Search Results (14)

Ganoderma tsugae is a typical white-rot fungus capable of decaying both coniferous and broad-leaved trees and is also used in traditional Chinese medicine for its immunomodulatory and anticancer properties. To elucidate the molecular basis of its broad substrate adaptability, we performed integrated genomic and transcriptomic analyses of two G. tsugae strains (collected from Xingjiang on Betula and Jilin on Larix). The high-quality genomes of G. tsugae Wu 2022 from Xinjiang (40.8 Mb, 12,496 genes) and G. tsugae Cui 14110 from Jilin (45.6 Mb, 13,450 genes) were obtained. There are enriched gene families related to carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) in two G. tsugae strains. Notably, specific CAZyme families implicated in hemicellulose (GH16), chitin metabolism (GH18), and ester bond cleavage (CE10) were prominently expanded. Transcriptome analyses under the induction of Betula and Larix sawdust revealed a core adaptive response. A total of 5558 genes were differentially expressed, including 2094 up-regulated and 3464 down-regulated genes. Most differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were annotated as “catalytic activity”, “metabolic processes” and specific functions such as nutrient transport (“MFS transporter”), and lipid metabolism (“3-oxoacyl-[acyl-carrier protein] reductase”). In addition, a conserved suite of the eleven shared DEGs were annotated as “Heat shock protein 9/12”, “alcohol dehydrogenase”, and “Cytochrome p450” related to secondary metabolites biosynthesis, transport, and catabolism. Based on the annotation results, the wood degradation mechanism of G. tsugae can be described as synthesizing and secreting degradation enzyme system to obtain energy, using protective enzyme systems to ensure its own health, and employing a transport enzyme system to recycle metabolic capacity. This progress ensures the environmental adaptability and high degradation efficiency of G. tsugae during wood degradation. Full article

Larch wood, a prevalent cultivation medium for Ganoderma tsugae, has yet to be scrutinized concerning the differential impacts of sterilized and non-sterilized substrates on the growth and development of this fungus. Our present investigation sought to elucidate these effects in a forest-like environment. After larch wood segments were sun-dried, they were divided into two groups; one group was bagged and autoclaved, while the other group was bagged without any treatment. Subsequently, all segments were inoculated with the G. tsugae strain HLXL1 and ensconced under the canopy of a Pinus koraiensis forest, thereby approximating the conditions of natural growth. Wild G. tsugae was used as the control. Data on agronomic traits, production days, fruiting body yield, and effective constituent content were analyzed. The results indicated no significant differences between sterilized and non-sterilized substrates in terms of agronomic traits. However, the mineral content and bioactive compounds in G. tsugae fruiting bodies significantly differed across various growth stages. The outcomes were optimal for non-sterilized substrates, followed by sterilized substrates, while the wild strains were markedly less effective than the cultivated ones. Full article

Ganoderma is the most important genus in the family Ganodermataceae; many species have attracted much attention and widely cultivated because of their medicinal values, but so far, not a sequenced mitogenome derived from dikaryon strains has been explicitly recorded. Herein, four novel mitogenomes of commonly cultivated Ganoderma (G. leucocontextum H4, G. lucidum G6, G. sinense MZ96 and G. tsugae SS) were de novo assembled and given detail functional annotations. Collinearity analysis revealed that the four mitogenomes shared 82.93–92.02% similarity with their corresponding reference mitogenomes at the nucleotide level. A total of 15 core protein-coding genes (PCGs), along with rrnL and rrnS (mtLSU and mtSSU) were chosen as potential candidates for constructing their individual phylogenetic trees. These trees were compared with those derived from the concatenated sequences of 15 core PCGs. And finally, we found that the atp9 and nad4L were the most reliable markers for the phylogenetic analysis of Ganoderma and chosen as standard sequences to generate new DNA barcodes. This finding was further verified by comparing it against almost all available Ganoderma mitogenomes in the NCBI, with Trametes versicolor (Polyporaceae) and Rigidoporus microporus (Meripilaceae) as two outgroups. A total of 52 mitogenomes from three families were highly conserved, with identical gene lengths for atp9 (222 bp) and nad4L (267 bp). These genes were capable of distinguish distinctly different various species, which are grouped into separate clades within the phylogenetic trees. The closest related clades (I and II), including at least 30 samples of the three classical taxonomic species (G. lingzhi, G. sichuanense and G. lucidum), differed in only one SNP. The single base mutation rate increased with the evolutionary divergence of the phylogenetic clades, from two to three SNPs in earlier clades (e.g., clade IV containing G. leucocontextum) to five to six SNPs in later clades (e.g., clade X containing G. sinense). Despite these variations between species, the atp9 and nad4L genes of Ganoderma mitogenomes consistently encoded the same ATP synthase F0 subunit c (73 aa) and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 4L (88 aa). These two genes have been identified as reliable markers of new DNA barcodes, offering valuable insights and contributing significantly to understanding the evolutionary relationships and phylogeny of the Ganoderma genus and even the Ganodermataceae family. Full article

