Number Of Fruiting Bodies Research Articles

Mean reproductive traits of fungal assemblages are correlated with resource availability.

Organisms have evolved a fascinating variety of strategies and organs for successful reproduction. Fruit bodies are the reproductive organ of fungi and vary considerably in size and shape among species. Our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the differences in fruit body size among species is still limited. Fruit bodies of saprotrophic fungi are smaller than those of mutualistic ectomycorrhizal fungi. If differences in fruit body size are determined by carbon acquisition, then mean reproductive traits of saprotrophic and ectomycorrhizal fungi assemblages should vary differently along gradients of resource availability as carbon acquisition seems more unpredictable and costly for saprotrophs than for ectomycorrhizal fungi. Here, we used 48 local inventories of fungal fruit bodies (plot size: 0.02ha each) sampled along a gradient of resource availability (growing stock) across 3years in the Bavarian Forest National Park in Germany to investigate regional and local factors that might influence the distribution of species with different reproductive traits, particularly fruit body size. As predicted, mean fruit body size of local assemblages of saprotrophic fungi was smaller than expected from the distribution of traits of the regional species pool across central and northern Europe, whereas that of ectomycorrhizal fungi did not differ from random expectation. Furthermore and also as expected, mean fruit body size of assemblages of saprotrophic fungi was significantly smaller than for assemblages of ectomycorrhizal species. However, mean fruit body sizes of not only saprotrophic species but also ectomycorrhizal species increased with resource availability, and the mean number of fruit bodies of both assemblages decreased. Our results indicate that the differences in carbon acquisition between saprotrophs and ectomycorrhizal species lead to differences in basic reproductive strategies, with implications for the breadth of their distribution. However, the differences in resource acquisition cannot explain detailed species distribution patterns at a finer, local scale based on their reproductive traits.

Recording the first white mold disease Sclerotinia sclerotiorum on ornamental plants Alrannkil Ranunculus asiaticus in Iraq and effectiveness of the fungus Trichoderma viride and Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria in inhibition in vitro.

Showed isolation results from plants Alrannkil planted in one of the greenhouses belonging to the Department of Horticulture - Faculty of Agriculture, University of Baghdad, which showed symptoms of yellowing and wilting leaves and rot loose down the stems of flowering and death of infected plants was accompanied by those symptoms, there are objects of stone small black color diameter 1 - 6 mm that the pathogen is a fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. Pathogenicity tests have proven the ability to isolate the fungus S. sclerotiorum plants Alrannkil age of 30 days under the conditions of the plastic house plants Alrannkil by injury and severity of the injury was 100% and 87.5% on the relay. It was obtained isolation of the fungus Trichoderma viride as a result of insulation from stone-fungal objects and personalize this isolation based on Cultural and Morphological traits and molecular diagnosis of technology using PCR. Achieved isolation T. viride hottest against fungus S. sclerotiorum on culture media PDA under laboratory conditions has been the degree of antagonism 2 and the isolation of the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa achieved over the center Zorai PDA ratio under laboratory conditions inhibition of 83.62%. The test showed the effect of each of the fungus Results T. viride and P. aeruginosa bacteria in the emergence of fruiting bodies of the stone objects of the fungus S. sclerotiorum in the laboratory when continuous lighting and a temperature of 15 ° C reduction was significant for the number of fruiting bodies formed conditions, amounting to 0.20 and 0.83 fruit body / stone body in relation to the treatment of comparative 1:58 body My fruit body / stone body.

Perbedaan Pengaruh Media Tanam Serbuk Gergaji dan Jerami Padi Terhadap Pertumbuhan Jamur Tiram Putih (Pleurotus ostreatus)

This research is an experimental research that aims to identify differences effect of growing media sawdust and rice straw on mycelium development time, the number of fruiting bodies and wet weight of Pleurotus ostreatus grown in the media (baglog). This research conducted in the Botanical Laboratory, Biology department, UIN Alauddin Makassar. The method in this research is completely randomized design with two types of growing media treatment. Each treatment consists of five repetitions obtained 10 baglog in observation. The data obtained were analyzed using inferential statistics t test, confidence level 0.05 through software SPSS 16.0. The results showed that there was a significant differences between the growth of Pleurotus ostreatus grown on rice straw media and sawdust media. Keywords: Pleurotus ostreatus, sawdust and rice straw media, the mycelium growth, the number of fruiting bodies

Deletion of Smgpi1 encoding a GPI-anchored protein suppresses sterility of the STRIPAK mutant ΔSmmob3 in the filamentous ascomycete Sordaria macrospora.

