Downregulation of Ethylene Production Increases Mycelial Growth and Primordia Formation in the Button Culinary-Medicinal Mushroom, Agaricus bisporus (Agaricomycetes)

Ethylene biosynthesis and function in Agaricus bisporus (the button mushroom) remain uncertain. The enzyme activities of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) synthase (ACS) and ACC oxidase (ACO) were detectable in A. bisporus AS2796 and inhibited by alpha-aminooxyacetic acid and Co2+. We cloned and sequenced 2 ACS genes (Ab-ACS1 and Ab-ACS2) and 1 ACO gene (Ab-ACO) from the mushroom strain. Ab-ACS1 and Ab-ACS2 demonstrated low amino acid sequence similarity. Ab-ACO demonstrated an amino acid sequence completely identical to that of ACO1_AGABI from A. bisporus. Antisense ACO significantly reduced ACO gene expression level, ACO enzyme activity, and ethylene production in the mushroom transformants. The transformants grew faster than the wild-type strain in sterilized compost and normally formed primordia when cultivated in sterilized compost with the sterilized casing vermiculite, but the wild-type strain did not. Our results show that ethylene is synthesized in button mushrooms via the ACC pathway. Ethylene inhibited button mushroom mycelial growth and development.