BackgroundOphiocordyceps sinensis, a worm and fungus combined mixture which Hirsutella sinensis is parasitic on the caterpillar body, has been used as a traditional medicine or healthy food in China for thousands of years. H. sinensis is reported as the only correct anamorph of O. sinensis and its main active ingredients are similar to the natural O. sinensis.ResultsH. sinensis L0106, asexual strain of O. sinensis, was isolated and identified in this study. Three transcriptomes of H. sinensis at different cultivation periods (growth period 3d, pre-stable period 6d and stable period 9d) were sequenced for the first time by RNA-Seq method, and 25,511 unigenes (3d), 25,214 unigenes (6d) and 16,245 unigenes (9d) were assembled and obtained, respectively. These unigenes of the three samples were further assembled into 20,822 unigenes (All), and 62.3 percent of unigenes (All) could be annotated based on protein databases. Subsequently, the genes and enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of the active ingredients according to the sequencing and annotation results were predicted. Based on the predictions, we further investigated the interaction of different pathway networks and the corresponding enzymes. Furthermore, the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of H. sinensis grown during different developmental stages (3d-VS-6d, 3d-VS-9d and 6d-VS-9d) were globally detected and analyzed based on the data from RNA-Seq, and 764 DEGs between 3d and 6d, 1,869 DEGs between 3d and 9d, and 770 DEGs between 6d and 9d were found, respectively.ConclusionsThis work presented here would aid in understanding and carrying out future studies on the genetic basis of H. sinensis and contribute to the further artificial production and application of this organism. This study provided a substantial contribution and basis to further characterize the gene expression profiles of H. sinensis in the metabolic pathways of active ingredients.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-015-1269-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Background Hypoxia mediated pulmonary hypertension (HPH) is a lethal disease and lacks effective therapy. CircRNAs play significant roles in physiological process. Recently, circRNAs are found to be m6A-modified. The abundance of circRNAs was influenced by m6A. Furthermore, the significance of m6A circRNAs has not been elucidated in HPH yet. Here we aim to investigate the transcriptome-wide map of m6A circRNAs in HPH. Results Differentially expressed m6A abundance was detected in lungs of HPH rats. M6A abundance in circRNAs was significantly reduced in hypoxia in vitro. M6A circRNAs were mainly from protein-coding genes spanned single exons in control and HPH groups. Moreover, m6A influenced the circRNA–miRNA–mRNA co-expression network in hypoxia. M6A circXpo6 and m6A circTmtc3 were firstly identified to be downregulated in HPH. Conclusion Our study firstly identified the transcriptome-wide map of m6A circRNAs in HPH. M6A can influence circRNA–miRNA–mRNA network. Furthermore, we firstly identified two HPH-associated m6A circRNAs: circXpo6 and circTmtc3. However, the clinical significance of m6A circRNAs for HPH should be further validated.

Background: Hypoxia mediated pulmonary hypertension (HPH) is a lethal disease and lacks effective therapy. CircRNAs play significant roles in physiological process. Recently, circRNAs are found to be m 6 A-modified. The abundance of circRNAs was influenced by m 6 A. Furthermore, the significance of m 6 A circRNAs has not been elucidated in HPH yet. Here we aim to investigate the transcriptome-wide map of m 6 A circRNAs in HPH. Results: Differentially expressed m 6 A abundance was detected in lungs of HPH rats. M 6 A abundance in circRNAs was significantly reduced in hypoxia in vitro . M 6 A circRNAs were mainly from protein-coding genes spanned single exons in control and HPH groups. Moreover, m 6 A influenced the circRNA–miRNA–mRNA co-expression network in hypoxia. M 6 A circXpo6 and m 6 A circTmtc3 were firstly identified to be downregulated in HPH. Conclusion: Our study firstly identified the transcriptome-wide map of m 6 A circRNAs in HPH. M 6 A can influence circRNA–miRNA–mRNA network. Furthermore, we firstly identified two HPH-associated m 6 A circRNAs: circXpo6 and circTmtc3. However, the clinical significance of m 6 A circRNAs for HPH should be further validated. Key words: m 6 A circRNAs; hypoxia mediated pulmonary hypertension; m 6 A circXpo6; m 6 A circTmtc3

Background: Hypoxia mediated pulmonary hypertension (HPH) is a lethal disease and lacks effective therapy. CircRNAs play significant roles in physiological process. Recently, circRNAs are found to be m 6 A-modified. The abundance of circRNAs was influenced by m 6 A. Furthermore, the significance of m 6 A circRNAs has not been elucidated in HPH yet. Here we aim to investigate the transcriptome-wide map of m 6 A circRNAs in HPH. Results: Differentially expressed m 6 A abundance was detected in lungs of HPH rats. M 6 A abundance in circRNAs was significantly reduced in hypoxia in vitro . M 6 A circRNAs were mainly from protein-coding genes spanned single exons in control and HPH groups. Moreover, m 6 A influenced the circRNA–miRNA–mRNA co-expression network in hypoxia. M 6 A circXpo6 and m 6 A circTmtc3 were firstly identified to be downregulated in HPH. Conclusion: Our study firstly identified the transcriptome-wide map of m 6 A circRNAs in HPH. M 6 A can influence circRNA–miRNA–mRNA network. Furthermore, we firstly identified two HPH-associated m 6 A circRNAs: circXpo6 and circTmtc3. However, the clinical significance of m 6 A circRNAs for HPH should be further validated. Key words: m 6 A circRNAs; hypoxia mediated pulmonary hypertension; m 6 A circXpo6; m 6 A circTmtc3