''Coprinopsis cinerea'' is a species of
mushroom
A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing Sporocarp (fungi), fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or another food source. ''Toadstool'' generally refers to a poisonous mushroom.
The standard for the n ...
in the family
Psathyrellaceae
The Psathyrellaceae are a family of dark-spored agarics that generally have rather soft, fragile fruiting bodies, and are characterized by black, dark brown, rarely reddish, or even pastel-colored spore prints. About 50% of species produce frui ...
.
Commonly known as the gray shag, it is
edible, but must be used promptly after collecting.
[
''Coprinopsis cinerea'' is an important ]model organism
A model organism is a non-human species that is extensively studied to understand particular biological phenomena, with the expectation that discoveries made in the model organism will provide insight into the workings of other organisms. Mo ...
for studying fungal sex and mating types, mushroom development, and the evolution of multicellularity of fungi
A fungus (: fungi , , , or ; or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and mold (fungus), molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as one ...
. The genome
A genome is all the genetic information of an organism. It consists of nucleotide sequences of DNA (or RNA in RNA viruses). The nuclear genome includes protein-coding genes and non-coding genes, other functional regions of the genome such as ...
sequence was published in 2010. It is considered to be particularly suited organism to study meiosis
Meiosis () is a special type of cell division of germ cells in sexually-reproducing organisms that produces the gametes, the sperm or egg cells. It involves two rounds of division that ultimately result in four cells, each with only one c ...
, due to its synchronous meiotic development and prolonged prophase
Prophase () is the first stage of cell division in both mitosis and meiosis. Beginning after interphase, DNA has already been replicated when the cell enters prophase. The main occurrences in prophase are the condensation of the chromatin retic ...
.
Research
Antibiotics
Researchers in 2014 discovered a protein produced by ''Coprinopsis cinerea'' with antibiotic properties. The protein, known as copsin, has similar effects to other non-protein organically derived antibiotics. To date, it has not been determined whether antibiotic medicine for humans and other animals can be developed from this protein.
Culturing
''Coprinopsis cinerea'' can be grown on complex (e.g. YMG, YMG/T) or minimal media (e.g. mKjalke medium), solid or liquid, with or without agitation, at 25 °C or optimally at 37 °C. It can be grown in dark or with 12-h light/12-h dark cycle.[Efficient gene targeting in ΔCc.ku70 or ΔCc.lig4 mutants of the agaricomycete Coprinopsis cinerea.][Lcc1 and Lcc5 are the main laccases secreted in liquid cultures of Coprinopsis cinerea strains]
Strains
*C. cinereus strain PG78 (A6B42, trp1.1;1.6, pab1) is an AmutBmut monokaryon, self-compatible strain, with trp- and pab-auxotrophic markers (requires tryptophan and p-aminobenzoate).[Restriction enzyme-mediated DNA integration in Coprinus cinereus]
Genome
''Coprinopsis cinerea'' strain Okayama 7 (#130) was sequenced with 10x coverage in 2003. A third and most recent revision of the sequence of strain Okayama 7 (#130) was released in 2010. Its haploid genome is ca. 37.5 Mb.
Molecular cloning
''Coprinopsis cinerea'' can be transformed with exogenous DNA by transformation when the fungus is a protoplast. It was found that disrupting (knockout or RNAi silencing) ''ku70
Ku70 is a heterodimeric protein made up of Ku70 and Ku80, which together form Ku. In humans, is encoded by the ''XRCC6'' gene. Ku70 plays a critical role in the DNA repair, maintenance and many other cellular processes.
Function
Together, Ku7 ...
'' homologue can increase gene targeting via increased homologous recombination. Either protoplasts derived from oidia or vegetative mycelium can be used, however, gene targeting was found to be higher by 2% (based on phenotyping) when using vegetative mycelium. Otherwise, insertion of integrative vectors ectopically and with small homologous regions can be used, likely with low transformation efficiency.
Earlier, REMI (restriction enzyme-mediated integration) could be used to insert exogenous DNA into the chromosome to produce mutant strains. This relies on inserting exogenous DNA and restriction enzymes into the protoplast cell, allowing for the enzymes to cut the chromosome at specific sites which match those sites used to produce linearized plasmid DNA with the gene of interest; subsequently, host enzymes ligate the cut sites and thus produce integrated heterologous, exogenous DNA. Although successful, undesirable mutations are likely. Chemical mutagenesis (also random) can also be done. Phenotype selection of the inability to fruit can indicate that insertion led to disruption of vital genes. All in all, homologous recombination provides more specificity when creating a mutant strain. Depending on the mutant, auxotrophy markers (requires lost gene to be inserted) or prototrophy (when causing essential gene deletion) be used for selection.
