Characterization and expression analysis of chitin synthase family in Flammulina filiformis

Abstract:

[Background] In fungi, chitin is an important component of the cell wall and synthesized under the catalysis of chitin synthase (CS). Its presence and expression pattern in Flammulina filiformis remain unclear. [Objective] To investigate the number of CS genes and their expression patterns in F. filiformis at different development stages, so as to provide a basis for revealing the roles of these genes in the growth and development of macrofungi. [Methods] The genome data of F. filiformis L11 and the CS sequences of other fungi in the NCBI database were employed to identify the CS genes in F. filiformis. Bioinformatics analysis and phylogenetic analysis were then carried out for these genes. Furthermore, the transcriptome data of F. filiformis F19 and RT-qPCR were employed to analyze the expression patterns of the CS gene family in F. filiformis. [Results] In the genome of the single-spore strain L11 of F. filiformis, nine chitin synthase genes were identified. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that they belong to four distinct classes. The expression patterns of these genes during fruiting body development can be classified into four categories (Pearson correlation coefficient=0.85). [Conclusion] The expression patterns of the CS gene family in F. filiformis show variations at different growth and developmental stages, indicating their potential involvement in morphogenesis of different tissues and developmental stages in the fruiting body formation of F. filiformis.