The striatin interacting phosphatase and kinase (STRIPAK) complex, which is composed of striatin, protein phosphatase PP2A and kinases, is required for fruiting-body development and cell fusion in the filamentous ascomycete Sordaria macrospora. Here, we report on the interplay of the glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored protein SmGPI1 with the kinase activator SmMOB3, a core component of human and fungal STRIPAK complexes. SmGPI1 is conserved among filamentous ascomycetes and was first identified in a yeast two-hybrid screen using SmMOB3 as bait. The physical interaction of SmMOB3 and SmGPI1 was verified by co-immunoprecipitation. In vivo localization and differential centrifugation revealed that SmGPI1 is predominantly secreted and attached to the cell wall but is also associated with mitochondria and appears to be a dual-targeted protein. Deletion of Smgpi1 led to an increased number of fruiting bodies that were normally shaped but reduced in size. In addition, Smmob3 and Smgpi1 genetically interact. In the sterile ΔSmmob3 background deletion of Smgpi1 restores fertility, vegetative growth as well as hyphal-fusion defects. The suppression effect was specific for the ΔSmmob3 mutant as deletion of Smgpi1 in other STRIPAK mutants does not restore fertility.

STUDY OF WOOD SAWDUST WITH ADDITION OF PLANTATION WASTES AS A GROWTH MEDIUM ON YIELDS AND QUALITY OF WHITE OYSTER MUSHROOM

The study aimed to investigate the use of wood sawdust as a medium for growth and the optimum addition ratio of plantation wastes that can increase the yields and quality of white oyster mushroom ( Pleurotus ostreatus ). This research used Completely Randomized Design (CRD) consisting of 7 levels of treatment ratio of wood sawdust and plantation wastes. The data analysis involved one way ANOVA followed by Duncan’s 5%. The results showed that the wood sawdust can be used as growing medium, and the addition of plantation wastes can increase the yields and the quality of white oyster mushroom. The addition of cocoa and coffee wastes with a ratio 25% was the optimum ratio treatment which increased the number of fruiting bodies, caps diameter, production weight, Biologycal Eficiency Ratio (BER) and protein, fats, carbohydrates and fiber content in white oyster mushrooms. It is recommended to be applied because both treatments would increase the yield and quality of white oyster mushroom.

Growth Performance and Cultivation of Four Oyster Mushroom Species on Sawdust and Rice Bran Substrates

Pleurotus species are progressively becoming important edible mushrooms worldwide and it is of importance in choosing suitable substrates in a given place to grow them. The study provides basic and valuable information on mycelial growth rates and yield efficacy of four different Pleurotus spp. The highest average mycelium growth of 1.29 mm/day followed by 1.17 mm/day was observed in the bags of P. salmoneostramineus and P. ostreatus grey, respectively. Similarly, the highest cumulative growth of 12.90 cm/day and 11.74 cm/day was recorded in the 30 day old bags of P. salmoneostramineus and P. ostreatus grey, respectively. There was a significant increase (P < 0.05) of about three fold in the pin head formation of P. ostreatus grey (9 days) compared to other mushroom species (2-3 days). P. salmoneostramineus showed a vigorous growth in the fruiting body and the harvesting time required was just 5.67 days. It is clear from the result that there is no correlation between the rate of mycelia growth and pin appearance. The yield varied significantly due to the effect of mycelial growth on the substrate. The highest first flush and number of fruiting bodies was achieved in the yellow oyster followed by P. ostreatus grey and P. salmoneostramineus. In conclusion, sawdust and rice bran could be a promising substrate for linear mycelial growth of P. ostreatus species.

