Molecular mechanisms through which carbon metabolism regulates amino acid biosynthesis during the growth and development of Agaricus bisporus

Agaricus bisporus is among the most widely cultivated edible mushrooms worldwide. Nutrient accumulation during composting affects yield and quality. In this study, we conducted an integrated analysis of the transcriptome and physiological and biochemical indicators during the growth and development stages. We analyzed lignocellulose degradation efficiency, carbon metabolism gene expression patterns, and dynamic changes in amino acid biosynthesis pathways in the A. bisporus cultivar ‘Shen K6’. The results indicated that ‘Shen K6’ substantially degraded hemicellulose, with a degradation efficiency of 51%. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses revealed that the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were primarily involved in nitrogen compound metabolic process; carbohydrate derivative binding; starch and sucrose metabolism; glycolysis/gluconeogenesis; alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism; and lysine degradation. Analysis of genes encoding key enzymes involved in carbon and nitrogen metabolism revealed significantly upregulated expression levels of Exo2, Endo2, Endo10, Xylo3, AXE1, VP1, GDH2, and ASNS1. In terms of glycolysis and the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, the upregulated expression of AK, AS, KGDH , and KGsyn promoted the biosynthesis of aspartate (Asp) and glutamate (Glu), driving the significant accumulation of these two flavor-related amino acids and ultimately improving the quality of A. bisporus . Therefore, this study elucidated the main pathways and key genes underlying carbon metabolism-regulated amino acid biosynthesis during the growth and development of ‘Shen K6’. These findings provide important molecular targets for improving the quality of A. bisporus and lay a foundation for understanding how nutrient transport regulates quality formation in edible fungi.