Enzymes
''Coprinopsis cinerea'' is known to produce laccase
Laccases () are multicopper oxidases found in plants, fungi, and bacteria. Laccases oxidize a variety of phenolic substrates, performing one-electron oxidations, leading to crosslinking. For example, laccases play a role in the formation of li ...
, a type of phenoloxidase. ''C. cinerea'' produces a variety of the same laccase, known as isoenzymes. Laccase activity can be measured by zymograms (in which a substrate for the enzyme is present in a separating gel). Under stressed conditions, temperature and medium, laccase secretion was increased. Although copper is required co-factor for laccase, merely adding copper did not induce laccase secretion. It was recently found that a TET (Ten-Eleven translocation dioxygenases) homologue, ''CcTET'', was identified in ''C. cinerea'', which may have important human (or mammalian) implications like cancer. DNA methylation is vital in humans and dysfunction is associated with cancer, thus, studying methylation reactions in non-mammalians may provide better insight into mammalian methylation reactions.
Reproduction
''Coprinopsis cinerea'' can sense blue light. It was identified that gene ''Cc.wc-2'' is involved in blue light photoreception. Etiolated stipes (elongation without cap maturation) is caused when grown without light.
Meiosis
''Coprinopsis cinerea'' is an ideal model for studying meiosis because meiosis progresses synchronously in about 10 million cells within each mushroom cap. Meiosis is a specialized cell division process, occurring in diploid cells, in which a single round of DNA replication occurs, and is followed by two divisions to produce four haploid daughter nuclei. During meiosis homologous chromosomes pair with each other and undergo a DNA repair process in which DNA damage is removed and genetic information is recombined. Burns et al. studied the expression of genes involved in the 15-hour meiotic process encompassing time points prior to the haploid nuclear fusion that forms the diploid zygote to the final formation of the four haploid products. They compared expression of particular genes in ''C. cinerea'' to the expression of the comparable genes (orthologs) in two other species (''Saccharomyces cerevisiae
''Saccharomyces cerevisiae'' () (brewer's yeast or baker's yeast) is a species of yeast (single-celled fungal microorganisms). The species has been instrumental in winemaking, baking, and brewing since ancient times. It is believed to have be ...
'' and ''Schizosaccharomyces pombe
''Schizosaccharomyces pombe'', also called "fission yeast", is a species of yeast used in traditional brewing and as a model organism in molecular and cell biology. It is a unicellular eukaryote, whose cells are rod-shaped. Cells typically meas ...
'') from which ''C. cinerea'' had diverged in evolution 500 to 900 million years ago. They found that the expression of individual genes turned on or off at the same stage in ''C. cinerea'' as in the other two species. They also found that genes considered to be specifically involved in the meiotic process were more conserved in their expression pattern than non-meiotic genes. These findings indicate ancient conservation of the meiotic process.
Human disease
''Coprinopsis cinerea'' is harmless to human and animal health under normal conditions. However, the organism can cause opportunistic infections (mycoses
Fungal infection, also known as mycosis, is a disease caused by fungi. Different types are traditionally divided according to the part of the body affected: superficial, subcutaneous, and systemic. Superficial fungal infections include common ...
) in immunocompromised
Immunodeficiency, also known as immunocompromise, is a state in which the immune system's ability to fight infectious diseases and cancer is compromised or entirely absent. Most cases are acquired ("secondary") due to extrinsic factors that affe ...
patients, such as those who have undergone haematopoietic stem cell transplantation or are otherwise undergoing immunosuppression treatment. Most reported cases have been respiratory infections, but cases involving the heart, skin, brain or gut have been reported, and the infections may rapidly become systemic. Whilst exceptionally rare, ''Coprinopsis cinerea'' infection is difficult to treat and often fatal in this vulnerable patient group. The infection is caused by the mould-like asexual (non mushroom-forming) anamorph
In mycology, the terms teleomorph, anamorph, and holomorph apply to portions of the life cycles of fungi in the phyla Ascomycota and Basidiomycota:
*Teleomorph: the sexual reproductive stage (morph), typically a fruiting body.
*Anamorph: an ase ...
of ''Coprinopsis cinerea'' which used to be known as ''Hormographiella aspergillata'', and may be described under this name in the clinical literature.[Correa-Martinez C, Brentrup A, Hess K, Becker K, Groll AH, Schaumburg F. First description of a local Coprinopsis cinerea skin and soft tissue infection. New microbes and new infections. 2018 Jan 1;21:102-4.]
See also
* List of ''Coprinopsis'' species
* Cospin
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q5168926
cinerea
Edible fungi
Fungi of Asia
Fungi of Europe
Fungi of North America
Fungi described in 1774
Ammonia fungi
Taxa named by Jacob Christian Schäffer
Fungus species