Comparative genome and transcriptome analysis reveal the medicinal basis and environmental adaptation of artificially cultivated Taiwanofungus camphoratus

Taiwanofungus camphoratus is a widely used medicinal macrofungus unique to Taiwan, China, and it produces a diverse set of bioactive compounds. In this study, we resequenced the genome and transcriptome of artificially cultivated Taiwanofungus camphoratus and obtained its 29.7-Mb genome. Our aim was to elucidate the possible reasons for its medicinal value and its environmental adaptation from the genomic and evolutionary perspective. Compounds of triterpenoid family are highly abundant in Taiwanofungus camphoratus, and we identified 25 candidate genes that participated in the secondary metabolism leading to these valuable products. We observed fewer genes relating to the CAZymes family in Taiwanofungus camphoratus than in Ganoderma lucidum and Postia placenta, and these genes are considered beneficial for survival. Transcriptome sequencing revealed a large number of differentially expressed genes at various growth stages of Taiwanofungus camphoratus. Our data will be useful for studying the environmental adaptation of Taiwanofungus camphoratus and for developing a strategy to increase the production of its useful secondary metabolites.