mRNA-seq and miRNA-seq Profiling Analyses Reveal Molecular Mechanisms Regulating Induction of Fruiting Bodies in Ophiocordyceps Sinensis

From the paper

Abstract

Ophiocordyceps sinensis has been a source of valuable materials in traditional Asian medicine for over two thousand years. With recent global warming and overharvest, however, the availability of these wild fungi has decreased dramatically. While fruiting bodies of O. sinensis have been artificially cultivated, the molecular mechanisms that govern the induction of fruiting bodies at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels are unclear. In this study, we carried out both mRNA and small RNA sequencing to identify crucial genes and miRNA-like RNAs (milRNAs) involved in the development of fruiting bodies. A total of 2875 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 71 differentially expressed milRNAs (DEMs) were identified among the mycoparasite complex (MC), the sclerotium (ST) and the fruiting body (FB) stage. Functional enrichment and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis, analyses indicated that the ST had increased oxidative stress and energy metabolism, and that mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling might induce the formation of fruiting bodies. Integrated analysis of DEGs and DEMs revealed that n_os_milR16, n_os_milR21, n_os_milR34, and n_os_milR90 could be candidate milRNAs that regulate the induction of fruiting bodies. This study provides transcriptome-wide insight into the molecular basis of fruiting body formation in O. Sinensis, and identifies potential candidate genes for improving induction rate.