Mating-Type Genes Play an Important Role in Fruiting Body Development in Morchella sextelata

True morels (Morchella spp.) are edible mushrooms that are commercially important worldwide due to their rich nutrition and unique appearance. In recent years, outdoor cultivation has been achieved and expanded on a large scale in China. However, the mechanisms of fruiting body development in morels are poorly understood. In this study, the role of mating-type genes in fruiting body development was researched. Fruiting bodies cultivated with different mating-type strains showed no difference in appearance, but the ascus and ascospores were slightly malformed in fruiting bodies obtained from the MAT1-1 strains. The transcript levels of mating-type genes and their target genes revealed that the regulatory mechanisms were conserved in ascomycetes fungi. The silencing of mat1-2-1 by RNA interference verified the direct regulatory effect of mat1-2-1 on its target genes at the asexual stage. When cultivated with the spawn of single mating-type strains of MAT1-1 or MAT1-2, only one corresponding mating-type gene was detected in the mycelial and conidial samples, but both mat1-1-1 and mat1-2-1 were detected in the samples of primordium, pileus, and stipe. An understanding of the mating-type genes' role in fruiting body development in M. sextelata may help to understand the life cycle and facilitate artificial cultivation.

Automated summary

This study investigated the role of mating-type genes in the fruiting body development of true morels. It found that fruiting bodies cultivated with different mating-type strains showed no difference in appearance, but the ascus and ascospores had slight malformations in fruiting bodies obtained from the MAT1-1 strains. Transcript analysis revealed that the regulatory mechanisms of mating-type genes were conserved in ascomycetes fungi. RNA interference experiments confirmed the direct regulatory effect of mat1-2-1 on its target genes. The detection of both mat1-1-1 and mat1-2-1 in samples of primordium, pileus, and stipe suggests the importance of mating-type genes in the fruiting body development of M. sextelata.