用蛋白和针对性驯化提供了蛋白质组学数据基础。【方法】采集沈阳棋盘山野生北虫草菌株,与市售人工栽培北虫草菌株同期分别经组织分离、液体发酵后培育获得子实体,通过蛋白提取、胰酶酶解后,采用非标定量技术液相色谱-质谱联用方法,对野生和市售来源培育的子实体样本进行定量蛋白组的研究。【结果】共鉴定到9 233条特异性肽段和1 923个蛋白,其中含有1 163个可定量蛋白,野生来源培育子实体有214个蛋白表达发生上调,181个蛋白表达发生下调,对这些差异蛋白进行功能富集分析发现,其主要参与能量生产/转换、氨基酸转运/代谢、抗氧化功能。在相同的营养摄取条件下,野生来源培育菌种在各个能量代谢、氨基酸代谢功能中的相关蛋白表达量高于市售来源培育的菌种。野生来源培育菌种的一种抗氧化重要蛋白(Gene Name:ISF_02112)表达量远远高于(Fold Change9)市售来源培育菌种。同时与抗氧化和代谢功能相关的差异蛋白有22个。【结论】沈阳地区北虫草野生菌株经适当人工培育会保留部分优良的生物学特性,2种来源菌株培育的子实体具有丰富及优异抗氧化功能的蛋白,子实体蛋白的抗氧化能力与其整体代谢能力相关。本研究结果为深入研究鉴定北虫草药用蛋白和针对性驯化提供蛋白质组学数据基础。     

蛹虫草表型多态性对子实体产生及虫草菌素的影响

为选育高产子实体和虫草菌素的蛹虫草菌株,从野生蛹虫草中分离单孢子并进行分型,之后进行产子实体实验;同时对蛹虫草子实体进行了产孢结构的观察,并用高效液相色谱仪检测了子实体和培养基中的虫草菌素。结果表明,菌落背面颜色为橙铬色的菌株容易产生子实体;出发(原代)菌株所产子实体在形态上更接近野生蛹虫草,而角变株的子实体畸形;出发菌株产子实体能力要比该菌株未发生角变部分分离株和角变部分分离株都强。在虫草菌素的产量上也以出发菌株为高,表明表型多态性对蛹虫草产子实体和虫草菌素有很大的影响。这对于优势菌种的筛选和生产实践有借鉴意义。     

The medicinal fungus Cordyceps militaris: research and development

Ophiocordyceps sinensis (syn. Cordyceps sinensis) is a highly valued medicinal fungus. This entomopathogen has a limited distribution, has been overharvested in the wild, and its stromata have not been artificially cultivated. Another entomopathogenic fungus, Cordyceps militaris (commonly known as orange caterpillar fungus), has chemical capacities similar to those of O. sinensis, but unlike O. sinensis, its stromata can be easily cultivated. Consequently, C. militaris is being studied as an alternative to O. sinensis, and the large-scale production of stromata is receiving substantial attention. Significant research has been conducted on the genetic resources, nutritional and environmental requirements, mating behavior, and biochemical and pharmacological properties of C. militaris. The complete genome of C. militaris has recently been sequenced. This fungus has been the subject of many reviews, but few have focused on its biology. The current paper reviews the biological aspects of the fungus including host range, mating system, cytology and genetics, insect- and non-insect nutritional requirements, environmental influence on stroma development, and commercial development.     

