Lycogala Epidendrum Research Articles

Recent records of myxomycetes from New Brunswick, Canada

Studies of the diversity of myxomycetes or plasmodial slime moulds (Amoebozoa) in New Brunswick are lagging behind those of many other groups of terrestrial organisms. Here, we summarize the myxomycetes of the province as documented by recently collected specimens held by the New Brunswick Museum (NBM). Between 2007 and 2019, 264 specimens were collected, representing 80 species in 29 genera. Most of these records result from targetted searching during NBM-led biodiversity surveys (the BiotaNB project) in provincial protected natural areas between 2014 and 2019 and a mycological foray on Campobello Island in 2016. Previously, only seven species had been reported for the province. Consistent with their worldwide distributions and abundance, Arcyria cinerea, Fuligo septica, Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa, and Lycogala epidendrum were the most collected species, whereas the globally rare species Paradiacheopsis microcarpa has been collected in New Brunswick six times. Forty-two species were found only once, and five of these (Comatricha mirabilis, Fuligo laevis, Hemitrichia chrysospora, Lepidoderma neoperforatum, Listerella paradoxa) are rare worldwide.

Checklist of wood-inhabiting fungi from Hyrcanian forests, northern Iran – a biodiversity hotspot

It is well-known that over-harvesting of timber threatens saproxylic fungal diversity. However, quantifying species loss is difficult due to the lack of spatial explicit baseline studies and related continuous temporal investigations. The first step to achieve basic information are systematic inventories in a given area. The Hyrcanian forest is among the most important forest biodiversity hotspots in Iran, which has been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2019. Therefore, we collected 193 samples of wood-inhabiting fungi based on systematic surveys considering all seasons in Hyrcanian old-growth forests during five years (2016-2021). Species collected belonged to the fungal phylum <em>Basidiomycota</em> (169 species, 99 genera, 48 family and 1 <em>incertae sedis</em> family, 11 orders and 3 classes) and <em>Ascomycota</em> (24 species, 17 genera, 12 family, 6 orders and 4 classes). One collected species fall within the kingdom Protozoa, <em>Lycogala epidendrum</em>. 58 species and 16 genera were new for the Iranian funga; 11 and seven species were new for Gilan and Mazandaran province respectively; 20 species and one genus were new for Golestan province and one genus was a new record for the Hyrcanian forests funga. Our inventory highlights the need for documenting saproxylic fungi and to quantify the diversity in hotspot regions. This inventory might serve as a baseline for further studies to track diversity change due to forest management and climate change and to provide concepts to prevent fungal diversity from future loss.

Past and Ongoing Field-Based Studies of Myxomycetes.

Evidence from molecular studies indicates that myxomycetes (also called myxogastrids or plasmodial slime molds) have a long evolutionary history, and the oldest known fossil is from the mid-Cretaceous. However, they were not "discovered" until 1654, when a brief description and a woodcut depicting what is almost certainly the common species Lycogala epidendrum was published. First thought to be fungi, myxomycetes were not universally recognized as completely distinct until well into the twentieth century. Biodiversity surveys for the group being carried out over several years are relatively recent, with what is apparently the first example being carried out in the 1930s. Beginning in the 1980s, a series of such surveys yielded large bodies of data on the occurrence and distribution of myxomycetes in terrestrial ecosystems. The most notable of these were the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI) project carried out in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Planetary Biodiversity Inventory Project (PBI) carried out in localities throughout the world, and the Myxotropic project being carried out throughout the Neotropics. The datasets available from both past and ongoing surveys now allow global and biogeographical patterns of myxomycetes to be assessed for the first time.

