Effects of Light on the Fruiting Body Color and Differentially Expressed Genes in Flammulina velutipes

Abstract

Light plays vital roles in fungal growth, development, reproduction, and pigmentation. In Flammulina velutipes, the color of the fruiting body exhibits distinct changes in response to light; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unknown. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to analyze the F. velutipes transcriptome under red, green, and blue light-emitting diode (LED) lights to identify the key genes affecting the light response and fruiting body color in this fungus. Additionally, we conducted protein–protein interaction (PPI) network analysis of the previously reported fruiting body color-related gene, Fvpal1, to identify the hub genes. Phenotypic analysis revealed that fruiting bodies exposed to green and blue lights were darker than those untreated or exposed to red light, with the color intensifying more after 48 h of exposure to blue light compared to that after 24 h of exposure. Differentially expressed gene (DEG) analyses of all light treatments for 24 h revealed that the numbers of DEGs were 17, 74, and 257 under red, green, and blue lights, respectively. Subsequently, functional enrichment analysis was conducted of the DEGs identified under green and blue lights, which influenced the color of F. velutipes. In total, 103 of 168 downregulated DEGs under blue and green lights were included in the enrichment analysis. Among the DEGs enriched under both green and blue light treatments, four genes were related to monooxygenases, with three genes annotated as cytochrome P450s that are crucial for various metabolic processes in fungi. PPI network analysis of Fvpal1 revealed associations with 11 genes, among which the expression of one gene, pyridoxal-dependent decarboxylase, was upregulated in F. velutipes exposed to blue light. These findings contribute to our understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in the fruiting body color changes in response to light and offer potential molecular markers for further exploration of light-mediated regulatory pathways.