Genotypic analysis of degenerative Cordyceps militaris cultured in the pupa of Bombyx mori

The chemical composition and pharmacological effects of Cordyceps militaris are similar to those of Cordyceps sinensis, with the former undergoing greater development and utilization. Strain degeneration is a common phenomenon that occurs with high frequency during the subculturing of C. militaris, however, and the mechanism underlying strain degeneration remains unclear. In this study, we used touch‐down PCR to compare the ITS1 + 5.8S + ITS2, 18S, 28S and mating‐type (MAT) regions sequence of wild‐type and degenerated strains of C. militaris. We also used quantitative real‐time PCR to analyze expression levels of the CmMAT gene. Sequence analysis showed that the ITS1 + 5.8S + ITS2 and 28S regions of degenerated and wild‐type strains were completely identical, the 18S region of the degenerated strain contained seven single‐base mutations, including six base substitutions and one single‐base insertion. Compared with the wild‐type strain, the degenerated strain contained a deletion of the MAT1–2‐1 region, three base substitutions in the MAT1–1‐1 region, and a base substitution in the MAT1–1‐2 region that causes a glycine‐to‐valine amino acid substitution. Quantitative real‐time PCR analysis detected no CmMAT1–2‐1 gene expression in the degenerated strain, confirming the deletion of the CmMAT1–2‐1 gene. Expression levels of the CmMAT1–1‐1 and CmMAT1–1‐2 genes were significantly down‐regulated to only 7.5 % and 4.4 %, respectively, that of the wild‐type strain. These results indicate that 18S and MAT region mutations, as well as down‐regulated of CmMAT gene expression levels, may play important roles in C. militaris degeneration. This study provides a theoretical basis for further elucidation of the molecular mechanisms of C. militaris degeneration.     

Frequency of the Mating-Type (MAT1) in Histoplasma capsulatum Isolates from Buenos Aires,Argentina

Sex is genetically determined in Histoplasma capsulatum, governed by a sex-specific region in the genome called the mating-type locus (MAT1). We investigate the distribution of isolates of two H. capsulatum mating types in the clades circulating in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Forty-nine H. capsulatum isolates were obtained from the culture collection of the Mycology Center. The MAT1 locus was identified by PCR from the yeast suspension. The analysis of forty-eight isolates from clinical samples exhibited a ratio of 1.7 (MAT1-1:MAT1-2) and the only isolate from soil was MAT1-1. Forty-five H. capsulatum isolates belonged to the LAm B clade (H. capsulatum from Latin American group B clade) and showed a ratio of 1.8 (MAT1-1:MAT1-2). These results suggest an association between the mating types in isolates belonging to the LAm B clade. It remains to be defined whether a greater virulence should be attributed to the differences between the strains of the opposite mating type of the LAm B clade.

     

Preservation affects the vegetative growth and fruiting body production of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cordyceps militaris</Emphasis>

Cordyceps militaris is a model species of Cordyceps fungi, and has been traditionally used as an edible and medicinal fungus due to its richness of bioactive and pharmacological metabolites. The fruiting bodies of this fungus are widely used as healthy food and nutrition supply. In industrial production, fruiting bodies are cultivated on artificial media, but their yield and quality are usually affected by the quality of fungal strains. In this study, the effect of colony growth rate of the fungal strains, fungal age and repeated subculturing on the fungal biomass accumulation was investigated. The results indicated that the fungal biomass was positively correlated with the colony growth rate and not affected by fungal age and the repeated subculturing. The preservation conditions for stock cultures, including choice of cultures, lyophilization, temperature and protective agents were optimized based on the mycelial formation and conidia production in artificial inoculum. The development of fruiting bodies from the fungal strains stored under the optimized preservation conditions were further analyzed to determine the ideal time period of preservation. Results indicated that storing the fungus at 4 °C could maintain the fungal vitality and fruiting body producing capacity for at least 12 months. This study established practical criteria of fungal inoculum for artificial cultivation of fruiting body and provided a simple and efficient preservation method for C. militaris. The results may shed light on preservation for other Cordyceps species and other edible fungi.     

