Nitric Oxide-Mediated Regulation of Chitinase Activity and Cadmium Sequestration in the Response of <i>Schizophyllum commune</i> to Cadmium Stress

<i>Schizophyllum commune</i> is an edible fungus with high medicinal value, but exposure to heavy-metal pollution poses significant health risks. Cadmium (Cd) toxicity inhibits fungal growth and leads to Cd accumulation in the mycelium. However, the regulatory mechanisms of Cd-induced gr...

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Main Authors: Dongxu Li, Chen Chu, Mengshi Zhao, Suying Hou, Rong Ji, Changhong Liu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-02-01
Series:Microorganisms
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/13/3/470
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author Dongxu Li
Chen Chu
Mengshi Zhao
Suying Hou
Rong Ji
Changhong Liu
author_facet Dongxu Li
Chen Chu
Mengshi Zhao
Suying Hou
Rong Ji
Changhong Liu
author_sort Dongxu Li
collection DOAJ
description <i>Schizophyllum commune</i> is an edible fungus with high medicinal value, but exposure to heavy-metal pollution poses significant health risks. Cadmium (Cd) toxicity inhibits fungal growth and leads to Cd accumulation in the mycelium. However, the regulatory mechanisms of Cd-induced growth inhibition and Cd accumulation remain poorly understood. Here, <i>S. commune</i> 20R-7-F01 was cultured in Cd-supplemented minimal medium (MM) to investigate the response of <i>S. commune</i> 20R-7-F01 to Cd exposure. We found that Cd exposure resulted in growth inhibition and a Cd-dependent increase in endogenous nitric oxide (NO) levels. NO production was primarily mediated by the nitrate reductase (NR) pathway. Cd-induced growth inhibition was alleviated by inhibiting NR activity or scavenging NO, highlighting the role of NO in stress responses. Furthermore, NO was found to enhance chitinase activity, thereby promoting Cd accumulation in the fungal cell wall and leading to growth inhibition. These results reveal a novel mechanism by which <i>S. commune</i> copes with Cd stress. This study highlights the potential of manipulating NO levels as a strategy to enhance fungal tolerance to heavy-metal pollution, providing a new avenue for managing environmental stresses in edible fungi and protecting human health.
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series Microorganisms
spelling doaj-art-c7243fde01294f3bb31b4702a8ed0edf2025-08-20T02:42:22ZengMDPI AGMicroorganisms2076-26072025-02-0113347010.3390/microorganisms13030470Nitric Oxide-Mediated Regulation of Chitinase Activity and Cadmium Sequestration in the Response of <i>Schizophyllum commune</i> to Cadmium StressDongxu Li0Chen Chu1Mengshi Zhao2Suying Hou3Rong Ji4Changhong Liu5State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, ChinaCollege of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China<i>Schizophyllum commune</i> is an edible fungus with high medicinal value, but exposure to heavy-metal pollution poses significant health risks. Cadmium (Cd) toxicity inhibits fungal growth and leads to Cd accumulation in the mycelium. However, the regulatory mechanisms of Cd-induced growth inhibition and Cd accumulation remain poorly understood. Here, <i>S. commune</i> 20R-7-F01 was cultured in Cd-supplemented minimal medium (MM) to investigate the response of <i>S. commune</i> 20R-7-F01 to Cd exposure. We found that Cd exposure resulted in growth inhibition and a Cd-dependent increase in endogenous nitric oxide (NO) levels. NO production was primarily mediated by the nitrate reductase (NR) pathway. Cd-induced growth inhibition was alleviated by inhibiting NR activity or scavenging NO, highlighting the role of NO in stress responses. Furthermore, NO was found to enhance chitinase activity, thereby promoting Cd accumulation in the fungal cell wall and leading to growth inhibition. These results reveal a novel mechanism by which <i>S. commune</i> copes with Cd stress. This study highlights the potential of manipulating NO levels as a strategy to enhance fungal tolerance to heavy-metal pollution, providing a new avenue for managing environmental stresses in edible fungi and protecting human health.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/13/3/470cadmiumnitric oxidenitrate reductasechitinase<i>Schizophyllum commune</i>heavy-metal stress
spellingShingle Dongxu Li
Chen Chu
Mengshi Zhao
Suying Hou
Rong Ji
Changhong Liu
Nitric Oxide-Mediated Regulation of Chitinase Activity and Cadmium Sequestration in the Response of <i>Schizophyllum commune</i> to Cadmium Stress
Microorganisms
cadmium
nitric oxide
nitrate reductase
chitinase
<i>Schizophyllum commune</i>
heavy-metal stress
title Nitric Oxide-Mediated Regulation of Chitinase Activity and Cadmium Sequestration in the Response of <i>Schizophyllum commune</i> to Cadmium Stress
title_full Nitric Oxide-Mediated Regulation of Chitinase Activity and Cadmium Sequestration in the Response of <i>Schizophyllum commune</i> to Cadmium Stress
title_fullStr Nitric Oxide-Mediated Regulation of Chitinase Activity and Cadmium Sequestration in the Response of <i>Schizophyllum commune</i> to Cadmium Stress
title_full_unstemmed Nitric Oxide-Mediated Regulation of Chitinase Activity and Cadmium Sequestration in the Response of <i>Schizophyllum commune</i> to Cadmium Stress
title_short Nitric Oxide-Mediated Regulation of Chitinase Activity and Cadmium Sequestration in the Response of <i>Schizophyllum commune</i> to Cadmium Stress
title_sort nitric oxide mediated regulation of chitinase activity and cadmium sequestration in the response of i schizophyllum commune i to cadmium stress
topic cadmium
nitric oxide
nitrate reductase
chitinase
<i>Schizophyllum commune</i>
heavy-metal stress
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/13/3/470
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