Due to recent increase in the number of elderly patients, there is a problem of nutritional imbalance and immune function in the elderly due to decreased ability to consume food. To solve these problems, this study was conducted to verify an immunityenhancing effect of Sagunja-tang porridge (SP) on cyclophosphamide (CPA)-induced immunosuppression using an animal model. Experimental groups were set as normal control, CPA-treated group, positive control group, and SP-treated groups (0.25%, 0.5%, 1.0%). Except for the normal control group, experimental groups were injected with 100 μL of CPA dissolved in 0.9% NaCl at a concentration of 150 mg/kg twice at the beginning of the experiment and 3 days later to induce immunosuppression. When spleen cell proliferation was analyzed, both B and T cells were decreased in the immunosuppressed group, but increased in test substance-treated groups in a concentration-dependent manner. To see the effect of improving immunity, levels of IgA known to protect the mucosal surface were measured. Higher levels of IgA were found in SP-low concentration (SL) and SP-middle concentration (SM) groups. These results suggest that using SP might be an effective way to improve nutritional imbalance and immune function in the elderly.

Tricholoma matsutake, one of the most famous edible mushroom in Asia, has been cultivated in red pine forest. Because of its difficulty in artificial cultivation, T. matsutake cultivation has relied on foraging in the forest. Under certain environmental conditions, T. matsutake form the Shiro, the condensed mycelium, and develop into fruiting bodies. Among the certain environmental conditions, fungal communities play a major role in the mushroom development. Therefore, fungal community investigations for Bonghwa and Yangyang have been conducted on soil with fairy rings in the past, soil with existing fairy rings, and soil with presumptive fairy rings developing in the future. From the six soil samples, total 163 genera of fungi were detected and species diversity and species abundance of each sample were also analyzed. In result, the species diversity and species abundance of the fairy rings in Yangyang were lower than those in Bonghwa. In comparison with the fairy rings in Yangyang and Bonghwa, the dominance of the genus Tricholoma was higher and that of the genus Motilella was lower in Yangyang. Through the continuous study, establishment of optimal environmental conditions to promote the T. matsutake cultivation is highly expected.

Despite their historical use, studies on the genetic functions of mushrooms and varietal improvement via biomolecular techniques are limited compared to other organisms. Recent advancements in CRISPR/Cas9 have enabled precise genetic modifications in mushrooms, with RNP-based systems offering high editing efficiency without foreign gene insertion. In this study, we optimized gene-editing conditions for Ganoderma lucidum (Yongji 2) by utilizing RNP/nanoparticle complexes to enhance efficiency. The optimal conditions included a 0.2 M sorbitol buffer (pH 7.0) and a protoplast-to-complex ratio of 10:1. Among eight gRNAs designed for the catA gene, three were identified with high activity, and PEG-mediated transformation resulted in successful gene edits, primarily involving 1 bp deletions. The editing efficiency reached 7–8%, demonstrating that nanoparticle-supported RNP systems are effective for marker-free gene editing in mushrooms. These findings highlight a promising approach for advancing genetic research and varietal improvement in G. lucidum and other mushroom species.

In order to develop a stable production and delicious unique cultivar of beech mushrooms, we generated hybrids using wild resources collected domestically, and we developed excellent strains by identifying the mycelial cultivability of the hybrid strains. The developed strains were cultivated according to the type of spawn and incubation time, and strains with excellent yield and shape were first selected, and second strains with less bitterness and excellent taste were selected through quantitative descriptive analysis. This was verified in farms, and ‘HM6-6’, which had a good reputation in the field, was directly developed cultivars as ‘Maruking’. In addition, the yield was high overall in the 90-day culture of the growth substrate inoculated with solid spawn, and the ‘Maruking’ cultivar, was also best in the 90-day culture. The yield was high overall in the 75-day culture of the liquid spawn, but ‘Maruking’ showed excellent yield when cultured for 70 days.

