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True morels (Morchella spp.) are edible mushrooms that are commercially important worldwide due to their rich nutrition and unique appearance. In recent years, outdoor cultivation has been achieved and expanded on a large scale in China. However, the mechanisms of fruiting body development in morels are poorly understood. In this study, the role of mating-type genes in fruiting body development was researched. Fruiting bodies cultivated with different mating-type strains showed no difference in appearance, but the ascus and ascospores were slightly malformed in fruiting bodies obtained from the MAT1-1 strains. The transcript levels of mating-type genes and their target genes revealed that the regulatory mechanisms were conserved in ascomycetes fungi. The silencing of mat1-2-1 by RNA interference verified the direct regulatory effect of mat1-2-1 on its target genes at the asexual stage. When cultivated with the spawn of single mating-type strains of MAT1-1 or MAT1-2, only one corresponding mating-type gene was detected in the mycelial and conidial samples, but both mat1-1-1 and mat1-2-1 were detected in the samples of primordium, pileus, and stipe. An understanding of the mating-type genes' role in fruiting body development in M. sextelata may help to understand the life cycle and facilitate artificial cultivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To compare E6/E7 mRNA and HPV DNA assays for evaluating women with atypical cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS).Methods: The present prospective study enrolled patients with ASCUS undergoing HPV testing at Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, China, between September 1, 2013, and January 31, 2016. Patients with positive HPV DNA test results underwent screening by E6/E7 mRNA assay, and the accuracy of HPV DNA and E6/E7 mRNA testing were compared, with histology used for definitive diagnoses.Results: In total, 591 patients with ASCUS underwent HPV DNA screening, with 455 and 136 having positive and negative results, respectively; 252 patients with positive results and 66 with negative results underwent biopsy and histology testing and were included in the study. The sensitivity of the E6/E7 mRNA assay was similar to that of HPV DNA testing (88.2%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 77.6-94.4 vs 90.7%, 95%CI 81.2-95.9; P=0.636) for the detection of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2+, and the specificity was higher (36.4%, 95%CI 29.6-43.9 vs 24.3%, 95%CI 19.1-30.3; P=0.006). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was greater for E6/E7 mRNA testing compared with HPV DNA testing (0.658 vs 0.588).Conclusion: The higher specificity of the E6/E7 mRNA assay means it could be a promising technique in the management of women with ASCUS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]