Effects of different cultivation material formulas on the growth and quality of Morchella spp

Whole-genome sequencing and evolutionary analysis of the wild edible mushroom, Morchella eohespera

Morels (Morchella, Ascomycota) are an extremely desired group of edible mushrooms with worldwide distribution. Morchella eohespera is a typical black morel species, belonging to the Elata clade of Morchella species. The biological and genetic studies of this mushroom are rare, largely hindering the studies of molecular breeding and evolutionary aspects. In this study, we performed de novo sequencing and assembly of the M. eohespera strain m200 genome using the third-generation nanopore sequencing platform. The whole-genome size of M. eohespera was 53.81 Mb with a contig N50 of 1.93 Mb, and the GC content was 47.70%. A total of 9,189 protein-coding genes were annotated. Molecular dating showed that M. eohespera differentiated from its relative M. conica at ~19.03 Mya (million years ago) in Burdigalian. Evolutionary analysis showed that 657 gene families were contracted and 244 gene families expanded in M. eohespera versus the related morel species. The non-coding RNA prediction results showed that there were 336 tRNAs, 76 rRNAs, and 45 snRNAs in the M. eohespera genome. Interestingly, there was a high degree of repetition (20.93%) in the M. eohespera genome, and the sizes of long interspersed nuclear elements, short interspersed nuclear elements, and long terminal repeats were 0.83 Mb, 0.009 Mb, and 4.56 Mb, respectively. Additionally, selection pressure analysis identified that a total of 492 genes in the M. eohespera genome have undergone signatures of positive selection. The results of this study provide new insights into the genome evolution of M. eohespera and lay the foundation for in-depth research into the molecular biology of the genus Morchella in the future.

Enhancement of Growth and Synthesis of Extracellular Enzymes of Morchella sextelata Induced by Co-culturing with Trichoderma

Trichoderma is a genus of common filamentous fungi that display a various range of lifestyles and interactions with other fungi. The interaction of Trichoderma with Morchella sextelata was explored in this study. Trichoderma sp. T-002 was isolated from a wild fruiting body of Morchella sextelata M-001 and identified as a closely related species of Trichoderma songyi based on morphological chracteristics and phylogenetic analysis of translation elongation factor1-alpha and inter transcribed spacer of rDNA. Further, we focussed on the influence of dry mycelia of T-002 on the growth and synthesis of extracellular enzymes of M-001. Among different treatments, M-001 showed the highest growth of mycelia with an optimal supplement of 0.33 g/100 mL of T-002. Activities of extracellular enzymes of M-001 were enhanced significantly by the optimal supplement treatment. Overall, T-002, a unique Trichoderma species, had a positive effect on mycelial growth and synthesis of extracellular enzymes of M-001.

Nutrient uptake in supplemented substrate by oyster mushroom

Spent mushroom substrate (SMS) is a promising alternative for supplementing oyster mushroom substrate, replacing conventional cereal bran. Therefore, the objective was to evaluate the production of Pleurotus ostreatus supplemented with Lentinula edodes' SMS, through the nutritional analysis of the substrate. Wheat straw was used as substrate and supplemented with rice bran (RB) or SMS in 0%, 7%,15% and 30%. Ca, K, Mg, Mn, Zn, Cu and Fe contents of the cultivation substrates (before and after harvest) were determined through atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Mycelial growth (cm²/day), mycelial time colonization (days), number of clusters, number of pileus, average clusters weight (g), pileus lenght (cm) and width (cm), productivity (1st, 2nd and 3rd flush) (%), biological efficiency (%) of mushrooms were evaluated. Results indicated mycelial growth was higher (0.87 cm²/day compared to the Control) when the substrate was supplemented regardless of the source. The proportions of 15% of SMS achieved the highest biological efficiency (107% - 15% SMS versus 66% - Control). The only nutrients that showed differences in absorption were Ca, K and Mn, in which substrates supplemented with SMS had greater absorption of Ca (5.37 g.kg^- 1 versus 1.94 g.kg^- 1 in Control) while substrates supplemented with RB absorbed more K (6.56 g.kg^- 1 versus 3.74 g.kg^- 1 in Control). The mineral composition of the substrate has a direct impact on the growth and yield of P. ostreatus, highlighting the potential of SMS as a alternative to traditional bran supplementation.

