Transcriptome Reveals the Key Genes Related to the Metabolism of Volatile Sulfur-Containing Compounds in <i>Lentinula edodes</i> Mycelium

• Published in: Foods
• Main Authors: Zheng Li, Fei Pan, Wen Huang, Shuangshuang Gao, Xi Feng, Meijie Chang, Lianfu Chen, Yinbing Bian, Wenli Tian, Ying Liu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2024-07-01
• Subjects: <i>Lentinula edodes</i>; mycelium; sulfur compounds; RNA-seq; KEGG; molecular simulation
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/13/14/2179

<i>Lentinula edodes</i> (<i>L. edodes</i>) is a globally popular edible mushroom because of its characteristic sulfur-containing flavor compounds. However, the formation of the volatile sulfur-containing compounds in the mycelium of <i>L. edodes</i> has not been studied. We found that there were also sulfur-containing aroma compounds in the mycelium of <i>L. edodes</i>, and the content and composition varied at different stages of mycelial growth and development. The γ-glutamyl-transpeptidase (GGT) and cysteine sulfoxide lyase (C-S lyase) related to the generation of sulfur compounds showed the highest activities in the 15-day sample. Candidate genes for the metabolism of volatile sulfur compounds in mycelium were screened using transcriptome analysis, including encoding the GGT enzyme, C-S lyase, fatty acid oxidase, HSP20, and P450 genes. The expression patterns of <i>Leggt</i>3 and <i>Leccsl</i>3 genes were consistent with the measured activities of GGT and C-S lyase during the cultivation of mycelium and molecular dynamics simulations showed that they could stably bind to the substrate. Our findings provide insights into the formation of sulfur-containing flavor compounds in <i>L. edodes</i>. The mycelium of <i>L. edodes</i> is suggested for use as material for the production of sulfur-containing flavor compounds.