Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand.
Kasetsart University International College (KUIC), Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand.
Int J Mol Sci. 2024 Sep 29;25(19):10516. doi: 10.3390/ijms251910516.
, a fungus widely used in traditional Chinese medicine and pharmacology, is recognized for its abundant bioactive compounds, including cordycepin and carotenoids. The growth, development, and metabolite production in various fungi are influenced by the complex interactions between regulatory cascades and light-signaling pathways. However, the mechanisms of gene regulation in response to light exposure in remain largely unexplored. This study aimed to identify light-responsive genes and potential transcription factors (TFs) in through an integrative transcriptome analysis. To achieve this, we reconstructed an expanded gene regulatory network (eGRN) comprising 507 TFs and 8662 regulated genes using both interolog-based and homolog-based methods to build the protein-protein interaction network. and were chosen as templates due to their relevance as fungal models and the extensive study of their light-responsive mechanisms. By utilizing the eGRN as a framework for comparing transcriptomic responses between light-exposure and dark conditions, we identified five key TFs-homeobox TF (CCM_07504), FlbC (CCM_04849), FlbB (CCM_01128), C6 zinc finger TF (CCM_05172), and mcrA (CCM_06477)-along with ten regulated genes within the light-responsive subnetwork. These TFs and regulated genes are likely crucial for the growth, development, and secondary metabolite production in . Moreover, molecular docking analysis revealed that two novel TFs, CCM_05727 and CCM_06992, exhibit strong binding affinities and favorable docking scores with the primary light-responsive protein CmWC-1, suggesting their potential roles in light signaling pathways. This information provides an important functional interactive network for future studies on global transcriptional regulation in and related fungi.
蛹虫草是一种广泛应用于中药和药理学的真菌，因其丰富的生物活性化合物而受到关注，包括虫草素和类胡萝卜素。在各种真菌中，生长、发育和代谢产物的产生都受到调节级联和光信号通路之间复杂相互作用的影响。然而，光暴露对 的基因调控机制在很大程度上仍未得到探索。本研究旨在通过综合转录组分析鉴定 中对光响应的基因和潜在转录因子（TFs）。为了实现这一目标，我们使用基于互作和同源的方法，构建了一个包含 507 个 TF 和 8662 个调控基因的扩展基因调控网络（eGRN），以构建蛋白质-蛋白质相互作用网络。选择 和 作为模板，因为它们作为真菌模型的相关性以及对其光响应机制的广泛研究。我们利用 eGRN 作为比较光照和黑暗条件下转录组响应的框架，鉴定了五个关键的 TF-homeobox TF（CCM_07504）、FlbC（CCM_04849）、FlbB（CCM_01128）、C6 锌指 TF（CCM_05172）和 mcrA（CCM_06477）-以及光响应子网内的十个调节基因。这些 TF 和调节基因可能对 的生长、发育和次生代谢产物的产生至关重要。此外，分子对接分析表明，两个新的 TF，CCM_05727 和 CCM_06992，与主要光响应蛋白 CmWC-1 具有很强的结合亲和力和良好的对接评分，表明它们在光信号通路中可能发挥作用。这些信息为进一步研究 和相关真菌的全局转录调控提供了一个重要的功能交互网络。
