The study was designed to investigate the improvement effect and molecular mechanism of Sparassis latifolia polysaccharide (SLPs) on glucose metabolism in skeletal muscle of mice with glucose metabolism disorder induced by high-fat diet combined with streptozotocin (STZ). The results showed that SLPs intervention could significantly reduce the impaired glucose tolerance and insulin resistance and increase skeletal muscle glycogen content and improve the morphological damage of skeletal muscle caused by glucose metabolism disorder. Transcriptome analysis identified a total of 965 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). GO annotation and enrichment analysis showed that these genes were mainly involved in tissue development, animal organ morphogenesis, small molecule metabolism, myofibril, glycogen binding, and organic acid binding. The enrichment analysis of KEGG further revealed that DEGs were mainly enriched in PI3k/Akt signal pathway, AGE-RAGE signal pathway related to diabetic complications, insulin resistance, AMPK signal pathway and other signal pathways. In addition, SLPs could regulate the expression of genes and proteins related to AMPK/SIRT1/PGC-1α signal pathway and the activities of key enzymes in skeletal muscle of mice to improve glucose metabolism disorder in skeletal muscle, protect skeletal muscle damage, and maintain the metabolic homeostasis of the body. This study provides a theoretical basis for the development of SLPs as functional food ingredients.

A pure culture strain of a wild fungus from Zhouqu County of Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Gansu Province was obtained by tissue separation method. Morphological observation and ITS sequence analysis confirmed that the fungus was Trametes betulina, and its biological characteristics and domestication cultivation were studied. The results of biological characteristic investigation showed that the optimum carbon source was fructose, and the nitrogen source was yeast powder. The mycelia grew well under pH 6.0 and temperature of 32 ℃. The orthogonal test showed that the main factor affecting mycelial growth was temperature, and pH, nitrogen source and carbon source were secondary. The results of domestication cultivation experiments showed that the best spawn culture medium was: wheat grain 20%, sawdust 70%, bran coat 7%, gypsum 2%, lime 1%. The best expanded cultivation substrate formula was: wheat grain 25%, sawdust 25%, cottonseed hull 20%, corncob 20%, wheat bran 7%, sugar 1%, gypsum 1%, lime 1%. After inoculation, fruiting body could be harvested in 26 days under 25 ℃ condition. The total yield of fresh weight was 144.54 g/bag. The antioxidant activity of ultrasonic water extract of cultivated fruiting body increased with the increase of additional quantity of the extract. When the additional quantity of the extract was 5 mg/mL, the DPPH and hydroxyl radical scavenging rates were the highest, reaching 95.69% and 71.59%, respectively, while the ABTS⁺ scavenging rate peaked at 0.25 mg/mL, reaching 98.19%. The results provide a reference for the development and utilization of wild germplasm resource of Trametes betulina in China.

In order to explore the new application and mechanism of action of Cordyceps chanhua nucleoside extracts on solar dermatitis, the targets of C. chanhua nucleoside components treating solar dermatitis were screened by network pharmacology and molecular docking. The results of network pharmacology analysis were verified by mouse animal experiments. The results showed that thymine, adenine, N⁶-(2 hydroxyethyl) adenosine, inosine and adenosine were the main active nucleoside components of C. chanhua in the treatment of solar dermatitis, and TNF, IL1β, AKT1, IL6, INS, IFNG, EGFR, PTGS2, CTNNB1, and MAPK1 were the core targets of C. chanhua nucleoside components. Enrichment analysis showed that PI3K-Akt, TNF, MAPK and IL-17 signaling pathways were the major biomechanistic pathways of C. chanhua nucleoside components for the treatment of solar dermatitis. Molecular docking analysis showed that there was a strong binding affinity between the main active components of C. chanhua nucleoside components and the core targets. Animal experiments verified that dermal administration of C. chanhua increased collagen content and SOD antioxidant enzyme activity, and decreased PTGS2 content and levels of TNF-ɑ, IL-1β, and IL-17 inflammatory factors in mouse skin tissues. The results of Western blotting showed that C. chanhua nucleoside extracts inhibited the release of p38 MAPK and MMP9, and the molecular mechanism might be related to the MAPK signaling pathway. This study provides a new basis for the development of natural drugs against solar dermatitis.

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.