The Grifola frondosa cultivar KMCC03118 was used to isolate monokaryotic strains via spore separation, resulting in the successful crossbreeding of strains KMCC03118-11 and KMCC03118-23, which produced F1 hybrids. These F1 hybrids were then further crossed with various monokaryotic strains to generate F2 progeny. In evaluating the effects of different medium compositions on fruit body development, it was found that a substrate consisting of wheat bran and dried sawdust, with a carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratio of 66-68, provided the most favorable conditions for mycelial growth. Among the strains tested, KMCC03137 and GF-18-50 demonstrated superior characteristics, including a larger fruit body diameter, thicker pileus, and greater stipe thickness, with the highest productivity observed at 143.6 ± 13.3 g and 144.7 ± 15.2 g, respectively. Furthermore, the color of the caps (L: 29.7 ± 7.1, a: 2.6 ± 0.7, b: 8.2 ± 1.8) remained consistent, indicating stable high-quality production. Based on these results, the optimal substrate composition for enhancing both the quality and productivity of the fruit bodies was determined to be 42% Quercus sp. sawdust, 42% Quercus sp. fermented sawdust, 6% wheat bran, and 10% dried tofu residue. This study provides a crucial foundation for the commercial cultivation and breeding improvement of Grifola frondosa, offering valuable insights into its genetic enhancement, and providing essential data for future research aimed at increasing the species' genetic diversity and productivity.

Oyster mushroom is one of the most widely cultivated and consumed mushrooms in Korea, and mechanization and automation of cultivation systems have enabled mass production. Many cultivars have been developed to replace the old ones such as ‘Suhan‘ and ‘Chunchuneutari 2 ho,‘ which have been cultivated for over 20 years. Among these, ‘Soltari‘ was developed in 2015. Although it has excellent quality, its cultivation is challenging and the productivity is somewhat lower. To address these issues, the Mushroom Division at the National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Science selected the genetic resource KMCC05165 and attempted hybridization between monokaryons from KMCC05165 and ‘Soltari(KMCC04940)’. Through repeated cultivation tests and evaluation of fruiting body characteristics, the superior strain ‘Po-2019-smj22’ was selected and finally named ‘Otari‘. The optimal mycelial growth temperature of ‘Otari’ was between 25 and 30°C and optimal fruiting body growth temperature was between 13 and 18°C. Mycelial growth on PDA medium was best at 25°C, and at the same temperature, mycelial growth was similar across four media: PDA, MEA, MCM, and YM. In 1,100 mL bottle cultivation, the yield was approximately 174 g, which is about 5% higher than the control cultivar ‘Soltari‘, and the number of valid individuals was also higher at about 25. The diameter and height of the pileus were 29.8 mm and 17.6 mm, respectively, slightly smaller than ‘Soltari‘, and the stipe was thin and long with a thickness of 12.2 mm. Additionally, the pileus’ lightness index (L index) was 30.7, indicating a darker brown color compared to 'Soltari.' With excellent mycelial growth, ease of cultivation, and high yield, the new cultivar ‘Otari‘ is expected to be widely adopted by domestic oyster mushroom farms.

Recently, active research in Korea and worldwide has begun to focus on gene function and cultivar development using gene editing tools. This research, in addition to studies on edible mushroom, aims to enhance the physical and biochemical characteristics of mushrooms for applications in materials and substance production. For these studies, efficient isolation of protoplasts from the target mushroom is critical. However, several commercial cell wall-lysing enzyme cocktails, including Novozyme234, Glucanex, and Lysing enzymes, have recently been discontinued. In this study, we aimed to identify alternative enzyme systems to replace the discontinued cell wall-lysing enzymes for stable isolation of protoplasts from Ganoderma lucidum. To select an optimal osmotic buffer, enzyme function in 0.6 and 1.2 M Sorbitol, Sucrose, Mannitol, and KCl was assessed. The effect of reaction time was also evaluated. Protoplast isolation efficiency of each alternative enzyme was tested using lysing enzymes from Trichoderma harzianum, Chimax-N, and Yatalase, either individually or in combination. This matrix of studies identified enzymes and optimal conditions that could replace the discontinued lysing enzymes.