Effects of mating-type ratio imbalance on the degeneration of Cordyceps militaris subculture and preventative measures

• DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17648
• Publication Date: 2024-07-09T07:06:32Z
• Authors: Xin Wang; Xiu’E Li; Wenxu Qiu; Fangping Sa; Yetong Feng; Yupeng Ge; Shude Yang; Yu Liu; Jinzhong Xie; Wei Zhang; Weihuan Li; Xianhao Cheng
• Keywords: Subculture (biology); Cordyceps militaris; Strain (injury)

The rapid degeneration of Cordyceps militaris strains during subculture represents a bottleneck problem that affects production stability. This study explored the mechanism underlying this in three and wild-type , isolating single-conidium from each. effects subculturing on fructification both original single mating-type were compared. Changes ratio two mating types analyzed degenerated strains. Based these findings, paired different ratios to determine their fruiting. resulting five heterokaryotic with MAT1-1 MAT1-2 genes. Strain jb-2 was type (MAT1-1) mutant strain produced stable fruiting bodies but failed produce ascospores. It found loss or imbalance main reason for traits occurred randomly types. differed significantly stability subculture. Fruiting Jb-2 strain, eleventh-generation fruited normally. There differences yield between wild after inoculation spawn containing proportions more when inoculated 1:9 9:1 without affecting yield. However, xf-1 positively correlated proportion type, while other showed no correlations. Subculturing mycelia separately mixing them before effectively mitigated For breeding, selecting types, which are insensitive genes, enhanced reduced risk loss. Direct breeding specific single-mating induce is thus an effective strategy.