MengHsuan Lai

Ms. MengHsuan Lai


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

1Year (2026-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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15 May 2026 in Journal of Fungi
Verified
Journal Article
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MLMengHsuan Lai
MengHsuan Lai
TNTien Ni
Tien Ni
HYHsiao-Lien Yang
Hsiao-Lien Yang
JHJun-He Huang
Jun-He Huang
MLMiin-Huey Lee
Miin-Huey Lee
BYBang-Jau You
Bang-Jau You
Ganoderma lucidum is a medicinal fungus widely utilized in traditional medicine and functional foods. Its primary bioactive constituents are ganoderic acids (GAs), a group of triterpenoid compounds. While chemical-induced apoptosis has previously been shown to enhance GAs production, this study investigates the role of physical stress in this regulatory pathway. We demonstrate that heat-induced apoptosis significantly increases GAs production in G. lucidum. To determine whether apoptosis directly regulates this process, we overexpressed the human anti-apoptotic gene Bcl-2 in G. lucidum, confirming expression via RT-PCR and Western blot analysis. Upon heat-induced apoptosis, these Bcl-2 overexpression mutants exhibited increased mycelial cell viability, accompanied by reduced metacaspase activity and, notably, decreased GAs production. Furthermore, we identified a Type I metacaspase gene in G. lucidum, Glmca1, which contains highly conserved catalytic domains common across fungal species. Silencing of Glmca1 followed by heat-induced apoptosis led to results similar to Bcl-2 overexpression: enhanced cell viability, suppressed metacaspase activity, and a significant reduction in GAs yield. These findings provide compelling evidence that apoptosis functions as a critical regulatory mechanism for secondary metabolite production in G. lucidum. Consequently, modulating apoptotic pathways through physical induction offers a promising strategy for enhancing the production of bioactive ingredients in medicinal fungi.