Transcriptome and Hormonal Analysis of Basidiome Response to Infection.

(Lange) Imbach is the most widely cultivated mushroom in the world. wet bubble disease is one of the most severe diseases of white button mushrooms and is caused by the fungal pathogen . The pathogen causes a drastic reduction in mushroom yield because of malformation and deterioration of the basidiomes. However, the mechanism of the button mushroom's malformation development after infection with remains obscure. Therefore, to reveal the mechanism of malformation caused by , the interaction between the pathogen and host was investigated in this study using histopathological, physiological, and transcriptomic analyses. Results showed that irrespective of the growth stages of basidiomes infected with , the host's malformed basidiomes and enlarged mycelia and basidia indicated that the earlier the infection with , the more the malformation of the basidiomes. Analyzing physiological and transcriptomic results in tandem, we concluded that causes malformation development of mainly by affecting the metabolism level of phytohormones (N-isopentenyladenosine, cis-zeatin, and N-[delta 2-isopentenyl]-adenine) of the host's fruiting bodies rather than using toxins. Our findings revealed the mechanism of the button mushroom's malformation development after infection with , providing a reference for developing realistic approaches to control mushroom diseases. Our results further clarified the interaction between and and identified the candidate genes for wet bubble disease resistance breeding. Additionally, our work provides a valuable theoretical basis and technical support for studying the interaction between other pathogenic fungi and their fungal hosts.