title: Hairpin-mediated down-regulation of the urea cycle enzyme argininosuccinate lyase in Agaricus bisporus.
abstract: A double-stranded (ds) RNA hairpin-mediated down-regulation system was developed for the cultivated mushroom Agaricus bisporus, and the role of the urea cycle enzyme argininosuccinate lyase (asl) in mushroom post-harvest development was investigated. Hairpin expression vectors were constructed to initiate down-regulation of asl and introduced into A. bisporus by Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. Transcripts of asl were significantly reduced (93.1 and 99.9%) in two transformants and hairpin vector transgene sequences were maintained throughout sporophore development. Single and multiple hairpin integration events were observed in Southern analysis. Transformants with down-regulated asl exhibited reduced yield and cap expansion during post-harvest sporophore development. There were no detectable differences in urea levels between the hairpin-transformed and control strains. This is the first report of reduced gene expression resulting from the introduction of dsRNA hairpins in A. bisporus and the applications of this technology will facilitate functional studies in the mushroom.
authors.affiliation: Warwick HRI, University of Warwick, Wellesbourne, Warwickshire, UK. daniel.eastwood@warwick.ac.uk
authors.forename: Daniel C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Eastwood
authors.forename: Michael P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Challen
authors.forename: Cunjin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Huw
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jenkins
authors.forename: Janey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Henderson
authors.forename: Kerry S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Burton
mesh_terms: D000364:Agaricus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001123:Argininosuccinate Lyase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020029:Base Pairing; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018628:Gene Dosage; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000235:genetics; D010641:Phenotype; D034622:RNA Interference; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D014170:Transformation, Genetic; D014508:Urea / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D005656:Fungal Proteins; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D014508:Urea; D001123:Argininosuccinate Lyase