title: The genome of Ganoderma lucidum provides insights into triterpenes biosynthesis and wood degradation [corrected].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi or Ling Zhi) is one of the most famous Traditional Chinese Medicines and has been widely used in the treatment of various human diseases in Asia countries. It is also a fungus with strong wood degradation ability with potential in bioenergy production. However, genes, pathways and mechanisms of these functions are still unknown.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The genome of G. lucidum was sequenced and assembled into a 39.9 megabases (Mb) draft genome, which encoded 12,080 protein-coding genes and ∼83% of them were similar to public sequences. We performed comprehensive annotation for G. lucidum genes and made comparisons with genes in other fungi genomes. Genes in the biosynthesis of the main G. lucidum active ingredients, ganoderic acids (GAs), were characterized. Among the GAs synthases, we identified a fusion gene, the N and C terminal of which are homologous to two different enzymes. Moreover, the fusion gene was only found in basidiomycetes. As a white rot fungus with wood degradation ability, abundant carbohydrate-active enzymes and ligninolytic enzymes were identified in the G. lucidum genome and were compared with other fungi.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The genome sequence and well annotation of G. lucidum will provide new insights in function analyses including its medicinal mechanism. The characterization of genes in the triterpene biosynthesis and wood degradation will facilitate bio-engineering research in the production of its active ingredients and bioenergy.
authors.affiliation: Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
authors.forename: Dongbo
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Wenkui
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.forename: Xincong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Zhuo
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Hong-Mei
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Le
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Junping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Zhilan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Yuxin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yuewen
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Depeng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Peixiang
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ni
authors.forename: An-Yuan
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Xingyao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xiong
mesh_terms: D016681:Genome, Fungal / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D020940:Reishi / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014315:Triterpenes