Based on morphological, chemical, and phylogenetic analyses, a new species of the lichenized fungal genus Synarthonia, Synarthonia hainanensis, is described. This species is currently known only from Hainan Province. Synarthonia hainanensis is characterized by whitish-green thallus, short lirelliform to elongate, reddish-brown to black and epruinose ascomata, I+ reddish-purple hymenium, K/I- blue distinct ocular chamber in the asci, hyaline, 4-septate, and oblong-ovoid ascospores with the size of 18-24.5 × 6.5-9.5 µm. Molecular data, detailed taxonomic description, and images illustrating the morphological and anatomical characteristics of the new species are provided. A discussion on the differences between the new species and its similar species is also included. In addition, a key to 25 species of this genus is presented herein.

A distinctive medicinal fungus-insect complex formed by Ophiocordyceps gracilis on the larvae of Ahamus altaicola in the Altai Mountains of Xinjiang, China, has demonstrated considerable potential in immunomodulation, antioxidant, antitumor, and antibacterial activities due to its richness of bioactive compounds, such as nucleosides, polysaccharides, cordycepic acid, and amino acids. This review systematically summarizes the research progress on O. gracilis, covering its taxonomy and nomenclature, resource distribution and biological characteristics, chemical composition, pharmacological activities, and artificial cultivation. Key current challenges are proposed including evaluation of natural distribution and resources, pharmaceutical activities, artificial cultivation, and in vivo efficacy and clinical trials. Future research directions are proposed, emphasizing the need to enhance natural resource ecology and conservation, elucidation of the mechanisms of fungus-host interaction, and establishment of a multi-dimensional quality control system. This review aims at providing a scientific framework to guide the sustainable utilization and advanced development of this valuable medicinal resource.

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.

Guizhou Province, located in the eastern Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, has complex topography and a warm, humid climate, providing high potential for fungal diversity. However, lignicolous macro-basidiomycetes in this region lacked systematic assessment for a long time. A comprehensive compilation of lignicolous macro-basidiomycetes in Guizhou was conducted based on specimen records of four investigation teams and recently published literature. A total of 738 species were recorded, belonging to 3 classes, 16 orders, 74 families, and 253 genera within Basidiomycota. The dominant class is Agaricomycetes, with the sum of species accounting for 97.15% of all known lignicolous macro-basidiomycetes species in Guizhou. The dominant orders are Polyporales, Agaricales, and Hymenochaetales, and the sum of species accounts for 81.44% (601 species) of all lignicolous macro-basidiomycetes in Guizhou. The ten dominant families include 391 species, accounting for 52.98% of total known species. The eleven dominant genera consist of 202 species, accounting for 27.37% of the total known species. Additionally, 48 species are described on the basis of holotype or paratype collected from Guizhou. This is the first province-level systematic overview of lignicolous macro-basidiomycetes in Guizhou Province.

‘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.

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.

The effects of temperature, pH, salt ions, and sugar solutions on the rheological properties of crude polysaccharide water extract (Naematelia sinensis polysaccharides-water extract, NAP-WE) from Naematelia sinensis were systematically investigated. Through static and dynamic rheological tests, changes in apparent viscosity, storage modulus (G′), and loss modulus (G″) of NAP-WE solutions under different conditions were analyzed. The results showed that NAP-WE exhibited shear-thinning behavior, and variations in temperature, salt ions, pH, and sugar solutions altered its apparent viscosity and gel characteristics. Within the 4-60 ℃ range, the apparent viscosity of 6.0% NAP-WE solution slightly decreased with rising temperature, and its weak-gel properties weakened in high-frequency regions, though it remained non-fluid. Acidic/alkaline environments reduced apparent viscosity and gel strength, but the consistency coefficient (k) and flow behavior index (n) showed minimal changes, confirming its stability within pH 3-9. Na⁺, K⁺, and Ca²⁺ all reduced viscosity and gel strength, with efficacy ranking Na⁺>Ca²⁺>K⁺; excessive Na⁺ over-shielded charges, altering polysaccharide chain aggregation and loosening the network structure. Glucose/sucrose solutions (4%-8%) decreased apparent viscosity, with sucrose exhibiting stronger effects. Low sugar concentrations (≤4%) minimally impacted gel properties, preserving weak-gel characteristics. In summary, NAP-WE’s rheological behavior is significantly regulated by environmental factors, and its weak-gel properties remain most stable under low temperature, neutral pH, low ion concentration, and low sugar content. The results provide a theoretical basis for applications of NAP-WE in food and pharmaceuticals.