Phenotypic evaluation and analysis of important agronomic traits in the hybrid and natural populations of Lentinula edodes

Several important agronomic traits of shiitake strains in two hybrid populations and a natural population were evaluated through three independent fruiting trials. The correlations among the agronomic traits of shiitake were also analyzed using multivariate statistical methods. Results showed that wild shiitake strains in the natural population had a wider range of phenotypic variation than those in the two hybrid populations. Interestingly, several strains with superior phenotypes related to precocity and increasing number of fruiting bodies were found in the natural population. Then, factor analysis indicated that the three major factors (single fruiting body, yield and precocity) accounted for over 80% of the total variance. To further examine relative contributions of yield-component traits (the number of fruiting bodies and the weight of single fruiting body) to yield through path analysis, our results demonstrated that the number of fruiting bodies was the key component influencing yield. This is the first report on the phenotypic analysis of yield and other agronomic traits using multiple populations in shiitake. Our study not only advances the knowledge of correlations between agronomic traits, especially between yield and yield-component traits, but also provides useful information for utilizing valuable natural resources to develop high-yield shiitake cultivars in future.

Deciphering the ability of Agaricus bisporus var. burnettii to produce mushrooms at high temperature (25 °C)

The button mushroom Agaricus bisporus is cultivated almost worldwide. Its cultivation is standardized and a temperature of 16–19°C is needed during the fruiting period. The development of A. bisporus cultivars able to fruit at higher temperature (FHT) represents a promising alternative to reduce energy costs during cultivation in hot countries as well as in temperate countries during the hot season. A. bisporus var. burnettii is able to fruit at 25°C. Understanding the biological mechanisms that underlie such a thermo-tolerance is a prerequisite to further development of breeding strains. The foundation of the FHT ability of the var. burnettii was dissected using a combination of candidate gene approaches and genetic tools. Transcript profiling of A. bisporus var. burnettii at two developmental stages (primordium P and sporophore SP) under two fruit-producing temperature conditions (17°C and 25°C) were established by cDNA-AFLP. The expression patterns were more similar within the same stage at the two different temperatures rather than between stages under the same temperature. Only one transcript-derived fragment (TDF) sequence differentially expressed between temperatures was recovered but it could not be further characterized. Twenty-nine TDF sequences differentially expressed between development stages were obtained. The phenotypic assessment of an intervarietal A. bisporus var. bisporus×A. bisporus var. burnettii progeny demonstrated the complex inheritance of the FHT trait. Two quantitative trait loci (QTL) involved in the number of fruit bodies yielded at 25°C were found on LG II and LG VI. Two functional candidate genes known to be potentially involved in A. bisporus thermo-tolerance, a heat shock protein (HSP70) gene and a gene coding for a para-aminobenzoic acid synthase (PABA), were found in the vicinity of the QTL on LG II. Several positional candidate genes have been also identified in the confidence interval of the QTL on LG VI and are promising for further fine mapping purpose.

큰느타리버섯 신품종 '새곤지' 육성 및 특성

큰느타리버섯의 품종다양화와 보급확대를 목적으로 발생개체수가 적고 생력재배에 적합한 "새곤지"의 특성을 조사한 결과는 다음과 같다. 균사생장을 위한 적정온도범위는 <TEX>$23{\sim}26^{\circ}C$</TEX>로 대조품종 <TEX>$26{\sim}29^{\circ}C$</TEX>보다 낮았다. 자실체 발생 및 생육적온은 <TEX>$15{\pm}1^{\circ}C$</TEX>였으며, 재배기간은 51일로 대조품종과 동일하였다. 갓형태는 생육초기 반반구형에서 생육후기까지 평반구형의 갓형태를 유지하였다. 병당 발생개체수는 3.5개로, 대조품종 12.8개 대비 9.3개 적었다. 대길이는 135.8 mm로 대조품종 124.6 mm보다 길었고, 갓표면의 색도(Lightness)는 60.4로 대조품종 57.6보다 높아 연회색을 나타내었다. 탄력성과 응집성은 대등하였고, 깨짐성, 경도값은 각각 71,068 g, <TEX>$5,662g/cm^2$</TEX>으로 대조품종보다 낮았다. 병당수량은 900 cc/<TEX>$65{\Phi}$</TEX> 병에서 106.4 g, 1100 cc/<TEX>$75{\Phi}$</TEX> 병에서159 g으로 대조품종 과 대등하였다. We bred a new strain of Pleurotus eryngii having few number of fruit body per bottle. It's name is 'Saegonji' and it was bred by mating monokaryotic strain isolated from E12-176 and monokaryotic strain 'aerini No.3' in Mushroom Research Institute, Gyonggi province A.R.E.S. The characteristics of a new strain 'Saegonji' are as follows. The optimum temperature for mycelium growth was from 23 to <TEX>$26^{\circ}C$</TEX> on PDA medium and those for the primodium formation and the growth of fruit body were about <TEX>$15^{\circ}C$</TEX>. The period from spawn innoculation to harvesting required around 51 days at <TEX>$20^{\circ}C$</TEX>. The number of fruit body per bottle was 12.8 and it was 9.3 less than 'Keunneutari No.2'. The length was 135.8 mm. It was longer than 'Keunneutari No.2', The color of cap was white grey, while that of 'Keunneutari No.2' was grey. The yield was about 159 g per bottle(1100cc) and it was same as Keunneutari No.2.

