DNA Barcoding Mushroom Spawn Using EF-1α Barcodes: A Case Study in Oyster Mushrooms ().

Oyster mushrooms (genus ) are widespread and comprise the most commonly cultivated edible mushrooms in the world. Species identification of oyster mushroom spawn based on cultural, morphological, and cultivated characteristics is time consuming and can be extraordinarily difficult, which has impeded mushroom breeding and caused economic loss for mushroom growers. To explore a precise and concise approach for species identification, the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS), 28S rDNA, and the widely used protein-coding marker translation elongation factor 1α (EF-1α) gene were evaluated as candidate DNA barcode markers to investigate their feasibility in identifying 13 oyster mushroom species.

The therapeutic effects of tectorigenin on chemically induced liver fibrosis in rats and an associated metabonomic investigation.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of tectorigenin on chemically induced liver fibrosis in rats. Liver fibrosis was induced in rats with carbon tetrachloride, a diet high in fat, cholesterol and alcohol in the drinking water. Our results indicate that tectorigenin treatment significantly inhibited the increases in the activities of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and the increases in the serum levels of hyaluronate (HA), laminin (LN) and procollagen III N-terminal peptide (PIIIP); tectorigenin treatment also significantly inhibited the increases in the amount of collagen in the livers of the fibrogenic rats.

[Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation of Chaetomium globosum and its T-DNA insertional mutagenesis].

Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation is a routine method in the genetic transformation of a wide range of plant species, and so far, its application has been extended to the transformation of yeasts, fungi and even human cells. By using this transformation system, filamentous fungus Chaetomium globosum was successfully transformed with an efficiency of 60-180 transformants per 10(7) spores. PCR and Southern analysis showed that the T-DNA was integrated into the genome.