In traditional Chinese medicine, Ganoderma is a kind of edible and medicinal mushroom, which is widely used because of its significant pharmacological activity. There are many species within the Ganoderma genus, each with different material bases and applications. However, detailed studies on these species are still lacking. In this study, we investigated the metabolites of G. leacontextum (B), G. lucidum (C), G. tsugae (S) from Changbai Mountain, and G. tsugae (M) from Mongolia using metabolomics. The PCA results indicated minimal differences between M and S, whereas B and S exhibited significant variations. A total of 708 differential metabolites were identified in this study, with steroids, triterpenoids, phenols, and quinones being the major metabolites. Specifically, triterpenoids and steroids were higher in C. Meanwhile, phenolic compounds were more abundant in B. Additionally, quinones were more abundant in M and S. We validated some of the main compounds, and the results showed that paracetamol was most abundant in B, making paracetamol a potential marker for identifying B. Additionally, vitamin K3 was found to be more abundant in M and S, which can serve as a marker for their identification. This study provides new insights and a theoretical basis for the development and utilization of the genus Ganoderma. Full article

A complete telomere-to-telomere (T2T) genome has been a longstanding goal in the field of genomic research. By integrating high-coverage and precise long-read sequencing data using multiple assembly strategies, we present here the first T2T gap-free genome assembly of Ganoderma leucocontextum strain GL72, a Tibetan medicinal mushroom. The T2T genome, with a size of 46.69 Mb, consists 13 complete nuclear chromosomes and typical telomeric repeats (CCCTAA)n were detected at both ends of 13 chromosomes. The high mapping rate, uniform genome coverage, a complete BUSCOs of 99.7%, and base accuracy exceeding 99.999% indicate that this assembly represents the highest level of completeness and quality. Regions characterized by distinct structural attributes, including highest Hi-C interaction intensity, high repeat content, decreased gene density, low GC content, and minimal or no transcription levels across all chromosomes may represent potential centromeres. Sequence analysis revealed the first Copia centromeric retrotransposon in macro-fungi genome. Phylogenomic analysis identified that G. leucocontextum and G. tsugae diverged from the other Ganoderma species approximately 9.8–17.9 MYA. The prediction of secondary metabolic clusters confirmed the capability of this fungus to produce a substantial quantity of metabolites. This T2T gap-free genome will contribute to the genomic ‘dark matter’ elucidation and server as a great reference for genetics, genomics, and evolutionary studies of G. leucocontextum. Full article

Ganoderic Acid (GA), a major bioactive compound isolated from the East Asian medicinal mushroom Ganoderma tsugae, is traditionally believed to have significant medicinal properties. GA is poorly soluble in water, which poses several challenges in terms of its formulation. In this study, Ganoderma tsugae extracts obtained through ethanol extraction were encapsulated in nanodispersions via ultrasonic cavitation and solvent evaporation to increase their bioavailability. The preparation route was thoroughly analyzed using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) to determine the interactions between the variables. Based on the results, the Hydrophilic–Lipophilic Balance (HLB) and the evaporation temperature significantly influenced the resulting particle size. In the optimized nanodispersions, GA was incorporated into a hydrophobic core with a particle size no greater than 200 nm and a very narrow particle distribution (namely, a polydispersity index of 0.289). Due to the high negative zeta potential (−45.9 mV), a very slow particle growth rate of 0.239% over short-term storage (14 days) was achieved. In addition, the zeta average remained virtually unchanged for 14 days at room temperature in solutions at different pH levels. In summary, this paper provides the first-ever demonstration that ultrasound cavitation in conjunction with solvent evaporation can be used to generate GA nanodispersions. Full article

