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.

We aimed to develop outstanding domestic varieties suitable for both columnar and cylindrical-shape substrates, aiming to replace foreign varieties. and bred a high-quality new strain named ‘Charmjon’, using genetic resources collected from Japan and China. The optimal cultivation temperature for Charmjon’s mycelial growth was found to be 25°C, and its mycelial growth at 15°C and 25°C was superior to the control variety. In terms of mycelial growth characteristics based on the substrate, Charmjon exhibited excellent mycelial strength on PDA medium compared to the control variety. Through columnar and cylindrical-shape substrates cultivation, we assessed the quantity and morphological characteristics of the fruiting bodies. The results confirmed that Charmjon can be produced stably using both cultivation methods, and it showed higher yields and individual weights than the control variety. In addition, the color of the pileus was notably darker, and the shape of the pileus varied depending on the cultivation method. The test of genetic diversity revealed that Charmjon has distinct genetic characteristics compared to the control varieties.

Flammulina velutipesis a popular edible mushroom in South Korea, accounting for approximately 30% of the total mushroom export in the country. Despite its significant position in the domestic mushroom industry, approximately 65% of the cultivated F. velutipes are foreign varieties. To secure variety rights and enhance competitiveness in the export market, there is a need to develop domestic varieties with stable production and excellent shelf life. We focused on breeding a new variety called 'Baekwoon' through mon–mon crossing, using 'Baekseung' and an international collection strain (KMCC02260) as parents. Baekwoon exhibited faster mycelial growth rates at 15 °C and 25 °C and higher mycelial growth across four tested media compared to that of the control variety. Under bottle cultivation, Baekwoon had a mycelial cultivation period that was shorter by approximately 2 days compared to that of the control. The yield of Baekwoon was 228.0±10.9 g, 8.3% more than that of the control. Furthermore, Baekwoon displayed distinct morphological features characterized by a larger pileus and thicker stipe compared to that of the control variety. Genetic tests confirmed that Baekwoon is genetically different from both parental strains and the control variety. It is expected that the newly developed F. velutipes variety, Baekwoon, will be evaluated for its adaptation in different regions and actively promoted in the field, ultimately increasing the market share of domestic varieties.

Mushrooms have a unique taste and aroma, so in the processing of mushroom products with other ingredients, a separate pre-processing step is often taken to eliminate the mushroom aroma. In this study, we analyzed the changes in the concentration of volatile compounds according to drying conditions to promote the activation of processing using the fruiting bodies of yellow oyster mushrooms(Pleurotus citrinopileatus) and pink oyster mushrooms(P. djamor). The caps and stipes of yellow oyster and pink oyster mushrooms were separated and freeze-dried at -70oC for 120 hours. Subsequently, they were hot air-dried at temperatures of 40, 50, 60, and 70oC for 24, 24, 16, and 12 hours, respectively. The dried samples were pulverized and quantitatively analyzed by SPME-GC-MS. In the case of yellow oyster mushrooms, the concentration of t-2-nonenal in caps and stipes during freeze-drying was 164.43 g/g d.w. and 174.80 g/g d.w., respectively, whereas during hot air-drying, it significantly decreased to 0.35~3.41 g/g d.w. and 0.98~59.88 g/g d.w. In a similar manner, for pink oyster mushrooms, the concentration of 1-octen-3-ol during freeze-drying in caps and stipes was 31.05 g/g d.w. and 176.17 g/g d.w., respectively, whereas during hot air-drying, it significantly decreased to 1.59~9.66 g/g d.w. and 1.96~15.77 g/g d.w. Furthermore, most volatile compounds showed a tendency to decrease in concentration as the temperature during hot air-drying increased.

Recently, with the increasing global demand for Ganoderma lucidum as a material for functional beverages, varieties with enhanced functionality are needed. As part of this effort, 10 strains were selected from a collection of 160 G. lucidum strains, based on their quantity and fruiting body characteristics. These included four strains collected in Korea, three in Japan, and three of unknown origin. Approximately 44% of the 1,290 hybrid strains were secured. After two rounds of bag cultivation in oak sawdust, three strains (G-20-4, G-20-5, and G-20-7) were ultimately selected for single-timbered cultivation. Among these, G-20-4 demonstrated the earliest harvesting with a large size and a bright cap. Additionally, this strain exhibited the highest levels of total glucan, β-glucan, total triterpenoid, total polyphenol, and total flavonoid content.

Despite the long history of mushroom use, studies examining the genetic function of mushrooms and the development of new varieties via bio-molecular methods are significantly lacking compared to those examining other organisms. However, owing to recent developments, attempts have been made to use a novel gene-editing technique involving CRISPR/Cas9 technology and genetic scissors in mushroom studies. In particular, research is actively being conducted to utilize ribonucleoprotein particles (RNPs) that can be genetically edited with high efficiency without foreign gene insertion for ease of selection. However, RNPs are too large for Cas9 protein to pass through the cell membrane of the protoplasmic reticulum. Furthermore, guide RNA is unstable and can be easily decomposed, which remarkably affects gene editing efficiency. In this study, nanoparticles were used to mitigate the shortcomings of RNP-based gene editing techniques and to obtain transformants stably. We used Lentinula edodes (shiitake mushroom) Sanjo705-13 monokaryon strain, which has been successfully used in previous genome editing experiments. To identify a suitable osmotic buffer for the isolation of protoplast, 0.6 M and 1.2 M sucrose, mannitol, sorbitol, and KCl were treated, respectively. In addition, with various nanoparticle-forming materials, experiments were conducted to confirm genome editing efficiency via the formation of nanoparticles with calcium phosphate (CaP), which can be bound to Cas9 protein without any additional amino acid modification. RNPs/NP complex was successfully formed and protected nuclease activity with nucleotide sequence specificity.