Two independent genetic markers support separation of the myxomycete Lycogala epidendrum into numerous biological species

ABSTRACT Lycogala epidendrum is one of the most widely known myxomycete species and the first-ever discovered representative of this group. Using 687 original DNA sequences from 330 herbarium specimens from Europe, Asia, North and Central America, and Australia, we constructed the first detailed phylogenies of the genus Lycogala, based on two independently inherited genetic markers, the ribosome small subunit 18S rRNA nuclear gene (18S rDNA) and the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene (COI). In both phylogenies, L. epidendrum appeared to be a polyphyletic group, represented by numerous clades. The four other recognized species of the genus (L. confusum, L. conicum, L. exiguum, and L. flavofuscum) are scattered between branches corresponding to L. epidendrum. A barcode gap analysis revealed 60 18S rDNA phylogroups of L. epidendrum, which are distant from each other not less than from other species of the genus Lycogala. For 18 of these phylogroups with both 18S rDNA and COI sequences available, recombination patterns were analyzed to test for reproductive isolation. In contrast to the results of a simulation assuming panmixis, no crossing between ribosomal and mitochondrial phylogroups was found, thus allowing the conclusion that all tested phylogroups represent biospecies. More than one third (39.6%) of the studied specimens share a single 18S rDNA phylogroup, which we consider to be L. epidendrum s. str. This group displays the broadest geographic distribution and the highest intraspecific genetic variability. Nearly all (93.3%) of the remaining non-singleton 18S rDNA phylogroups are restricted to certain continents or even regions. At the same time, various reproductively isolated phylogroups occur sympatric at a given location.

First data on plasmodial slime moulds (Myxomycetes = Myxogastrea) of Rdeysky Nature Reserve (Novgorod Region, Russia)

The results of the first study of the species diversity of myxomycetes of the Rdeysky State Nature Reserve are presented. The 201 field specimens of sporophores belonging to 56 morphospecies from 27 genera, ten families, and six orders were collected from September 30 to October 5, 2020. Fifty-two species of these were new for the Novgorod Region. The most common species at the reserve were Arcyria affinis, Hemitrichia calyculata, Lycogala epidendrum, Metatrichia vesparia, Physarum album, Trichia decipiens, and T. varia. Additionally, detailed morphological descriptions of two rare species Amaurochaete trechispora and Trichia crateriformis are given.

Taxonomic Diversity of the Bacterial Community Associated with the Fruiting Bodies of the Myxomycete Lycogala epidendrum (L.) Fr.

Taxonomic Diversity of the Bacterial Community Associated with the Fruiting Bodies of the Myxomycete Lycogala epidendrum (L.) Fr.

Some interesting Myxomycetes of Jammu and Kashmir, India

Four myxomycetes namely Arcyria major (G. Lister) Ing, Lycogala epidendrum (J.C. Buxb. ex L.) Fr., Stemonitis fusca Roth and Trichia decipiens (Pers.) T. Macbr. were collected and identified from the temperate and tropical forests of Jammu Province, Jammu and Kashmir, India. While L. epidendrum has been described earlier, the remaining three taxa are being reported and described for the first time from Jammu and Kashmir. Macro and microscopic details of the present collections have been provided.

Revision of the Species Composition of Slime Molds in the Ile Alatau (Kazakhstan)

After the revision, it was found that the biota of slime molds in the Ile Alatau (Kazakhstan) has 62 species. The article provides a systematic list of slime molds. In the Ile Alatau these fungi-like organisms are represented by two classes: Protosteliomycetes and Myxomycetes. The Myxomycetes class is more widely represented and has 4 orders. The largest number of species is characteristic of the genera Trichia (8 species), Physarum (6), Arcyria, Diderma (5 species each) and Badhamia (4 species). The most common species in the research area are Lycogala epidendrum, Fuligo septica, Hemitrichia clavata, Trichia varia, Stemonitis axifera, S. fusca, S. splendens and Stemonitopsis typhina. Representatives of slime molds were found on various 18 substrates. The largest number of slime molds species (54) was recorded on Picea schrenkiana. There are 13 species on Populus tremula and 4 species on Betula tianschanica. The remaining substrates are characterized by 1-2 species. It is necessary to note the species of the genus Diderma that appear in early spring after snowfall: Diderma niveum, found on Artemisia juncea and representatives of Poaceae, and D. radiatum on dry grasses, leaves and branches of shrubs.