Ganoderma tsugae is well known as a medicinal mushroom in China and many Asian countries, while its fermentation technique and corresponding pharmacological activity are rarely reported. In this study, a wild G. tsugae strain (G42) with high triterpenoid content was screened from nine strains by rice solid-state fermentation, and 53.86 mg/g triterpenoids could be produced under optimized conditions; that is, inoculation amount 20%, fermentation temperature 27 °C, and culture time 45 days. The hepatoprotective activity of G42 ethanol extract was evaluated by CCl₄-induced liver injury in mice, in which changes in the levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), oxidation-related factors, and inflammatory cytokines in serum or liver samples demonstrated the therapeutic effect. In addition, the ethanol extract of G42 reduced the incidence of necrosis and inflammatory infiltration, and decreased protein expression levels of phosphor-nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), interleukin-Iβ (IL-1β), and nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (NRF2). The chemical composition of the ethanol extract was analyzed by high-resolution mass spectrometry and molecular networking. Three main triterpenoids, namely platycodigenin, cucurbitacin IIb, and ganolecidic acid B were identified. This work provided an optimized fermentation method for G. tsugae, and demonstrated that its fermentation extract might be developed as a functional food with a hepatoprotective effect. Full article

The cosmopolitan fungal genus Ganoderma is an important pathogen on arboreal plant hosts, particularly in tropical and temperate regions. It has long been used as a traditional medicine because of its medicinal properties and chemical constituents. In this study, Ganoderma collections were made in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), encompassing tropical parts of Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, and temperate areas in Yunnan Province, China. The specimens used in this study are described based on micro-macro-characteristics and phylogenetic analysis of combined ITS, LSU, TEF1α, and RPB2 sequence data. In this comprehensive study, we report 22 Ganoderma species from the GMS, namely, G. adspersum, G. applanatum, G. australe, G. calidophilum, G. ellipsoideum, G. flexipes, G. gibbosum, G. heohnelianum, G. hochiminhense, G. leucocontextum, G. lucidum, G. multiplicatum, G. multipileum, G. myanmarense, G. orbiforme, G. philippii, G. resinaceum, G. sichuanense, G. sinense, G. subresinosum, G. williamsianum, and G. tsugae. Some of these species were reported in more than one country within the GMS. Of these 22 species, 12 were collected from Yunnan Province, China; three were collected from Laos; three species, two new records, and one new species were collected from Myanmar; 15 species and four new records were collected from Thailand, and one new species was collected from Vietnam. Comprehensive descriptions, color photographs of macro- and micro-characteristics, the distribution of Ganoderma within the GMS, as well as a phylogenetic tree showing the placement of all reported Ganoderma from the GMS are provided. Full article

Background: A renewed focus on medicinal mushrooms has brought forth a sustainable health dimension. Conventional health strategies are insufficiently integrated with sustainable health promotion. The health-promoting outcome of mushrooms has fascinated many groups during the past few years because of various primary and secondary metabolites in different cellular components. They contain many bioactive metabolites, including proteins (cytokines, ergothioneine), fibers, moisture, carbohydrates (uronic acid), folate, thiamine, ascorbic acid, vitamin D, calcium, potassium, polysaccharides (G. lucidum polysaccharides, alpha and beta glucans, and lentinan) polyketides, polyphenols (Protocatechuic acid, inonoblins A–vanillic acid, phelligridins D, E, and G, hydroxybenzoic acid, gallic acid, tannic acid, hispidine, gentisic acid, and tocopherol), nucleotides (adenosine, cordycepin), lovastatin, steroids, alkaloids, and sesquiterpenes. Objective: This study was conducted to gather information on the current knowledge of medicinal mushrooms, with respect to their antioxidant properties. Conclusions: The results indicated that mushrooms are a promising source of natural antioxidants. Of all mushrooms, the Ganoderma tsugae Murill exhibited an excellent antioxidant potential of 93.7–100% at 20 mg/mL. Full article

The objective of this study is to investigate the synergistic effects of acid etching and metal-ion chelation in dental smear layer removal using wasted Ganoderma tsugae derived chitosans. The wasted Ganoderma tsugae fruiting body was used to prepare both acid-soluble fungal chitosan (FCS) and alkali-soluble polysaccharide (ASP). To explore the effective irrigant concentration for smear layer removal, a chelating effect on ferrous ions was conducted. Specimens of various concentrations of EDTA, citric acid, and polysaccharide solutions were reacted with FerroZine™ then the absorbance was examined at 562 nm by a UV-visible spectrophotometer to calculate their metal chelating capability. Twenty extracted premolars were instrumented and individually soaked in the solutions of 15 wt% EDTA, 10 wt% citric acid, 0.04 wt% ASP, 0.04 wt% FCS, and normal saline were randomly divided into five groups (N=4). Next, each tooth was cleaved longitudinally and examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to assay the effectiveness of smear layer removal. The chelating capability for EDTA, FCS, and ASP showed no significant difference over the concentration of 0.04 wt% (p > 0.05). The SEM results showed that 0.04 wt% FCS solution was effective in smear layer removal along the canal wall. These results indicated that Ganoderma tsuage derived FCS in acid solutions could be a potential alternative as a root canal irrigant solution due to its synergistic effect. Full article