The purpose of this study was to breed a variety of stable productivity and high storage characteristics of white Hypsizygus marmoreus, which has high demand at domestic and global market due to a low bitter taste and the preference for white species. Accordingly, ‘Baekmaru’ was bred by hybridizing brown and white cap color species and backcrossing with white species. The ‘Baekmaru’ variety was bred by crossbreeding the brown and white species and backcrossing the white species. Through repeated cultivation of ‘Baekmaru’, a variety with a low contamination rate was selected when culturing the spawn for stable cultivation. As a results of demonstration test, the yield of ‘Baekmaru’ was 14% higher than that of the commercial variety. In addition, among the fruiting body characteristics of ‘Baekmaru’, diameter and thickness of the pileus were 16.43±15.27mm and 6.46±0.58mm, which were slightly higher than the commercial variety, and the hardness was 2.69±0.89N for the pileus and 3.09±0.89N for the stipe. The shelf life showed less change in thickness and color of pileus compared to commercial variety. The hardness of pileus of 'Baekmaru' was maintained in the range of 3.5 to 4.0N in the 4oC and 4oC and 20oC mixed treatment until 30 days of storage, and was higher than that of the commercial variety. Therefore, it was suggested to be excellent in storability.

As the importance of public health increases with the spread of infectious diseases, functionality has become a factor affecting consumers’ purchase of mushrooms. Therefore, the bioactive components of button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus), which are generally known to promote button mushroom consumption, were analyzed. White and brown button mushrooms were compared and white beech mushroom (Hypsizygus marmoreus) were used as a control. White button mushrooms had higher sugar and inorganic potassium concentrations than brown button mushrooms, whereas sodium, magnesium, and vitamin C concentrations were not significantly different between the different button mushrooms. Moreover, there was approximately twice as much ergosterol in white button mushrooms than brown button mushrooms. Brown button mushrooms had higher concentrations of β-glucan and oxalic acid than white button mushrooms, but there was no significant difference in total organic acid content between the two mushroom types. High concentrations of the essential amino acids, ergothioneine, isoleucine, and leucine and the non-essential amino acids, glycine and alanine, were observed. Concentrations of the vitamin B group and total polyphenols were also high.

팽이(Flammulina velutipes)는 주름버섯목(Agaricales), 뽕나무버섯과(Physalacriaceae)에 속하는 담자균류로서, 국내 생산량은 연간 31,818톤(‘19)으로 전체 생산량의 약 18%이며 버섯 전체 수출액의 약 36%를 차지할 정도로 대표적인 식용버섯이다. 그러나 국내 재배되고 있는 팽이 국산품종의 비중이 31.6%(20´)로 매우 낮으므로 국제 경쟁력이 우수한 국내육성 품종확보가 필요하며 수출 버섯으로서 보다 품질이 우수한 품종 육성이 필요하다. 이에 본 연구는 농진청에서 육성한 ‘백승’과 ‘우리1호’의 단핵 균주를 확보하여 mon-mon교잡을 통해 ‘설한’ 품종을 육 성하였다. 균사배양 특성은 25 ̊C에서 균사생장이 가장 좋았으며 20, 25 ̊C에서 대조품종보다 균사 생장속도가 빨랐다. 병재배 시 배양 최적온도는 15~17 ̊C로 배지온도가 20 ̊C이상 되지 않게 관리해야하며 생육온도는 7~8 ̊C로 대조품종에 비해 다소 높다. 또한 자실체 수량은 병당 (850 mL) 226.5±8.0 g으로 대조품종에 비해 18.4% 증수 하였으며 초발이일수가 2일 빨라 전체적인 생육기간이 단축되었다. 또한 설한의 외형은 대조품종보다 갓이 작고 대는 굵었으며 갓 색이 더 밝았다. 대치배양과 유전적 다형성 검정 결과, 설한이 다른 흰색 품종들과 유전적으로 구별되는 것을 확인하였다.

현재 양송이 품종의 개발은 1980년대에 개발된 방법에 의존하여 진행되고 있다. 유전자가위를 이용한 유전자교정 기술이 다양한 분야에서 각광받고 있고, 이 기술을 버섯 육종에도 적용하기 위하여 진행된 이 연구에서는, CRISPR/Cas9 활용에 필수적인 원형질체 분리 효율을 1.0 × 10 8 /mL까지 안정적으로 끌어올렸고, spermidine을 이용하여PEG 형질전환의 효율 또한 기존 방법에 비해 100배가량 끌어올렸음을 보고한다.