Evaluation of the potential for sexual reproduction in field populations of Cercospora beticola from USA

Cercospora leaf spot, caused by the hemibiotrophic fungal pathogen Cercospora beticola, is the most economically damaging foliar disease of sugarbeet worldwide. Although most C. beticola populations display characteristics reminiscent of sexual recombination, no teleomorph has been described. To assess whether populations in northern United States have characteristics consistent with sexual reproduction, 1024 isolates collected over a 3-y period were analyzed for frequency and distribution of mating type genes. After clone correction, an approximately equal distribution of mating types was found for each sampling year. Mating type frequency was also assessed in individual lesions. Lesions always consisted of isolates with a single mating type and microsatellite haplotype, but both mating types and up to five microsatellite haplotypes could be found on an individual leaf. The MAT1-1-1 and MAT1-2-1 genes were sequenced from 28 MAT1-1 and 28 MAT1-2 isolates, respectively. Three MAT1-1-1 nucleotide haplotypes were identified that encoded a single amino acid sequence. For MAT1-2-1, five nucleotide haplotypes were identified that encoded four protein variants. MAT1-1-1 and MAT1-2-1 gene expression analyses were conducted on plants inoculated with either or both mating types. MAT1-1-1 expression remained low, but MAT1-2-1 spiked during late stages of colonization. A segment of the MAT1-2-1 coding sequence was also found in MAT1-1 isolates. Taken together, these results suggest that C. beticola has the potential for sexual reproduction.     

A MAT1–2 wild‐type strain from Penicillium chrysogenum: functional mating‐type locus characterization,genome sequencing and mating with an industrial penicillin‐producing strain

In heterothallic ascomycetes, mating is controlled by two nonallelic idiomorphs that determine the ‘sex’ of the corresponding strains. We recently discovered mating‐type loci and a sexual life cycle in the penicillin‐producing fungus, Penicillium chrysogenum. All industrial penicillin production strains worldwide are derived from a MAT1‐1 isolate. No MAT1‐2 strain has been investigated in detail until now. Here, we provide the first functional analysis of a MAT1‐2 locus from a wild‐type strain. Similar to MAT1‐1, the MAT1‐2 locus has functions beyond sexual development. Unlike MAT1‐1, the MAT1‐2 locus affects germination and surface properties of conidiospores and controls light‐dependent asexual sporulation. Mating of the MAT1‐2 wild type with a MAT1‐1 high penicillin producer generated sexual spores. We determined the genomic sequences of parental and progeny strains using next‐generation sequencing and found evidence for genome‐wide recombination. SNP calling showed that derived industrial strains had an uneven distribution of point mutations compared with the wild type. We found evidence for meiotic recombination in all chromosomes. Our results point to a strategy combining the use of mating‐type genes, genetics, and next‐generation sequencing to optimize conventional strain improvement methods.     

Erratum to: The Interplay Between NSAIDs and Candida albicans on the Gastrointestinal Tract of Guinea Pigs

Trichophyton rubrum is an anthropophilic species that is the most frequent etiologic agent of human dermatophytosis throughout the world. No teleomorph has been identified for T. rubrum strains. This study used PCR analysis to confirm the presence of a mating type locus in the genome of Japanese isolates of T. rubrum. To clarify the epidemiological and ecological characteristics of this fungus, mating type sequences were tested for correlation of MAT genotype to mating type. This study examined clinical isolates of T. rubrum that had been obtained from 206 human cases of tinea pedis and tinea unguium in Japan, including those from Fukuoka (29 strains), Gifu (23 strains), Kanazawa (63 strains), and Tokyo (91 strains), along with 10 isolates derived from 10 cases of canine dermatophytosis. PCR detected the presence of MAT1-1 in all of the human and animal isolates. Therefore, all isolates examined were expected to react as (?) type on the mating test and not as (+) type.     

