Fruit Bodies Of Basidiomycetes Research Articles

Plasma membrane ultrastructural changes caused by mechanical stress in the formation of extracellular ice as a primary cause of slow freezing injury in fruit-bodies of Basidiomycetes ( Lyophyllum ulmarium (Fr.) Kühner)

By slow freezing, hyphae, which constitute the fruit-body cap of Lyophyllum ulmarium (Fr.) Kühner, were severely deformed by the formation of extracellular ice. The plasma membrane of hyphae showed distinct intramembrane particle aggregation only in the local regions where the inner surfaces of the plasma membrane in the same hyphae were brought into direct contact as a result of the cellular deformation resulting from the formation of extracellular ice. However, no intramembrane particle aggregation occurred in the plasma membrane regions without such a direct contact. Osmotic manipulation of hyphae without freezing caused neither distinct cellular deformation nor intramembrane particle aggregation in plasma membrane. The percentage of hyphae showing intramembrane particle aggregation in the plasma membrane of slowly frozen samples showed a close relation with the percentage damage as measured by the ion-leakage method after thawing. From these results, it was suggested that the primary cause of slow freezing injury in hyphae was due to mechanical stress by the formation of extracellular ice, which brought about lethal plasma membrane changes.

Changes in occurrence of basidiomycete fruit bodies during forest stand development: with specific reference to mycorrhizal species

The occurrence of fruit bodies of mycorrhizal fungi under differently aged plantations of lodgepole pine and Sitka spruce on deep peat was examined. Broadly similar patterns of occurrence in relation to stand development were found in both species, but with some shift in the dominance of Lactarius rufus to older stands in Sitka spruce compared to lodgepole pine. The fruit-body successions indicated were Laccaria/Paxillus -Lactarius-Cortinarius/ Inocybe-Russula for lodgepole pine and Laccaria/Paxillus -Inocybe-Cortinarius-Lactarius for Sitka spruce. Changes in the saprotrophic agaric flora were also noted. Nolanea cetrata, Clitocybe sp. and Collybia spp. were present in greater abundance in the lodgepole pine stands, whereas a restricted flora of Marasmius androsaceus and Mycena spp. occurred under Sitka spruce. The patterns of association with tree species, together with seasonality of occurrence, are discussed in relation to resource quality of the litter and possible climatic and edaphic site characteristics.

Fatty Acids of Fruiting Bodies of Basidiomycetes

ANALYSIS of the fatty acids of the mycelial lipids of a range of fungi, including basidiomycetes, grown in submerged culture on a defined medium has been described1. The fatty acids of some basidiomycete fruiting bodies, collected in the wild, have now been analysed.

Spore germination in Spinellus macrocarpus

The spores of Spinellus macrocarpus , a parasite of agarics in nature, do not normally germinate unless stimulated. They germinated when placed on the surface of various basidiomycete fruit-bodies and in extracts of Polyporus squamosus , but not in extracts of other fungi tested, though these included some potential hosts. Various pure substances, ascorbic, arabo-ascorbic and gluconic acids, were effective in stimulating germination. The evidence suggests that ascorbic acid is present in agaric fruit-bodies and diffuses out, stimulating spores to germinate on the surface, but becomes oxidized and loses its activity when extracts are prepared. Extracts of P. squamosus are thought to contain another more stable, active substance in addition to ascorbic acid, but the identity of this substance has not so far been established.