Developmental transcriptomics of the model caterpillar fungus Cordyceps militaris

The RNA-Seq technique was used to investigate the differentially transcribed genes of the caterpillar fungus Cordyces militaris. It was calculated that >63% of total annotated genes were expressed, including >55% of putative pathogen-host interaction genes. Overall, the fruiting-body development and mycelium growth by C. militaris activated high expression levels of genes in association with translation and post-translational modifications. Otherwise, there were many differentially expressed genes when the fungus was grown on insect pupae to different stages or in liquid medium. In general, the transcriptional profiles were more similar with each other during fungal fruiting-body developmental stages than during growth in a liquid culture. Overall design: Examination of differential gene expressions by Cordyceps militaris during fruiting-body developments on silkmoth pupae and growth in a liquid medium.本研究采用RNA测序（RNA-Seq）技术，对蛹虫草（Cordyces militaris）的差异转录基因进行探究。经统计，全部已注释基因中超过63%得以表达，其中包含超过55%的推定宿主-病原体互作基因。总体而言，蛹虫草的子实体发育与菌丝生长过程，可诱导与翻译及翻译后修饰相关的基因呈现高表达水平。此外，当该真菌在不同发育阶段的昆虫蛹或液体培养基中培养时，存在大量差异表达基因。总体来看，真菌子实体发育各阶段的转录谱相较于液体培养阶段的转录谱，彼此间相似性更高。本研究整体设计为：检测蛹虫草在蚕蛹上的子实体发育过程及液体培养过程中的差异基因表达情况。