Identification by RNA fingerprinting of genes differentially expressed during the development of the basidiomycete Lentinula edodes

Abstract

As part of an ongoing project to understand the molecular mechanisms of fruit body development in Lentinula edodes (Shiitake mushroom), RNA fingerprinting by arbitrarily primed PCR (RAP-PCR) was used to identify differentially expressed genes in RNA populations from four stages of L. edodes development – vegetative mycelium, primordium, young fruit body and mature fruit body. From 30 RNA fingerprints, we cloned and sequenced 33 RAP fragments after their differential expression patterns had been verified by reverse Northern dot-blot hybridization. Thirteen RAP fragments show high sequence similarity to known gene products which are involved in (1) transport across the plasma membrane (drug efflux pump and sugar transporter); (2) cell cycle control (cyclin B); (3) signal transduction and transcriptional regulation (mitogen-activated protein kinase, Cdc39/Not1, PriA, Jun-D); (4) intracellular molecule trafficking (ubiquitin, plasma membrane proton ATPase, and α-adaptin); (5) mitochondrial biogenesis (mitochondrial processing peptidase β-subunit, mitochondrial glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase); and (6) intermediary metabolism (fructose 1,6 bisphosphatase). The transcript levels for plasma membrane proton ATPase and α-adaptin remained constant, whereas the other eleven genes were differentially expressed during L. edodes development. The expression profiles of the genes suggest that transport across the plasma membrane is important in the mycelial stage. Specific signal transduction and transcriptional controls may play important roles during the initiation of primordia and the formation of young fruiting bodies. When the mushroom matures, expression of genes involved in metabolic pathways becomes prominent. The isolation of these genes indicates their involvement in homobasidiomycete development and suggests new directions for molecular studies on mechanisms of mushroom development.