Currently, research on regional genetic diversity and population genetic structure of Hericium erinaceus remains relatively scarce. Additionally, the analysis of the genetic background of germplasm resources has largely relied on fragmented molecular markers, lacking a comprehensive landscape of genome-wide variations, and thereby hindering the progress of genetic improvement. In this study, whole-genome resequencing of 35 H. erinaceus germplasm resources from Jilin Province was performed. Based on variation data such as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and small insertions/deletions (InDels), their genetic structure, evolutionary relationships, and diversity characteristics were systematically analyzed. Population genetic structure analysis revealed that the optimal number of clusters was K=2, with significant genetic isolation between the cultivated strains and wild populations (Fst=0.079 8-0.090 4), indicating that artificial selection has led to a significant deviation in the genomic genetic background of the cultivated populations from wild populations. Genetic distance and linkage disequilibrium (LD) analyses showed low genetic differentiation among wild populations (Fst=0.022 5- 0.030 5) with an LD decay distance of 6-15 kb (r²<0.3), reflecting a coexistence pattern of geographical isolation and gene flow. Gene flow simulation confirmed weak gene flow to the cultivated strains only from the wild populations of Songshan Town and Changbai Mountain, with no genetic contribution from the wild populations of Huangsongdian Town and Manjiang Town. Principal component analysis (PCA) validated the geographical clustering of strains (the first three principal components explained 6.81%, 3.35%, and 3.31% of the genetic variation, respectively) and simultaneously revealed that artificial selection had led to abnormal genomic genetic characteristics in the cultivated strains. This study provides crucial genomic data support for the precise conservation and targeted genetic improvement of H. erinaceus germplasm resources. By deciphering genetic patterns, it aids in broadening the genetic basis of cultivated populations and promotes sustainable industrial development.

Lentinula edodes polysaccharides exhibit diverse biological activities. Currently, most L. edodes polysaccharides are extracted from fruiting bodies, resulting in low yield, high cost, and short harvest period. Therefore, enhancing polysaccharide production has become a research priority. Epigenetic modifications regulate the synthesis and metabolism of secondary metabolites through various mechanisms and play significant roles in microbial secondary metabolism. To investigate whether polysaccharide synthesis in L. edodes is influenced by epigenetics, this study utilized L. edodes strain Xin 808 as experimental material, and analyzed the effects of different concentrations of two epigenetic modifiers [benzamide and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC-Na)] on mycelial growth, cellulase activity, polysaccharide production, activity of key polysaccharide-synthesizing enzymes, relative expression levels of the enzyme encoding genes, and antioxidant activity of polysaccharides. Results showed that although 4 µg/mL benzamid and CMC-Na reduced biomass compared to the control, they significantly promoted the growth of L. edodes mycelium on solid culture medium and increased the polysaccharide content in the mycelium. Cellulase activity decreased compared to that of the control, but the intracellular crude polysaccharide concentration increased, reaching 2.31-fold (benzamide) and 2.01-fold (CMC-Na) as compared with that of the control. The activities of UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (UGPase), phosphoglucose isomerase (PGI), and α-phosphoglucomutase (α-PGM), the enzymes associated with lentinan metabolism, increased. Under benzamide treatment, these enzymes exhibited increases in activity, increasing by 2.21-fold, 2.38-fold, and 2.19-fold as compared with enzyme activities of the control group, respectively. However, the relative expression levels of the encoding genes were significantly downregulated. In vitro polysaccharide antioxidant capacity increased in variant degrees. At the concentration of 0.2 mg/mL ·OH scavenging ability showed the most pronounced. These results demonstrate that adding benzamide and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose at appropriate concentrations influences L. edodes mycelial growth and polysaccharide synthesis.