Социальные структуры и коммуникации в мире микроорганизмов

Social life is based on the interaction of community members. The object of our study was microorganisms at different stages of community morphogenesis and in the process of restoring the integrity of social structures. The electrical activity indices of individual cells and groups making up these structures were recorded. In our experiments on the cyanobacteria Oscillatoria terebriformis, myxomycetes Lycogala epidendrum, and yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we obtained electrographic characteristics of the states and event dynamics of social structures, which indicate synchronization processes in solving a common problem in each of the studied communities.

Species-specific cell mobility of bacteria-feeding myxamoebae in plasmodial slime molds

On decaying wood or litter in forests, plasmodial slime molds (myxomycetes) represent a large fraction of eukaryotic protists that feed on bacteria. In his seminal book Experimental Physiology of Plants (1865), Julius Sachs referred to the multinucleate plasmodium of myxomycetes, which were considered at that time as primitive plants (or fungi). Today it is well established that myxomycetes are members of the Amoebozoa (Protista). In this study we compare the mobility of myxamoebae of 3 European species, Lycogala epidendrum (order Liceales), Tubulifera arachnoidea, and Trichia decipiens (order Trichiales). Using agar plates, on which 3 separate bacterial species were cultivated as prey organisms (Methylobacterium mesophilicum, Escherichia coli, Agrobacterium tumefaciens), we document large differences in cell motility between the myxomycetes investigated. In addition, we show that the 3 species of myxamoebae can be distinguished based on their average cell size. These data shed light on the mode of co-occurrence via differential substrate utilization in these members of the Amoebozoa.

Occurrence of macroscopic fungi in different forest types in the Forestry Research Centre (FEPAGRO), Santa Maria, RS, Brazil

The macroscopic fungi performance a important role in the maintenance of forest environments, and studies related with the identification of species are fundamental to the research progress. This study aimed to realize a survey the species diversity of wood decomposing fungi in populations of Pinus elliottii Engelm, Eucalyptus globulus Labill , Acacia mearnsii de Wild and natural forest, in State Foundation for Agricultural Research - FEPAGRO, Forestry Research Center, located in Santa Maria, RS. Were collected 53 samples of macroscopic fungi in four areas, being 16 samples in forest of P. Elliottii ; 12 samples in forest of E. globulus , 12 samples in forest of A. mearnsii and 13 samples in of native forest. In the laboratory, five genera were identified to the species level: Fuligo septica (L.) F.H. Wigg, Gloeoporus dichrous (Fr.) Bress., Lycogala epidendrum (L.) Fr. e Trametes villosa (Sw.) Kreisel.

Myxomycetes of the rotting cherry wood

During the years 1974-1975 on rotting cherry wood development of some Myxomycetes was observed. In that time 6 species of slime molds were noted: <i>Arcyria denudata, Comatricha typhoides, Dyctidium cancellatum, Lycogala epidendrum, Physarum cinereum, Stemonitis ferruginea</i>. In the decomposition of organic compounds apart from <i>Myxomycetes</i> other organism (<i>Coprinus dessiminafus</i>) also take part.

Synthesis and Antitumor Activity of Lycogarubin C and Lycogalic Acid

Lycogarubin C and lycogalic acid were first isolated independently by Steglich and Akazawa from Lycogala epidendrum in 1994. Lycogarubin C showed a potential cytotoxic activity. Lycogalic acid is an inhibitor of Hes1 dimmer of helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcriptional repressor factor. Lycogalic acid is also the key intermediate in the biosynthesis of indolo[2,3-a]carbazole alkaloids that exhibit broad spectrum of bioactivity. Two efficient synthetic pathways of lycogarubin C and lycogalic acid were completed in this study. The first pathway included eight steps started from the commercially available indole and pyrrole to produce lycogarubin C with an overall yield of 27%. The second pathway was completed in seven steps with an overall yield of 25%. The key reactions are palladium-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura coupling of bis-iodo or bis-triflate derivative and indolboronic acid derivatives and Hinsberg-type synthesis of dimethyl N-benzyl-3,4dihydroxypyrrole-2,5-dicarboxylate, respectively. Treatment of lycogarubin C with sodium hydroxide in ethanol under refluxing followed by acidification afforded lycogalic acid quantitatively. Lycogarubin C and lycogalic acid showed the antiproliferative activities against four human tumor cell lines of MDA-MB-231, A549, HeLa and PC3. Further study showed that lycogarubin C inhibited the activity of DNA topoisomerase 2.