Buchwaldoboletus xylophilus is the second cultivatable species of Boletales with significant scientific and commercial potential value. To better develop and utilize this wild resource, the morphological and molecular identification and the biological characteristic investigation of a wild strain, JSJ-Bx1, were carried out. The results show that this wild strain belongs to B. xylophilus. The hyphae grow well under the temperature of 35℃ and pH 4.0 on the medium using glucose as carbon source, and yeast extract as nitrogen source with the addition of inorganic salt FeSO₄. The optimal medium formula consists of 20 g glucose, 2 g yeast extract, 1.5 g FeSO₄, 0.3 g 1/2 MS medium, 20 g agar, and 1 L water. The hypha growth rate is 11.38 mm/d. The optimal expanded cultivation substrate formula consists of 20% sawdust, 30% cottonseed hulls, 20% wheat grains, 10% corn flour, 10% red soil, 8% bran, 1% gypsum powder, 1% glucose, 0.1% KH₂SO₄, and 0.1% FeSO₄. The mycelial colonization period is about 20 days; primordial formation takes about 5 days, and the growth and maturation of the fruiting bodies takes about 7 days. The average yield is 96.64 g/bottle and the biological efficiency is 31.58%.

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.

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.

Hericium erinaceus polysaccharides as the main active component extracted from H. erinaceus have many biological activities such as anti-oxidation, anti-tumor, and immune regulation. However, there are some limitations in solubility, bioavailability and activity intensity of natural H. erinaceus polysaccharides. In recent years, certain progress has been made in the studies of chemical modification, and structural features, having effects on the biological activities of H. erinaceus polysaccharides. In this paper, the recent advances in the study of chemical modification and biological activities of H. erinaceus polysaccharides are summarized, and the chemical modification methods of H. erinaceus polysaccharides through introducing new functional groups to substitute hydroxyl groups on the polysaccharide chains are elucidated. The changes in the structure and physicochemical properties of the chemically modified H erinaceus polysaccharides are introduced, and the alterations in biological activities and the underlying mechanisms of the chemically modified H. erinaceus polysaccharides are analyzed and discussed. It is expected that this work might provide a theoretical basis for further exploration of modification of H. erinaceus polysaccharides.

Physarum subgalbeum sp. nov. is described through observation of integrated morphological characterization and multigene phylogenetic analyses (nrSSU, mtSSU, α-Tub, and COI). The life cycle of P. subgalbeum was investigated in water agar medium and microscopic structure formation at different stages during sporulation was observed. This species is similar to P. galbeum in having golden yellow sporocarps. However, it differs in that its sporocarps often fuse into clusters, the spore surface is densely covered with small spines, and the lime nodes are elongated fusiform. Phylogenetic analysis results indicate that P. subgalbeum forms an independent monophyletic clade and constitutes a sister group relationship with P. galbeum. The spore germination of P. subgalbeum is split type, the plasmodial type is of phaneroplasmodium and sporulation requires approximately 10-12 hours, with lime nodes and capillitium forming prior to spore maturation. A comprehensive morphological description, including detailed micrographs, results of phylogenetic analyses, as well as a thorough account of its life cycle accompanied by corresponding microscopic images are provided.

Zn(Ⅱ)₂Cys₆-type transcription factors play pivotal regulatory roles in various biological processes in fungi, including primary and secondary metabolism, stress responses, and cell division. In this study, a hidden Markov model (HMM) was employed to screen the whole genome of Pleurotus giganteus, and 67 genes belonging to the Zn(Ⅱ)₂Cys₆-type transcription factor family were identified. Motif analysis revealed distinct sequence features among the family members. Phylogenetic analysis further classified these 67 genes into four major clades. Based on transcriptomic data, 53 family genes with differential expression were identified under 10 μmol/L Cd²⁺ stress for 3 h, 6 h, and 12 h, as well as under 100 μmol/L Cd²⁺stress for 3 h, 6 h, 12 h, and 24 h. By using weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), gene co-expression network topological analysis, and GO/KEGG enrichment analysis of co-expressed genes, the regulatory functions of some differentially expressed family genes were predicted. This study provides a scientific basis for further understanding of the role of Zn(Ⅱ)₂Cys₆-type transcription factor family in the response mechanisms of P. giganteus to cadmium stress.