New Insights into the Genetics of Mushrooms

(Ruhr-Universität Bochum (Google Translation)) Mushrooms of the order Trichosporonales have unusual genetic characteristics, as an international research team now found out. Some Trichosporonales fungal species are of interest to the industry and are considered to be potential producers of biofuels. But to use them, one would first have to know more about their biology. A research team led by Privatdozentin Minou Nowrousian from the Department of Molecular and Cellular Botany of the Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) has now analyzed genes in the genomes of 24 fungi responsible for their sexual development. Also involved in the project was Prof. Dr. med. Joseph Heitman from Duke University in the US, who has been cooperating with the RUB for a long time and was already a visiting scholar in Bochum.

The researchers published their findings in the magazine "Plos Genetics" on September 6, 2019.

Trichosporonales

Trichosporonales fungi are widespread in the environment and have been isolated in the soil, on rotting plants and on water bodies. Some species are harmful to humans. Some species can store large amounts of lipids in their cells, which are so-called oil-accumulating fungi, which have therefore been increasingly analyzed in recent years as potential producers of biofuels.

Genes responsible for the sexual development of fungi are called cross-type genes. You must differentiate between the two crossing partners to initiate a successful cell fusion. In the group of fungi Basidiomyceten, which includes the order of the Trichosporonales, and which includes, among other classic mushrooms such as the mushroom, the cross-type genes are often located in two different places in the genome, these call the biologists cross-type loci. However, there are also species in which these two cross-type loci are fused and present on the same chromosome. The chromosomes that carry the cross-type genes often play a similar role as the sex chromosomes in animals and plants.

In such culture dishes, the scientists breed the mushrooms.

The research team led by Minou Nowrousian from Germany and the USA has now investigated the cross-type genes in 24 species of the order Trichosporonales and thereby discovered fused cross-type loci with previously unknown properties.

The analyzes showed that all Trichosoporonales species studied have fused junction type loci but have different properties than the already known fused junction type loci of Basidiomycetes. Thus, both the arrangement of the genes in the fused loci into the Trichosporonales and the sequences of the genes is extremely conserved, in contrast to the fused junction type loci in other Basidiomycetes. This is unusual, as hybrid and sex chromosomes often degenerate in the course of evolution. The mechanisms that stabilize Trichosporonales cross-type loci will be the subject of future studies. READ MORE

New Insights into the Genetics of Mushrooms

More than 50,000 articles in our online library!

Advanced Biofuels USA Policy Statements and Handouts!

Our Sponsors

FREE Subscription! Advanced Biofuels USA events calendar; policy and actions; education newsletters

Donate

ARCHIVES

CATEGORIES

tags