Integrative Transcriptome and Metabolome Analysis Reveals Candidate Genes Related to Terpenoid Synthesis in <i>Amylostereum areolatum</i> (<i>Russulales: Amylostereaceae</i>)

<i>Amylostereum areolatum</i> (Chaillet ex Fr.) Boidin (<i>Russulales: Amylostereaceae</i>) is a symbiotic fungus of <i>Sirex noctilio</i> Fabricius that has ecological significance. Terpenoids are key mediators in fungal–insect interactions, yet the biosynthetic...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Lixia Wang, Ningning Fu, Ming Wang, Zhongyi Zhan, Youqing Luo, Jianrong Wu, Lili Ren
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Journal of Fungi
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/11/5/383
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:<i>Amylostereum areolatum</i> (Chaillet ex Fr.) Boidin (<i>Russulales: Amylostereaceae</i>) is a symbiotic fungus of <i>Sirex noctilio</i> Fabricius that has ecological significance. Terpenoids are key mediators in fungal–insect interactions, yet the biosynthetic mechanisms of terpenoids in this species remain unclear. Under nutritional conditions that mimic natural growth, <i>A. areolatum</i> was sampled during the lag phase (day 7), exponential phase (day 14), and stationary phase (day 21). Metabolome (solid-phase microextraction (SPME) combined with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS)) and transcriptome (Illumina NovaSeq) profiles were integrated to investigate terpenoid–gene correlations. This analysis identified 103 terpenoids in <i>A. areolatum</i>, substantially expanding the known repertoire of terpenoid compounds in this species. Total terpenoid abundance progressively increased across three developmental stages, with triterpenoids and sesquiterpenoids demonstrating the highest diversity and abundance levels. Transcriptomic profiling (61.66 Gb clean data) revealed 26 terpenoid biosynthesis-associated genes, establishing a comprehensive transcriptional framework for fungal terpenoid metabolism. Among 11 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) (|log2Fold Change| ≥ 1, adjusted <i>p</i> < 0.05), <i>HMGS1</i>, <i>HMGR2</i>, and <i>AaTPS1-3</i> emerged as key regulators potentially governing terpenoid biosynthesis. These findings provide foundational insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying terpenoid production in <i>A. areolatum</i> and related basidiomycetes.
ISSN:2309-608X