Screening of biological, morphological, and molecular characteristics of single-spore isolate collections of the straw mushroom, Volvariella volvacea (higher Basidiomycetes) from India.

Of the 2 parent strains and 6 single-spore isolates (SSIs) used in this study, the SSIs BBSR-007 and BBSR-002 of the culinary-medicinal straw mushroom Volvariella volvacea exhibited superior growth characteristics on different growth media. These also took less time until first harvest (days after spawning), gave higher numbers of fruiting bodies per unit weight of substrate, and provided a higher mushroom yield on composted substrate. The fruiting body weight of isolate BBSR-007 was significantly higher compared to BBSR-002. On pasteurized paddy straw, the SSI BBSR-007 had a higher mushroom yield than BBSR-002. The contents of dry matter, protein, and other elements (sodium, potassium, and calcium) were on par in both the parent strains and different SSIs, except SSI OE-55-08, which had highest dry matter, protein content, and potassium/-to-odium ratio. In amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis, the SSIs did not show any distinctness, whereas in amplified fragment length polymorphism, the SSI OE-55-08 of parent strain OE-55 formed a separate clade; of 4 SSIs of strain OE-274, the SSI BBSR-003 formed a separate clade than other SSIs. The genetically distinct SSI OE-55-08 produced the highest numbers of fruit bodies per unit weight of substrate and exhibited the highest amounts of dry matter and protein in its fruit bodies. Another slightly distinct SSI, BBSR-003, formed white aerial mycelia on growth substrate, and its fruit bodies exhibited the highest levels of sodium and calcium.

The saprobic and fruiting abilities of the exotic forest pathogen Heterobasidion irregulare may explain its invasiveness

The North American fungal pathogen Heterobasidion irregulare is invading and threatening pine stands in Italy and is freely hybridizing with the native species Heterobasidion annosum. Susceptibility of native hosts has been excluded as a factor driving H. irregulare invasion. Here we tested whether H. irregulare and H. annosum differ in their ability to saprobically colonize pine wood, and whether saprobic growth is correlated to fruiting bodies production. When inoculated in pine logs, H. irregulare genotypes colonized a volume of wood significantly larger than H. annosum genotypes. Heterobasidion irregulare significantly exceeded H. annosum in all parameters used as metrics of fruiting body production, including number and size of fruiting bodies, and pores perimeter index (PPI), an index summarizing the amount of surface available for spore production. Number of fruiting bodies and PPI were significantly correlated with volume of wood colonized by Heterobasidion genotypes. Results may explain why H. irregulare has been reported to sporulate more abundantly than H. annosum and provide explanations for its high transmission potential in Italy. This knowledge implies that approaches to control the spread of H. irregulare should be aimed at limiting saprobic establishment of the fungus rather than focusing on identifying more tolerant tree species.

Unraveling environmental drivers of a recent increase in Swiss fungi fruiting

Disentangling biotic and abiotic drivers of wild mushroom fruiting is fraught with difficulties because mycelial growth is hidden belowground, symbiotic and saprotrophic supply strategies may interact, and myco-ecological observations are often either discontinuous or too short. Here, we compiled and analyzed 115417 weekly fungal fruit body counts from permanent Swiss inventories between 1975 and 2006. Mushroom fruiting exhibited an average autumnal delay of 12days after 1991 compared with before, the annual number of fruit bodies increased from 1801 to 5414 and the mean species richness doubled from 10 to 20. Intra- and interannual coherency of symbiotic and saprotrophic mushroom fruiting, together with little agreement between mycorrhizal yield and tree growth suggests direct climate controls on fruit body formation of both nutritional modes. Our results contradict a previously reported declining of mushroom harvests and propose rethinking the conceptual role of symbiotic pathways in fungi-host interaction. Moreover, this conceptual advancement may foster new cross-disciplinary research avenues, and stimulate questions about possible amplifications of the global carbon cycle, as enhanced fungal production in moist mid-latitude forests rises carbon cycling and thus increases greenhouse gas exchanges between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere.