Presence and functionality of mating type genes in the supposedly asexual filamentous fungus Aspergillus oryzae

The potential for sexual reproduction in Aspergillus oryzae was assessed by investigating the presence and functionality of MAT genes. Previous genome studies had identified a MAT1-1 gene in the reference strain RIB40. We now report the existence of a complementary MAT1-2 gene and the sequencing of an idiomorphic region from A. oryzae strain AO6. This allowed the development of a PCR diagnostic assay, which detected isolates of the MAT1-1 and MAT1-2 genotypes among 180 strains assayed, including industrial tane-koji isolates. Strains used for sake and miso production showed a near-1:1 ratio of the MAT1-1 and MAT1-2 mating types, whereas strains used for soy sauce production showed a significant bias toward the MAT1-2 mating type. MAT1-1 and MAT1-2 isogenic strains were then created by genetic manipulation of the resident idiomorph, and gene expression was compared by DNA microarray and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) methodologies under conditions in which MAT genes were expressed. Thirty-three genes were found to be upregulated more than 10-fold in either the MAT1-1 host strain or the MAT1-2 gene replacement strain relative to each other, showing that both the MAT1-1 and MAT1-2 genes functionally regulate gene expression in A. oryzae in a mating type-dependent manner, the first such report for a supposedly asexual fungus. MAT1-1 expression specifically upregulated an α-pheromone precursor gene, but the functions of most of the genes affected were unknown. The results are consistent with a heterothallic breeding system in A. oryzae, and prospects for the discovery of a sexual cycle are discussed.     

Potential of European wild strains of Agaricus subrufescens for productivity and quality on wheat straw based compost

The Brazilian almond mushroom is currently cultivated for its medicinal properties but cultivars are suspected all to have a common origin. The objective of this work was to assess the potential of wild isolates of Agaricus subrufescens Peck (Agaricus blazei, Agaricus brasiliensis) as a source of new traits to improve the mushroom yield and quality for developing new cultures under European growing conditions. The wild European strains analysed showed a good ability to be commercially cultivated on wheat straw and horse manure based compost: shorter time to fruiting, higher yield, similar antioxidant activities when compared to cultivars. They have a valuable potential of genetic and phenotypic diversity and proved to be interfertile with the original culture of the Brazilian almond mushroom. Intercontinental hybrids could be obtained and combine properties from both Brazilian and European germplasm for increasing the choice of strains cultivated by the mushroom growers.     

Genetic Diversity and Mating Type Distribution of Tuber melanosporum and Their Significance to Truffle Cultivation in Artificially Planted Truffieres in Australia

Tuber melanosporum is a truffle native to Europe and is cultivated in countries such as Australia for the gastronomic market, where production yields are often lower than expected. We assessed the genetic diversity of T. melanosporum with six microsatellite loci to assess the effect of genetic drift on truffle yield in Australia. Genetic diversity as assessed on 210 ascocarps revealed a higher allelic diversity compared to previous studies from Europe, suggesting a possible genetic expansion and/or multiple and diverse source populations for inoculum. The results also suggest that the single sequence repeat diversity of locus ME2 is adaptive and that, for example, the probability of replication errors is increased for this locus. Loss of genetic diversity in Australian populations is therefore not a likely factor in limiting ascocarp production. A survey of nursery seedlings and trees inoculated with T. melanosporum revealed that <70% of seedlings and host trees were colonized with T. melanosporum and that some trees had been contaminated by Tuber brumale, presumably during the inoculation process. Mating type (MAT1-1-1 and MAT1-2-1) analyses on seedling and four- to ten-year-old host trees found that 100% of seedlings but only approximately half of host trees had both mating types present. Furthermore, MAT1-1-1 was detected significantly more commonly than MAT1-2-1 in established trees, suggesting a competitive advantage for MAT1-1-1 strains. This study clearly shows that there are more factors involved in ascocarp production than just the presence of both mating types on host trees.     

Identification of Races and Mating Types of Cochliobolus carbonum from Corn in the Yunnan Province in China