Myxomycete (slime mold) spores: unrecognized aeroallergens?

BackgroundMyxomycete spores are present in the outdoor air but have not been studied for allergenicity. ObjectiveTo determine whether patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR) symptoms are sensitized to myxomycete spores. MethodsMyxomycete specimens were collected in the field. Nine species of myxomycetes were collected and identified: Arcyria cinerea, Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa, Fuligo septica, Hemitrichia clavata, Lycogala epidendrum, Metatrichia vesparium, Stemonitis nigrescens, Tubifera ferruginosa, and Trichea favoginea. Allergen extracts were made for each species. Protein content of each extract was measured by bicinchoninic acid assay. Protein electrophoresis was performed. Subjects with a history of SAR symptoms were enrolled, and allergy skin prick testing was performed with each extract. ResultsProtein content of the extracts ranged from 1.05 to 5.8 mg/mL. Protein bands were seen at 10 to 250 kD. Allergy prick testing was performed in 69 subjects; 42% of subjects had positive prick test results for at least 1 myxomycete extract, with 9% to 22% reacting to each extract. Five of the 12 subjects who tested negative for all allergens on the standard aeroallergen panel had positive prick test results for myxomycetes. ConclusionForty-two percent of subjects with SAR were sensitized to myxomycete spores. A significant subset of subjects who had SAR symptoms and otherwise negative skin test results showed sensitization to myxomycetes. These spores are present in the outdoor air during the summer and autumn and might be significant aeroallergens.

Myxomycetes in the virgin beech and old-aged spruce forests of National Nature Park “Bewitched Land” (Ukrainian Carpathians)

Mycological observations in virgin beech and old-aged spruce forests of National Na­tu­re Park (NNP) “Bewitched Land” carried out in July 2011 allowed to reveal 20 myxomycete species. Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa belongs to subclass Ceratiomyxomycetidae, other 19 species are representatives of subclass Myxogastromycetidae, assigned to four orders: Trichiales (8 species), Physarales (5), Liceales and Stemonitales (on 3 species each). The highest frequency of occurrence was noted for Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa, Arcyria cinerea and Lycogala epidendrum. Dictydiaethalium plumbeum was determined as the species with rather limited distribution in Ukraine and the Ukrainian Carpathians, especially. Investigation of myxomycete substrate preferences showed that the most important woody species that supported development of the majority of slime molds in NNP “Bewitched Land” were spruce ( Picea abies ) and beech ( Fagus sylvatica ). Unlike the Carpathian biosphere reserve and NNP “Skolivski Beskydy” where myxomycetes predominantly used beech wood as a substrate myxomycete biota of “Bewitched Land” sho­wed reverse type of substrate association preferring the wood of coniferous tree – spruce. Keywords: National Nature Park “Bewitched Land”, Myxomycetes, slime molds, virgin and old-aged forests, taxonomic diversity, substrate preferences.

Preliminary checklist of Myxomycota and Ascomycota from Fruska Gora mountain

Fruska Gora mountain represents very important source of natural and semi-natural forest ecosystems in the northern part of the Republic of Serbia and therefore it is important source of habitats for different groups of fungi. As opposed to coordinated inventory and monitoring projects of fungi established around Europe long ago, mycological researches in Serbia are still sporadic and insufficiently coordinated by authorities and experts. In accordance with that, available data concerning the state of fungi in Serbia are scarce. The aim of this work was to collect all relevant unpublished data considering fungi in Fruska Gora and to present checklist of two fungal phyla: Myxomycota and Ascomycota. In the presented checklist, 23 recorded species of Myxomycota (known as fungal analogues) were distributed in 2 classes, 5 orders, and 7 families. The first class (Protosteliomycetes) contained only one species - Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa (fam. Ceratiomyxaceae). The largest order was Trichiales (9 species), while the dominant families were Stemonitidaceae and Trichiaceae, each with 6 species recorded. The most abundant species was Lycogala epidendrum (fam. Reticulariaceae), with 13 records. Phylum Ascomycota was represented with 95 species belonging to 6 classes, 12 orders and 29 families. The most highly represented classes were Leotiomycetes (32 species) and Pezizomycetes (31 species). The most abundant species were: Xylaria polymorpha (17 records), Xylaria hypoxylon (14 records), and Sarcoscypha coccinea (14 records).

