Cloning and functional analysis of a laccase gene during fruiting body formation in Hypsizygus marmoreus

The Hypsizygus marmoreus laccase gene (lcc1) sequence was cloned and analyzed. The genomic DNA of lcc1 is 2336 bp, comprising 13 introns and 14 exons. The 1626-bp full-length cDNA encodes a mature laccase protein containing 542 amino acids, with a 21-amino acid signal peptide. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the lcc1 amino acid sequence is homologous to basidiomycete laccases and shares the highest similarity with Flammulina velutipes laccase. A 2021-bp promoter sequence containing a TATA box, CAAT box, and several putative cis-acting elements was also identified. To study the function of lcc1, we first overexpressed lcc1 in H. marmoreus and found that the transgenic fungus producing recombinant laccase displayed faster mycelial growth than the wild-type (wt) strain. Additionally, primordium initiation was induced 3–5 days earlier in the transgenic fungus, and fruiting body maturation was also promoted approximately five days earlier than in the wt strain. Furthermore, we detected that lcc1 was sustainably overexpressed and that laccase activity was also higher in the transgenic strains compared with the wt strain during development in H. marmoreus. These results indicate that the H. marmoreus lcc1 gene is involved in mycelial growth and fruiting body initiation by increasing laccase activity.