Northern corn leaf spot, a foliar disease caused by Cochliobolus carbonum, has become prevalent in southwestern China, especially in the Yunnan Province. Races and mating types were identified for 169 isolates collected from 13 prefectures of Yunnan by artificial inoculation using six hybrid corns as differential hosts and by crossing with three standard mating strains: CC092 (MAT1‐2), CC120 (MAT1‐1) and CC026 (MAT1‐1). Results showed the existence of three races: CCR1 (one isolate), CCR2 (43 isolates) and CCR3 (125 isolates). Most isolates were moderately or weakly virulent with only five being highly virulent. CCR3 was widely distributed and significantly more virulent than CCR2 that coexisted with CCR3 in many locations. On Sach's nutrient agar, 20.71% of the Yunnan isolates self‐mated, forming sterile perithecia. Fully developed perithecia could be formed between isolates of different geographic origins, but only 15.98% strains mated successfully with CC092 and 5.33% formed mature perithecia with 4–6 ascospores per asus. Similar results were obtained in crossing with CC026 or CC120. Mating could also occur between CCR3 and CCR2. Both mating types were found in Yunnan with 84 MAT1‐1 strains (one CCR1, 10 CCR2 and 73 CCR3) and 85 MAT1‐2 strains (33 CCR2 and 52 CCR3) and they coexisted in most areas. To identify the mating type rapidly, three specific primers were successfully developed and employed to amplify the mating‐type genes, with stable patterns of 1627 and 876 bp fragments obtained from MAT1‐1 and MAT1‐2 isolates, respectively. The ratio between MAT1‐1 and MAT1‐2 was 1 : 1, indicating that the mating‐type genes segregated randomly in the field naturally.     

Non-Mendelian segregation influences the infection biology and genetic structure of the African tree pathogen Ceratocystis albifundus

The African fungal tree pathogen, Ceratocystis albifundus, undergoes uni-directional mating type switching, giving rise to either self-fertile or self-sterile progeny. Self-sterile isolates lack the MAT1-2-1 gene and have reduced fitness such as slower growth and reduced pathogenicity, relative to self-fertile isolates. While it has been hypothesized that there is a 1:1 ratio of self-fertile to self-sterile ascospore progeny in relatives of C. albifundus, some studies have reported a significant bias in this ratio. This could be due to the fact that either fewer self-sterile ascospores are produced or that self-sterile ascospores have low viability. We quantified the percentage of self-sterile and self-fertile ascospores from ascospore masses in C. albifundus using real-time PCR. Primers were designed to distinguish between spores that contained the MAT1-2-1 gene and those where this gene had been deleted. A significant bias towards the self-fertile mating type was observed in all single ascospore masses taken from sexual structures produced in haploid-selfed cultures. The same result was observed from a disease outbreak situation in an intensively managed field of cultivated native trees, and this was coupled with very low population diversity in the pathogen. This was in contrast to the results obtained from ascospore masses taken from the crosses performed under laboratory conditions or ascomata on native trees in a non-disease situation, where either self-fertile or self-sterile ascospores were dominant. The results suggest that reproductive strategies play a significant role in the infection biology and genetic structure of C. albifundus populations.     

A new duplex PCR assay for the rapid screening of mating-type idiomorphs of pathogenic Sporothrix species

Sporothrix schenckii and allied species are thermodimorphic fungi widely distributed in nature which causes human and animal sporotrichosis, the most common subcutaneous mycosis globally. Sporotrichosis is acquired after a traumatic inoculation of soil or plant material contaminated with Sporothrix propagules or through bites and scratches from diseased cats. In Ascomycota, the master regulators of sex are MAT genes that lie in a single mating-type locus, in Sporothrix these are determined by two nonhomologous alleles, MAT1-1 and MAT1-2. We assessed the whole-genome sequences of medically relevant Sporothrix to develop a single-tube duplex PCR assay to screen S. brasiliensis, S. schenckii, S. globosa, and S. luriei idiomorphs (MAT1-1 or MAT1-2) and understand the distribution and incidence of mating-type strains from natural populations. Using our duplex PCR assay, a 673 bp amplicon (α-box protein) was consistently amplified from all MAT1-1 isolates, while a 291 bp fragment was only amplified from the isolates harboring MAT1-2 (HMG box). Molecular evidence suggests heterothallism (self-sterility) as the unique mating strategy among the species evaluated. The mating-type identity of 93 isolates revealed a nearly equal distribution (1:1 ratio) of mating type alleles within species but deviating between different outbreak areas. Remarkably, for S. brasiliensis in Rio de Janeiro, we report an overwhelming occurrence of MAT1-2 (1:13 ratio; χ² = 10.286, P = 0.0013) opposing the high prevalence MAT1-1 in the Rio Grande do Sul (10:1 ratio; χ² = 7.364, P = 0.0067). Therefore, the population structure of Sporothrix species refers from paucity to regular cycles of sexual recombination in most of the studied regions. Our PCR-based mating-type diagnostic assay is proposed here as an important marker to track the geographical expansion during the long-lasting outbreak of cat-transmitted sporotrichosis driven by S. brasiliensis.     