Geographical distribution of myxomycetes on coniferous deadwood in relation to air temperature in Japan

This study obtained information on the biogeographical distribution of lignicolous myxomycetes in temperate regions in Japan. It examined how climatic variables are related to patterns of occurrence in myxomycete communities. Sixty-four taxa were recorded on coniferous wood in 15 forest sites in summer. Common species that were abundant and widely distributed in Japan included Stemonitis axifera, Lycogala epidendrum, and Cribraria cancellata. In addition, Lindbladia cribrarioides was characteristic on dead Pinus densiflora wood in southwestern Japan. The species diversity index (H’) of the myxomycete communities was positively correlated with the annual mean temperature. The distribution of myxomycete communities was analyzed using nonmultidimensional scaling (NMDS). The ecological nature of the gradients expressed by the first two NMDS axes was that the first axis was found to correspond strongly to changes in the average minimum temperature and the latitude, and the second axis was related to a complex of factors, including altitude. The relative abundance of certain species in a myxomycete community on Japanese red pine changed in relation to the annual mean temperature, e.g., Lycogala epidendrum correlated negatively while Stemonitopsis hyperopta did so positively. We conclude that air temperatures can be used to predict the geographical distribution of lignicolous myxomycetes in this temperate region of Japan.

Co-existence of myxomycetes and beetles in an Atlantic Rainforest remnant of Pernambuco, Brazil, with emphasis on staphylinids (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae)

The relationship between myxomycetes and insects was investigated in a fragment of the Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest located in the city of Recife, Pernambuco, north-eastern Brazil. Sixteen excursions into the Dois Irmãos State Ecological Reserve (7°55′43′′ to 8°09′17′′ S, 34°52′05′′ to 35°00′59′′ W, 387.4 ha) were carried out during different seasons between August 2005 and August 2007 for observations and collections of myxomycetes and insects on decomposing trunks and leaf litter. A total of 196 specimens of myxomycetes was obtained, representing 31 species, 16 genera and six families. Baeocera sp. (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) individuals predominated (86%) in the sample, found on the sporocarps of four species of Trichiales (Arcyria cinerea, Arcyria denudata, Hemitrichia calyculata, Hemitrichia serpula) and two species of Liceales (Lycogala epidendrum, Tubulifera microsperma). No preference was observed for type of sporocarp. No seasonal influence was found for the establishment of these associations, recorded for the first time in this forest environment.

Geographical distribution of myxomycetes on coniferous deadwood in relation to air temperature in Japan

This study obtained information on the biogeographical distribution of lignicolous myxomycetes in temperate regions in Japan. It examined how climatic variables are related to patterns of occurrence in myxomycete communities. Sixty-four taxa were recorded on coniferous wood in 15 forest sites in summer. Common species that were abundant and widely distributed in Japan included Stemonitis axifera, Lycogala epidendrum, and Cribraria cancellata. In addition, Lindbladia cribrarioides was characteristic on dead Pinus densiflora wood in southwestern Japan. The species diversity index (H’) of the myxomycete communities was positively correlated with the annual mean temperature. The distribution of myxomycete communities was analyzed using nonmultidimensional scaling (NMDS). The ecological nature of the gradients expressed by the first two NMDS axes was that the first axis was found to correspond strongly to changes in the average minimum temperature and the latitude, and the second axis was related to a complex of factors, including altitude. The relative abundance of certain species in a myxomycete community on Japanese red pine changed in relation to the annual mean temperature, e.g., Lycogala epidendrum correlated negatively while Stemonitopsis hyperopta did so positively. We conclude that air temperatures can be used to predict the geographical distribution of lignicolous myxomycetes in this temperate region of Japan.

New Bisindole Alkaloids Isolated from Myxomycetes Arcyria cinerea and Lycogala epidendrum.

AbstractFor Abstract see ChemInform Abstract in Full Text.