MilR4 and milR16 Mediated Fruiting Body Development in the Medicinal Fungus Cordyceps militaris.

ABSTRACT: Cordyceps militaris readily performs sexual reproduction, thus providing a remarkably rich model for understanding the processes involved in sexual development. It could regulate expression of human genes by diet-derived miRNA-like RNAs (milRNAs). However, the study of miRNAs in C. militaris has been limited. In the present study, genes encoding Dicers, Argonautes, and RNA-dependent RNA polymerases were identified. Illumina deep sequencing was performed to characterize the milRNAs in C. militaris at asexual and sexual development stages. Total 38 milRNAs were identified and five milRNAs were validated by northern blot and qRT-PCR, out of which, 19 were specific for sexual development. Importantly, the fungi could not form fruiting bodies after disruption of milR4, whil

SUBMITTER: Shao Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6362416 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature