Researchers led by Clark University Biology Professor David Hibbett have conducted an in-depth genomic survey of a genus of Agaricomycetes, which include most of the world’s mushrooms. The study traces the evolution of shiitake mushroom, which humans have cultivated and spread globally for centuries. Shiitake mushrooms belong to the genus Lentinula, which are white rot fungi that break down organic substances such as cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. The study has the potential to inform the production of biofuels and other related processes. The American shiitake has adapted to habitats from Alabama to Brazil, indicating that decay-related enzymes are useful in various environments. The researchers also identified specific genes unique to Lentinula that encode enzymes involved in the production of the unique aroma of shiitake mushrooms.
The Evolution of Shiitake Mushroom Traced by Clark University Biology Professor and Researchers
The evolution of shiitake mushroom has been traced by a team of researchers led by Clark University Biology Professor David Hibbett. The study, which was conducted by 38 researchers from different parts of the world, explores the migration of shiitake mushroom from oak trees and mushroom farms in Asia to kitchens in America where it is cultivated by gourmet cooks.
The study, which was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is the first in-depth genomic survey of a genus of Agaricomycetes, the fungi that make up most of the world’s mushrooms. Hibbett, who has authored nine articles in PNAS and nearly 200 publications in Science and Nature, led the research.
The article titled “A Global Phylogenomic Analysis of the Shiitake Genus Lentinula” reports that the shiitake mushroom, which humans have cultivated and spread globally for centuries, could provide useful insights into the production of biofuels. Shiitake mushrooms belong to the genus Lentinula, which are white rot fungi that break down organic substances such as cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin.
Lignin is a major barrier to producing bioethanol from coarse plant material. The researchers completed the sequencing of 24 new mushroom genomes from Asia, Australasia, and the Americas, and assembled genomes from 60 existing sequences to better understand the evolution of Lentinula.
“When we went in and looked at all of these Lentinula genomes, what we found is that they’re pretty much all the same in terms of the repertoire of wood decay enzymes,” Hibbett said in a podcast produced by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Joint Genome Institute (JGI), which supported the project through its Community Science Program.
Apart from its culinary qualities, shiitake mushrooms possess other characteristics that, if better understood, could help improve the process of obtaining energy from plants. The findings of the study have the potential to inform the production of biofuels and other related processes.
Shiitake Mushroom Adaptation and Unique Aroma Enzymes Studied by Researchers
Researchers led by American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow, David Hibbett, have studied the shiitake mushroom, Lentinula raphanica, to understand its adaptation to different habitats. The American shiitake has adapted to habitats from Alabama to Brazil, indicating that decay-related enzymes are useful in various environments. The researchers also identified specific genes unique to Lentinula that encode enzymes involved in the production of the unique aroma of shiitake mushrooms.
Hibbett began studying Lentinula as a doctoral student at Duke University in the late 1980s and continued his work as a post-doctoral researcher at Japan’s Tottori Mycological Institute, the world’s leading center for shiitake research, in 1991-92. He returned to the United States for a second post-doctoral appointment at Harvard University before joining the faculty of Clark University in 1999.
Shiitake mushrooms were first grown and harvested in China between 1000 and 1100 A.D. and are now the second most cultivated mushroom in the world. Lentinula can be found everywhere except Europe, Africa, and the polar regions.
Hibbett’s Lentinula project received funding from the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Joint Genome Institute’s Community Science Program.
Don’t miss interesting posts on Famousbio