Resistance to the current therapies is the main clinical challenge in the treatment of lethal metastatic prostate cancer (mPCa). Developing novel therapeutic approaches with effective regimes and minimal side effects for this fatal disease remain a priority in prostate cancer study. In the present study, we demonstrated that a traditional Chinese medicine, quality-assured Ganoderma tsugae ethanol extract (GTEE), significantly suppressed cell growth and metastatic capability and caused cell cycle arrest through decreasing expression of cyclins in mPCa cells, PC-3 and DU145 cells. GTEE also induced caspase-dependent apoptosis in mPCa cells. We further showed the potent therapeutic efficacy of GTEE by inhibiting subcutaneous PC-3 tumor growth in a xenograft model. The in vitro and in vivo efficacies on mPCa cells were due to blockade of the PI3K/Akt and MAPK/ERK signaling pathways associated with cancer cell growth, survival and apoptosis. These preclinical data provide the molecular basis for a new potential therapeutic approach toward the treatment of lethal prostate cancer progression. Full article

Recent research suggests that the activation of lipid biosynthesis (lipogenesis) is linked with prostate cancer (PCa) malignancy. Sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1 (SREBP-1) is a key transcriptional regulator controlling lipogenesis. Moreover, androgen receptor (AR) has been well defined to play an important role in lethal PCa aggressiveness from androgen-responsive to castration-resistant status. In this study, we showed that the quality-assured Ganoderma tsugae ethanol extract (GTEE), a Chinese natural and herbal product, significantly inhibited expression of SREBP-1 and its downstream genes associated with lipogenesis in PCa cells. Through inhibiting SREBP-1, GTEE reduced the levels of intracellular fatty acids and lipids in PCa cells. Importantly, GTEE also downregulated the expression of AR and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in both androgen-responsive and castration-resistant PCa cells. By blocking the SREBP-1/AR axis, GTEE suppressed cell growth and progressive behaviors, as well as activating the caspase-dependent apoptotic pathway in PCa cells. These data provide a new molecular basis of GTEE for the development of a potential therapeutic approach to treat PCa malignancy. Full article

In this study, a novel laccase gene (Lcc1) from Ganoderma tsugae was isolated and its functions were characterized in detail. The results showed that Lcc1 has the highest expression activity during mycelium development and fruit body maturation based on the analysis of Lcc1 RNA transcripts at different developmental stages of G. tsugae. To investigate the exact contribution of Lcc1 to mycelium and fruit body development in G. tsugae, Lcc1 transgenic strains were constructed by targeted gene replacement and over-expression approaches. The results showed that the lignin degradation rate in Lcc1 deletion mutant was much lower than the degradation efficiency of the wild-type (WT), over-expression and rescue strains. The lignin degradation activity of G. tsugae is dependent on Lcc1 and the deletion of Lcc1 exerted detrimental influences on the development of mycelium branch. Furthermore, the study uncovered that Lcc1 deletion mutants generated much shorter pale grey fruit bodies, suggesting that Lcc1 contributes directly to pigmentation and stipe elongation during fruit body development in G. tsugae. The information obtained in this study provides a novel and mechanistic insight into the specific role of Lcc1 during growth and development of G. tsugae. Full article

Several studies have been shown that accelerated apoptosis is involved in post-exercise lymphocytopenia and tissue damage after high-intensity exercise. Ganoderma tsugae (GT) is one of the well-known medicinal mushrooms that possess various pharmacological functions. This mushroom has traditionally been used for health promotion purposes. This study investigates the hepatoprotective effects of GT on exhaustive exercise-induced liver damage. Twenty-four male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups and designated as exhaustive exercise only (E), exhaustive exercise with low dosage (EL), medium dosage (EM) and high dosage (EH) GT at 0, 0.1875, 0.9375 and 1.875 g/kg/day, respectively. After 30 days all rats were euthanized immediately after an exhaustive running challenge on a motorized treadmill. The rat livers were immediately harvested. Evidence of apoptotic liver cell death was revealed using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay and caspases mediated cascade events. DNA fragmentation, an apoptosis process, can be examined using TUNEL assay. A few TUNEL-positive hepatocytes, compared to the exercise only group, were observed in the livers from exhaustive animals supplemented with GT. Immunoblot analysis also showed that caspase-6-mediated specific cleavage of lamin A/C was increased significantly in the livers of group E, but was significantly decreased in the EM and EH groups. Our observations demonstrate that GT possesses anti-apoptotic and hepatoprotective potential after exhaustive exercise. Full article