Improving Breeding and Microbial Cultivation Techniques for Reishi Mushrooms

Jim Crocker
1st June, 2024

Improving Breeding and Microbial Cultivation Techniques for Reishi Mushrooms

Image Source: Natural Science News, 2024

Key Findings

  • The study, conducted by the Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, aimed to improve the cultivation of Ganoderma lucidum mushrooms
  • Researchers used ARTP mutation and microbial microdroplet culture to identify mutant strains with better growth and bioactive compound production
  • Three mutant strains, YB05, YB09, and YB18, showed significantly higher growth rates and triterpenoid production compared to the original strain
  • The beneficial traits of these mutant strains remained stable for at least five generations, indicating their robustness
Ganoderma lucidum, a medicinal mushroom, is renowned for its bioactive compounds, such as polysaccharides and triterpenoids, which hold significant promise in food and medicine. However, the liquid fermentation process used to cultivate these mushrooms faces challenges, particularly in strain differentiation and stability. A recent study conducted by the Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences aimed to address these challenges by employing innovative techniques to enhance biomass and triterpenoid production in Ganoderma lucidum[1]. The study utilized atmospheric room temperature plasma (ARTP) mutation and a microbial microdroplet culture system to identify mutant strains with superior growth and bioactive compound production. ARTP is a physical mutagenesis technique that induces genetic mutations using plasma at room temperature, which can create beneficial traits without extensive genetic modifications. The microbial microdroplet culture system allows for high-throughput screening of these mutants, enabling the identification of strains with desirable characteristics efficiently. Three mutant strains, YB05, YB09, and YB18, were identified through this process. These strains demonstrated enhanced growth rates and outperformed the initial strain, G0023, in terms of biomass and triterpenoid production. Notably, the YB18 strain exhibited the fastest growth, with a 17.25% increase in colony radius compared to the control. Further shake flask cultivation experiments revealed that YB05 and YB18 had 26.33% and 17.85% greater biomass, respectively, compared to the initial strain. Additionally, triterpenoid production in these strains surpassed that of the control by 32.10% and 15.72%, respectively, as confirmed by colorimetric detection. Importantly, these beneficial traits remained stable for at least five generations, indicating the robustness of the mutant strains. This study's findings are significant as they provide a comprehensive screening system that combines ARTP mutation technology with microbial microdroplet cultivation. This innovative approach offers a promising pathway for obtaining advantageous Ganoderma strains for liquid fermentation, potentially leading to more efficient and stable production of bioactive compounds. The results of this study align with previous research on mushroom breeding techniques. For example, a review of breeding techniques for edible and medicinal mushrooms highlighted the challenges of efficient breeding and the importance of modern gene-editing and mutagenesis methods[2]. The use of ARTP and microbial microdroplet culture in the current study exemplifies the application of advanced mutagenesis techniques to overcome these challenges. Furthermore, the study's focus on enhancing triterpenoid production in Ganoderma lucidum builds on earlier findings regarding the medicinal properties of these compounds. Triterpenoids have been shown to possess anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, and their potential benefits in treating metabolic disorders and infections have been explored[3]. By improving the production of triterpenoids through innovative strain development, the current study contributes to the broader goal of harnessing the medicinal properties of Ganoderma lucidum more effectively. Additionally, the use of high-throughput screening methods in the current study is reminiscent of previous research that combined classical mutagenesis with modern screening technologies to identify beneficial microbial strains[4]. For instance, a study on Lactococcus lactis used microfluidic droplet technology to efficiently screen for mutants with enhanced vitamin B2 secretion. Similarly, the current study's use of microbial microdroplet culture enables the rapid and efficient identification of Ganoderma strains with improved traits, demonstrating the power of integrating advanced screening methods with mutagenesis. In conclusion, the research conducted by the Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences provides valuable insights into enhancing the production of bioactive compounds in Ganoderma lucidum through innovative strain development techniques. By employing ARTP mutation and microbial microdroplet culture, the study successfully identified mutant strains with superior growth and triterpenoid production, offering a promising pathway for improving liquid fermentation processes. These findings not only advance the understanding of Ganoderma lucidum cultivation but also contribute to the broader field of medicinal mushroom research and its applications in food and medicine.

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References

Main Study

1) Enhancing high-efficiency breeding and microbial microdroplet cultivation techniques for Ganoderma lucidum.

Published 1st June, 2024

Journal: World journal of microbiology & biotechnology

Issue: Vol 40, Issue 7, Jun 2024

Related Studies

2) Edible and medicinal fungi breeding techniques, a review: Current status and future prospects.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crfs.2022.09.002

3) Exploring the Potential Medicinal Benefits of Ganoderma lucidum: From Metabolic Disorders to Coronavirus Infections.

https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12071512

4) Finding the Needle in the Haystack-the Use of Microfluidic Droplet Technology to Identify Vitamin-Secreting Lactic Acid Bacteria.

https://doi.org/10.1128/mBio.00526-17


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