The pomelo (Citrus maxima) is one of the most important cultivated fruit trees in the genus Citrus of the Rutaceae. It has a long cultivation history and great economic value in China. In recent years, a pomelo disease locally called “red flower blight” has been discovered in Pinghe County of Fujian Province, the largest pomelo production area in China. It could cause new shoot blight, rotting and reddening of the flower buds and petals of the variety “Guanximiyou”, ultimately leading to flower and fruit drop. In the seriously infected orchards, over 80% of fruitlets dropped. The disease has been spreading from mountainous areas to plains, with affected orchard areas expanding year by year. Based on the disease symptoms, it was speculated to be post-bloom fruit drop (PFD), a citrus disease reported in South America and Florida. However, there are still some differences in host range and infected organs between this disease and PFD. From the infected specimens, orange powdery substances and conidia resembling to Colletotrichum acutatum were observed. Five single-spore isolates showing identical colonial morphology were obtained. Based on the morphological characteristics, multi-loci (ACT, CHS-1, GAPDH, HIS3, ITS and TUB2) phylogenetic analysis, and pathogenicity test, the causal agent was identified as C. fioriniae in C. acutatum species complex. Given that this disease has only been found on pomelo so far, affecting not only flowers but also young shoots and fruits, and the pathogen differs from that of PFD and common anthracnose, this disease is named as “pomelo anthracnose”. This is the first report of C. fioriniae as a pathogen infecting citrus and causing anthracnose. The accurate identification of the pathogen provides a scientific basis for precise control of the disease.

Anhui Province is located in the transitional region between the warm temperate zone and the subtropical zone in eastern China. Its complex terrain and diverse climate have fostered abundant macrofungal resources. Systematic surveys and sampling of macrofungi in Guniujiang, Dabie Mountain, Huangshan, and Mazongling mountainous areas in the province were conducted. Species identification and taxonomic statistics were carried out based on combining morphological characteristics and molecular analysis. A total of 2 682 specimens was collected, belonging to 2 phyla, 8 classes, 25 orders, 95 families, 280 genera, and 922 species. Among them, 23 families including Russulaceae, Boletaceae, Amanitaceae, Polyporaceae, Agaricaceae, and Entolomataceae are dominant. Dominant genera totaled 42, including Russula, Amanita, Entoloma, Lactarius, Marasmius, and Inocybe. There are 68 species of edible fungi, 57 species of medicinal fungi, 78 species of poisonous fungi, 60 species of edible and medicinal dual-purpose fungi, and 24 species of simultaneously medicinal and toxic fungi. Funga analysis revealed that cosmopolitan genera, northern temperate genera, and tropical-subtropical genera were the dominant components. This study provides fundamental data supporting taxonomic statistics, ecological conservation, and industrial development of regional fungal resources.

Gastric cancer (GC) is a multifactorial malignancy closely linked to environmental risk factors. Ochratoxin A (OTA), a widely distributed mycotoxin, has been classified as a probable human carcinogen. This study systematically elucidates the molecular mechanisms underlying OTA-induced gastric carcinogenesis. For the first time, through an integrated approach combining network toxicology, machine learning, and Mendelian randomization analysis, four key pathogenic genes (ESR1, GSK3β, MET, and MMP2) were identified and validated. The research further clarifies how OTA disrupts hormone signaling, metabolic homeostasis, and the tumor immune microenvironment, thereby driving cancer development through multi-pathway synergy. Notably, GSK3β was genetically confirmed for the first time to have a causal relationship with gastric cancer. These gene markers play a central regulatory role in gastric carcinogenesis and demonstrate significant diagnostic potential, providing novel biomarkers and a theoretical foundation for risk prediction and targeted intervention in OTA-associated gastric cancer.

Heart rot disease poses a severe threat to the health of Abies georgei var. smithii forests in southeastern Xizang. This study aimed at identifying the causal pathogen and screening highly antagonistic Trichoderma strains as well as evaluating their antifungal activity to provide potential biocontrol resources for managing this disease. The pathogen was identified through tissue isolation, morphology observation and molecular phylogenetic analysis. Antagonistic Trichoderma strains were initially screened using the dual-culture assay, and their inhibitory activity was further evaluated by assessing both volatile metabolites (via the two-sealed-base- plates method) and non-volatile metabolites (via the solid dilution method with sterile culture filtrates). Results indicated that the dominant pathogen infecting living A. georgei var. smithii trees was Fomitopsis subpinicola. In total, 36 Trichoderma strains were isolated, among which strain M28 exhibited the strongest inhibition in the dual-culture assay. Assessment of volatile metabolites revealed that Trichoderma afroharzianum M28 had the highest inhibitory effect, and T. atroviride M49 was in the next place. Tests with sterile culture filtrates demonstrated that filtrates of all seven selected Trichoderma strains inhibited the pathogen’s growth at different tested concentrations. The filtrate of T. atroviride M49 exhibited the strongest inhibitory activity at concentrations of 25% and 33%. This study confirms F. subpinicola as the causal agent of heartwood brown rot in A. georgei var. smithii in southeastern Xizang, and highly antagonistic Trichoderma strains M49 and M28 are excellent candidates of biological control agents.

