One microgram of total RNA from each sample was reverse transcribed using the SuperScript III First-Strand Synthesis SuperMix for qRT-PCR (Invitrogen by Life Technologies, Carlsbad, CA, USA), following the manufacturer’s instructions. Quantitative PCR was performed with the SYBR® GreenER™ qPCR SuperMix for ABI PRISM®, which is a ready-to-use cocktail containing all components (including ROX Reference Dye at a final concentration of 500 nM), except primers and template. All the PCRs were performed under following conditions: 2 min at 50 °C, 10 min at 95 °C, and 40 cycles of 15 s at 95 °C and 1 min at 60 °C in 96-well optical reaction plates (Applied Biosystems, USA). The specificity of the qRT-PCR reactions was monitored through melting curve analysis (60–95 °C), after 40 cycles, using SDS software (version 1.4; Applied Biosystems), all PCR assays produced a single amplicon of the expected size. The gene-specific amplification efficiency was calculated by linear regression analysis of the standard curve. The sequences of T. melanosporum 18S rRNA, Elongation factor 1-alpha, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, employed as an internal standard29, and the sequences of the specific primers used to analyze the expression of the selected genes involved in the metabolism apoptosis, are provided in Supplementary Table 1. Each sample was tested in triplicate by quantitative PCR, and the samples obtained from at least four independent experiments were used to calculate the means and standard error; the results were considered to be significant if P < 0.05.