Cultivation, nutritional value, bioactive compounds of morels, and their health benefits: A systematic review

Morels are valuable mushrooms being used as foods and medical substances for a long history. The commonly cultivated morel species include M. eximia, M. importuna, and M. sextelata in China, M. conica and M. esculenta in the US. Morels' nutritional profile mainly consists of carbohydrates, proteins, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and organic acids, which are also responsible for its complex sensory attributes and health benefits. The bioactive compounds in morels including polysaccharides, phenolics, tocopherols, and ergosterols contribute to the anti-oxidative abilities, anti-inflammation, immunoprotection, gut health preservation, and anti-cancer abilities. This review depicted on the cultivation of morels, major bioactive compounds of different morel species both from fruit bodies and mycelia, and their health benefits to provide a comprehensive understanding of morels and support the future research and applications of morels as high-value functional food sources.

Ten decadal advances in fungal biology leading towards human well-being

Fungi are an understudied resource possessing huge potential for developing products that can greatly improve human well-being. In the current paper, we highlight some important discoveries and developments in applied mycology and interdisciplinary Life Science research. These examples concern recently introduced drugs for the treatment of infections and neurological diseases; application of -OMICS techniques and genetic tools in medical mycology and the regulation of mycotoxin production; as well as some highlights of mushroom cultivaton in Asia. Examples for new diagnostic tools in medical mycology and the exploitation of new candidates for therapeutic drugs, are also given. In addition, two entries illustrating the latest developments in the use of fungi for biodegradation and fungal biomaterial production are provided. Some other areas where there have been and/or will be significant developments are also included. It is our hope that this paper will help realise the importance of fungi as a potential industrial resource and see the next two decades bring forward many new fungal and fungus-derived products.

Mating Systems in True Morels (Morchella)

True morels (Morchella spp., Morchellaceae, Ascomycota) are widely regarded as a highly prized delicacy and are of great economic and scientific value. Recently, the rapid development of cultivation technology and expansion of areas for artificial morel cultivation have propelled morel research into a hot topic. Many studies have been conducted in various aspects of morel biology, but despite this, cultivation sites still frequently report failure to fruit or only low production of fruiting bodies. Key problems include the gap between cultivation practices and basic knowledge of morel biology. In this review, in an effort to highlight the mating systems, evolution, and life cycle of morels, we summarize the current state of knowledge of morel sexual reproduction, the structure and evolution of mating-type genes, the sexual process itself, and the influence of mating-type genes on the asexual stages and conidium production. Understanding of these processes is critical for improving technology for the cultivation of morels and for scaling up their commercial production. Morel species may well be good candidates as model species for improving sexual development research in ascomycetes in the future.

The whole-genome sequence analysis of Morchella sextelata

Morchella are macrofungi and are also called morels, as they exhibit a morel-like upper cap structure. Morels contain abundant essential amino acids, vitamins and biologically active compounds, which provide substantial health benefits. Approximately 80 species of Morchella have been reported, and even more species have been isolated. However, the lack of wild Morchella resources and the difficulties associated with culturing Morchella have caused a shortage in the morels available for daily consumption. Additionally, in-depth genomic and morphological studies are still needed. In this study, to provide genomic data for further investigations of culturing techniques and the biological functions of Morchella sextelata (M. sextelata), de novo genome sequencing was carried out on the Illumina HiSeq. 4000 platform using both the Illumina 150 and PacBio systems. The final estimated genome size of M. sextelata was 52.93 Mb, containing 59 contigs and a GC content of 47.37%. A total of 9,550 protein-coding genes were annotated. In addition, the repeat sequences, gene components and gene functions were analyzed using various databases. Furthermore, the secondary metabolite gene clusters and the predicted structures of their products were analyzed. Finally, a genomic comparison of different species of Morchella was performed.

Supplementation in mushroom crops and its impact on yield and quality

Mushroom supplementation is an agronomic process which consists of the application of nutritional amendments to the substrates employed for mushroom cultivation. Different nitrogen and carbohydrate rich supplements have been evaluated in crops with a substantial impact on mushroom yield and quality; however, there is still controversy regarding the nutritional requirements of mushrooms and the necessity for the development of new commercial additives. The addition of external nutrients increases the productivity of some low-yielding mushroom varieties, and therefore is a useful tool for the industry to introduce new commercially viable varieties. Spent mushroom compost is a waste material that could feasibly be recycled as a substrate to support a new commercially viable crop cycle when amended with supplements. On the other hand, a new line of research based on the use of mushroom growth promoting microorganisms is rising above the horizon to supplement the native microbiota, which appears to cover nutritional deficiencies. Several supplements employed for the cultivated mushrooms and their agronomic potential in terms of yield and quality are reviewed in this paper as a useful guide to evaluate the nutritional requirements of the crop and to design new formulas for commercial supplementation.