Mycobiology

The Korean Society of Mycology (한국균학회)
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Comprehensive Transcriptomic Analysis of Cordyceps militaris Cultivated on Germinated Soybeans

  • Yoo, Chang-Hyuk (Division of Life Sciences, College of Life Sciences and Bioengineering, Incheon National University) ;
  • Sadat, Md. Abu (Division of Life Sciences, College of Life Sciences and Bioengineering, Incheon National University) ;
  • Kim, Wonjae (Division of Life Sciences, College of Life Sciences and Bioengineering, Incheon National University) ;
  • Park, Tae-Sik (Department of Life Science, Gacheon University) ;
  • Park, Dong Ki (Cell Activation Research Institute) ;
  • Choi, Jaehyuk (Division of Life Sciences, College of Life Sciences and Bioengineering, Incheon National University)
  • Received : 2021.10.27
  • Accepted : 2022.01.24
  • Published : 2022.02.28
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Abstract

The ascomycete fungus Cordyceps militaris infects lepidopteran larvae and pupae and forms characteristic fruiting bodies. Owing to its immune-enhancing effects, the fungus has been used as a medicine. For industrial application, this fungus can be grown on geminated soybeans as an alternative protein source. In our study, we performed a comprehensive transcriptomic analysis to identify core gene sets during C. militaris cultivation on germinated soybeans. RNA-Seq technology was applied to the fungal cultures at seven-time points (2, 4, and 7-day and 2, 3, 5, 7-week old cultures) to investigate the global transcriptomic change. We conducted a time-series analysis using a two-step regression strategy and chose 1460 significant genes and assigned them into five clusters. Characterization of each cluster based on Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes databases revealed that transcription profiles changed after two weeks of incubation. Gene mapping of cordycepin biosynthesis and isoflavone modification pathways also confirmed that gene expression in the early stage of GSC cultivation is important for these metabolic pathways. Our transcriptomic analysis and selected genes provided a comprehensive molecular basis for the cultivation of C. militaris on germinated soybeans.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This work was supported by the Post-Doctoral Research Program in the Incheon National University.

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