Development of High Cordycepin-Producing Cordyceps militaris Strains

• Published in: Mycobiology Vol. 45; no. 1; pp. 31 - 38
• Main Authors: Kang, Naru, Lee, Hyun-Hee, Park, Inmyoung, Seo, Young-Su
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) The Korean Society of Mycology 01.03.2017; 한국균학회
• Subjects: 생물학; Mating; Dong-Chong-Xia-Cao; MAT gene; Cordyceps militaris; Cordycepin
• ISSN: 1229-8093; 2092-9323
• DOI: 10.5941/MYCO.2017.45.1.31

, known as Dong-Chong-Xia-Cao, produces the most cordycepin among species and can be cultured artificially. For these reasons, is widely used as herb or functional food in the East Asia. In this study, we developed a new strain of that produces higher cordycepin content than parent strains through mating-based sexual reproduction. Twenty parent strains were collected and identified as based on internal trasncrived spacer and rDNA sequences. Seven single spores of idiomorph and five single spores of idiomorph were isolated from 12 parent strains. When 35 combinations were mated on the brown rice medium with the isolated single spores, eight combinations formed a stroma with a normal perithecia and confirmed mated strains. High pressure liquid chromatography analysis showed that mated strain KSP8 produced the most cordycepin in all the media among all the tested strains. This result showed due to genetic recombination occurring during the sexual reproduction of . The development of strain with increased cordycepin content by this approach can help not only to generate new strains, but also to contribute to the health food or medicine industry.