The new Flammulina filiformis cultivar ‘Shangyan 52’ was bred by multi-spore inbreeding using the strain ‘Shangyan 1’ as parent. The basidiospores of the parent strains were mutated by normal atmospheric pressure and room temperature plasma mutagenesis. The fruiting body of ‘Shangyan 52’ is white, with numerous buds; the pileus is buckled and hemispheric, and the stipe is long. The new cultivar ‘Shangyan 76’ was bred by multi-spore inbreeding using the strain ‘T011’ as parent. The basidiospores of the parent strains were also mutated by normal atmospheric pressure and room temperature plasma mutagenesis. The fruiting body of ‘Shangyan 76’ is white; the pileus is small, thick, buckled and hemispheric, and the stipe is short and thin. The new cultivar ‘Shangyan 84’ was bred by single spore crossbreeding using the strains ‘Shangyan 1’ and ‘T011’ as parents. The fruiting body of ‘Shangyan 84’ is white, with numerous buds; the pileus is large, buckled and hemispheric, and the stipe is thick. There is no significant difference in the growth period of ‘Shangyan 52’ and ‘Shangyan 84’ and the main cultivar, and the growth period of ‘Shangyan 76’ is 2-3 days longer than that of the main cultivar.

Anthracnose is prevalent in major oil-tea production regions across the country, severely compromising yield and quality of oil-tea Camellia oleifera. Colletotrichum fructicola is the dominant pathogenic fungus responsible for this disease, and understanding its pathogenic mechanisms is fundamental for controlling Ca. oleifera anthracnose. In eukaryotes, autophagy is a conserved intracellular degradation pathway and serves as the primary route for degrading macromolecular proteins and damaged organelles. Atg7, a core autophagy protein, plays crucial roles in many plant-pathogenic fungi. However, its biological functions in Co. fructicola remains unclear. In this study, the CfATG7 gene knockout mutant ΔCfatg7 and its complementary strain ΔCfatg7/CfATG7 were constructed, and their phenotype and pathogenicity were assayed. The results demonstrate that CfAtg7 is involved in regulating autophagy, vegetative growth, conidiation, and appressorium formation. It also participates in the responses to endoplasmic reticulum stress, cell wall integrity stress, and oxidative stress, revealing the pleiotropic roles of the autophagy protein CfAtg7 in Co. fructicola. This study elucidated the biological functions of CfAtg7 in Co. fructicola, providing experimental evidence for the development of novel fungicides targeting this protein.

Based on morphological, chemical and molecular phylogenetic methods, a taxonomical study on the lichen family Ramalinaceae in Anhui Province has been carried out. Bacidia areolata, Bacidia suffusa, Biatora appalachensis and Ramalina sphaerophora are new to China. Bacidia schweinitzii, Biatora printzenii, Phyllopsora porphyromelaena and Ramalina conduplicans are found from Anhui Province for the first time. The systematic positions of the above species are detailed, and the species new to China are morphologically and anatomically described.

In total, 310 isolates of non-albicans yeast (NAY) recovered from vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) patients were collected and identified at species level, and antifungal susceptibility of the isolates was determined. Literature relating to non-albicans yeast (NAY) species distribution in recent 10 years was searched and 7 publications were included in this study. Data of the literature together with the data of this study indicated that spectrum of NAY causing VVC shifted significantly. Nakaseomyces glabratus is the predominant species among NAY, responsible for 41.34%-80.43% of vaginal NAY infection. The other NAY species revealed characteristics of regional distribution. For example, Candida parapsilosis (Portugal 23.74%, UK 20.38%) and Pichia kudriavzevii (Serbia 22%, Greece 11.30%) dominated higher ratio in Europe, while C. tropicalis showed higher ratio in China and Greece (both 7.40%). Rare yeast mainly consist of species of saccharomycotina. They are diverse and distinctly different in distribution pattern between China and Europe. Fluconazole is still optimal oral treatment option in China, and clotrimazole and amphotericin B could be precedent choices as topical drugs for treating VVC caused by NAY. Increase of rare yeast would be a challenge for clinical treatment of VVC. Correct identification at species level and determination of susceptibility to antifungals are necessary.

Phlebopus portentosus, the first successfully domesticated and cultivated bolete species, has undergone rapid industrial expansion in recent years, highlighting the growing need for accurate strain identification and germplasm protection. In this study, whole-genome resequencing was performed on 66 strains of P. portentosus collected from various regions, resulting in the construction of a database of multiple nucleotide polymorphism (MNP) markers containing 306 loci. Population structure and kinship analyses based on both single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and MNPs consistently grouped the strains into two distinct genetic clusters. The MNP markers exhibited high resolution and stability across successive subculturing generations, enabling precise strain discrimination. Clonal identification criteria were established using replicate sequencing data of the same strains, with thresholds set at PI_HAT>0.95 and genetic distance (D)<0.01, while a genetic similarity (GS) value of 100% within the MNP dataset was validated as a robust indicator of strain identity. Additionally, machine learning approaches were employed to identify key MNP loci indicative of population divergence, offering valuable markers for varietal authentication and functional genomics. This work established MNP molecular marker database for P. portentosus and validated the potential applications in genetic resource conservation and molecular breeding, providing scientific support for variety protection and germplasm innovation.

‘Huzhen No.6’ was a new white strain of Hypsizygus marmoreus bred by hybridization from protoplast monokaryon of strain ‘1007’ and spore monokaryon of strain ‘1306’. Simple sequence repeat (SSR) analysis showed that it was distinctive in comparison with the parents. ‘Huzhen No.6’ exhibits high yield and short cultivation cycle, meeting factory production requirements. ‘Huzhen 11’ is a new grey strain of H. marmoreus developed through single-spore self-crossing of parental strain HM22. SSR analysis verified that it had unique genetic profile as compared with the parent. This strain displays uniform morphology, more fruiting and high yield. ‘Huzhen 17’ is a new grey strain of H. marmoreus bred by hybridization from parent HM21 by multiple spore self-cross-breeding. Compared with its parents, ‘Huzhen 17’ showed more fruiting and elongated stipes. These three varieties (‘Huzhen No.6’, ‘Huzhen 11’ and ‘Huzhen 17’) are unambiguously distinguished from commercial cultivars through verification of SSR fingerprinting profiles.