Deletion and Complementation of the Mating Type (MAT) Locus of the Wheat Head Blight Pathogen Gibberella zeae

Gibberella zeae, a self-fertile, haploid filamentous ascomycete, causes serious epidemics of wheat (Triticum aestivum) head blight worldwide and contaminates grain with trichothecene mycotoxins. Anecdotal evidence dating back to the late 19th century indicates that G. zeae ascospores (sexual spores) are a more important inoculum source than are macroconidia (asexual spores), although the fungus can produce both during wheat head blight epidemics. To develop fungal strains to test this hypothesis, the entire mating type (MAT1) locus was deleted from a self-fertile (MAT1-1/MAT1-2), virulent, trichothecene-producing wild-type strain of G. zeae. The resulting MAT deletion (mat1-1/mat1-2) strains were unable to produce perithecia or ascospores and appeared to be unable to mate with the fertile strain from which they were derived. Complementation of a MAT deletion strain by transformation with a copy of the entire MAT locus resulted in recovery of production of perithecia and ascospores. MAT deletion strains and MAT-complemented strains retained the ability to produce macroconidia that could cause head blight, as assessed by direct injection into wheat heads in greenhouse tests. Availability of MAT-null and MAT-complemented strains provides a means to determine the importance of ascospores in the biology of G. zeae and perhaps to identify novel approaches to control wheat head blight.     

Isolation of the MAT1-1 mating type idiomorph and evidence for selfing in the Chinese medicinal fungus Ophiocordyceps sinensis

Ophiocordyceps sinensis is one of the most valued medicinal fungi in China. Research on the mating system and sexual development is vitally important to this endangered species. Previous efforts devoted to investigate the mating type (MAT) locus of O. sinensis, however, resulted in an incomplete understanding. In this study, the MAT1-1 locus of O. sinensis was investigated. The conserved α-box and HMG-box regions of the MAT1-1-1 and MAT1-1-3 genes, respectively, and a conserved region of the DNA lyase gene were successfully amplified using degenerate PCR. A combination of TAIL-PCR and long-range PCR were used to connect these genes and obtain the sequence of the MAT1-1 locus. Screening of 22 single spore isolates by PCR demonstrated that both the MAT1-1-1 and MAT1-2-1 genes cooccurred within the same isolate. Additionally, both MAT1-1-1 and MAT1-2-1 are expressed in vegetative mycelia, providing evidence that O. sinensis is likely capable of selfing. DAPI (4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole) staining of ascospores and hyphae showed that a majority of hyphal compartments are binucleate, suggesting that O. sinensis may be pseudohomothallic. Analyses of sequence diversity showed lower levels of genetic diversity in MAT1-1-1 compared to MAT1-2-1, indicating the possibility that different selective pressures act on the two MAT idiomorphs. The MAT1-1-1 sequences of O. sinensis and Tolypocladium inflatum cluster as a monophyletic group consistent with phylogenetic classification of Ophiocordycipitaceae. Comparison of the structure of the MAT1-1 locus across hypocrealean taxa showed that O. sinensis contains all three mating type genes (MAT1-1-1, MAT1-1-2, and MAT1-1-3) and supported previous observations that of the four families in Hypocreales, MAT1-1-3 has undergone a lineage specific loss only in some members of the Cordycipitaceae.