Abstract: In the present work, high throughput de novo sequencing of the Morchella importuna transcriptome was carried out, and the annotated sequences were classified using gene ontology (GO), eukaryotic orthologous groups (KOG), and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) metabolic pathways. After assembly, a total of 14 637 unigenes were formed, 8 495 of which were annotated. By functional classification using GO and KOG, the annotated unigenes were divides into 58 and 25 categories, respectively, involved in many physiological and biochemical processes including synthesis and metabolism of biomolecules, respiration and energy metabolism and signal transduction. Furthermore, a large number of key genes involved in energy metabolism, the synthesis and hydrolysis of nutrients, the softening of texture, oxidation of polyphenols and browning were identified through analysis of the unigenes related to postharvest physiology. The data obtained in this study can provide important information for the understanding of the molecular mechanism of postharvest quality changes in Morchella importuna and for the development of new preservation technologies.

Key words: Morchella, transcriptome sequencing, functional annotation, nutritional metabolism, storage and preservation