# Lipid Metabolism and Membrane Remodeling Drive Sclerotium Formation in Morchella eximia: Insights from Integrated Transcriptomics and Metabolomics

## TL;DR

This study explores how lipid metabolism and membrane changes drive the formation of sclerotia in morel mushrooms, using combined transcriptomic and metabolomic data to improve cultivation methods.

## Contribution

The study provides a multi-omics regulatory model highlighting lipid metabolism and membrane remodeling in sclerotium formation of Morchella eximia.

## Key findings

- Lipid metabolic pathways, including fatty acid and glycerophospholipid metabolism, are central to sclerotium formation.
- A regulatory model was constructed showing lipid roles in energy storage, membrane structure, and developmental signaling.
- Integrated transcriptomics and metabolomics identified 2567 DEMs and 2314 DEGs linked to amino acid and energy metabolism.

## Abstract

Sclerotium formation represents a critical transition phase in the life cycle of morel, shifting from vegetative growth to dormant structures. The capacity for sclerotium formation directly influences the yield and stability of artificial cultivation. To elucidate the molecular regulatory mechanisms underlying this process, a combined transcriptomics and metabolomics approach was employed to analyze gene expression and metabolite dynamics during sclerotium development of Morchella eximia. A total of 2567 differentially expressed metabolites (DEMs) and 2314 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected, primarily enriched in amino acid metabolism, lipid synthesis, and energy metabolism pathways. Amino acid metabolism facilitates protein synthesis and supplies carbon skeletons, while lipid metabolic networks, particularly de novo fatty acid synthesis from acetyl-CoA precursors, glycerophospholipid metabolism, sphingolipid metabolism, and unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis, play a central role in sclerotium formation. A regulatory model was constructed, focusing on signal response, transcriptional regulation, nutrient transport and metabolism, morphology transition, lipid accumulation, and membrane system remodeling, demonstrating that lipids not only provide energy storage and membrane structural components for sclerotia but also mediate developmental transitions and environmental adaptation through signaling molecules and regulation of membrane properties. These findings systematically reveal the regulatory network governing morel sclerotium formation at the multi-omics level, with particular emphasis on the central role of lipid metabolism and membrane remodeling. The results offer a theoretical foundation for improving morel cultivation yield and stability through targeted metabolic regulation strategies.