Abstracts

Although understanding of the metabolic pathway responsible for light emission in basidiomycete fungi, the Caffeic Acid Cycle (CAC), and the ecological function for mushrooms has advanced, the biochemical function of bioluminescence for mycelium has not yet been fully elucidated. A plausible explanation for the ecological function of bioluminescence would be to attract spore-dispersing arthropods to bright mushrooms compared to non-bright ones. This explanation, however, cannot be applied to mycelium, which does not produce spores.In marine systems dependent on celenterazine, a hypothesis formulated in the 1990s suggests that bioluminescence could be a way to mitigate reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by oxidative stress and respiration itself. In the case of ligninolytic basidiomycete fungi, it is known that the degradation of plant lignin involves a series of ROS: hydrogen peroxide, superoxide radical anion, hydroxyl radical, and other organic peroxides. The aim of this study is to assess whether the presence of lignin in the culture medium alters the ligninolytic activity of the bioluminescent fungus Neonothopanus gardneri mycelium and if this influences light emission. For this purpose, the mycelium was cultivated in a sugar cane molasses-based medium with different concentrations of commercial lignin.The results suggest a possible relationship between ligninolytic enzymes activity and the intensity of bioluminescence in Neonothopanus gardneri. For a more comprehensive understanding, the results of enzymatic activity can be complemented by evaluating the differential expression of genes involved in lignin degradation and light emission. This will provide a clearer insight into the impact of lignin on the CAC, contributing to a deeper understanding of the functions of bioluminescence in mycelium.