Effect of Different Substrate on Growth and Yield of Button Mushroom

An experiment was conducted at the Mushroom growth house and Tissue Culture Laboratory, Horticulture Demonstration and Training Centre (HDTC), Kewatkhali, Mymensingh during February to May, 2006 to investigate the effect of different substrate on growth and yield of Button mushroom (Agaricus biporus). The substrates which were used in the experiment were wheat: paddy (1:1) straw compost, paddy straw compost and decomposed cowdung. The parameters observed in first and second flush were number of primordia, number of fruiting bodies and fresh weight of mushroom. Data were statistically analyzed following Completely Randomized Design (CRD). Data revealed that different substrate significantly affected the production of number of primordia, number of fruiting bodies and fresh weight. In both the first and second flush, all the three observed parameters were obtained highest in wheat: paddy straw compost and the lowest were in decomposed cowdung.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jesnr.v5i2.14810 J. Environ. Sci. &amp; Natural Resources, 5(2): 177-180 2012

Effects of Compost on Mycelia Growth and Fructification, Mineral Elements and Proximate Composition of &lt;i&gt;Pleurotus pulmonarius&lt;/i&gt; (Fries)

Studies were conducted on the growth and cultivation of Pleurotus pulmonarius (Fries) singer on lingocellulosic waste. Long composted substrate formulations of sawdust (86%) + rice bran (10%) + cassava peel (4%) supported the longest mycelia growth and density. Long composted also produced larger fruitbodies and significant increase in number of fruitbodies and compost % yield compared with uncomposted substrate having the same formulations. The mineral elements of Mg, Cu, Fe, Mn, Na, K, and P were found to increase from very young to mature fruitbody of both composted and uncomposted substrate with preponderance of potassium. Similar results were obtained for crude protein. However, organic carbon and organic matter tend to decrease from very young to mature fruitbody of composted and uncomposted substrates. Keywords: Composting, Fructification, Mineral Elements Pleurotus pulmonarius , Organic carbon and Organic matter.

Environmental regulation of reproductive phase change in Agaricus bisporus by 1-octen-3-ol, temperature and CO2

Reproductive phase change from vegetative mycelium to the initiation of fruiting in Agaricus bisporus is regulated in large part by the sensing of environmental conditions. A model is proposed in which three separate environmental factors exert control at different stages of the reproductive developmental process change. The eight carbon volatile 1-octen-3-ol controls the early differentiation from vegetative hyphae to multicellular knots; temperature reduction is essential for the later differentiation of primodia; and carbon dioxide level exerts quantitative control on the number of fruiting bodies developed. Analysis of transcriptomic changes during the reproductive phase change was carried out with initiation-specific microarrays, and the newly published A. bisporus genome was used to analyse the promoter regions of differentially regulated genes. Our studies have shown there to be both early and late initiation responses relating to sensing of eight carbon volatiles and temperature respectively. A subset of 45 genes was transcriptionally regulated during the reproductive phase change which exhibited a range of functions including cell structure, nitrogen and carbon metabolism, and sensing and signalling. Three gene clusters linking increased transcription with developmental stage were identified. Analysis of promoter regions revealed cluster-specific conserved motifs indicative of co-ordinated regulation of transcription.

Fruiting body and molecular rDNA sampling of fungi in woody debris from logged and unlogged boreal forests in northeastern Ontario

Fungi of woody debris are a diverse and functionally important component of forest ecosystems, but are potentially threatened by forest management activities. We used fruiting body and molecular sampling of the nrLSU gene to compare the composition and richness of fungal communities between 2 decay classes of conifer logs (classes 1 and 4) and among boreal mixedwood sites from 3 management histories (mechanized clearcutting, horse-based clearcutting, and unlogged). In 5 sites per management type, 5 logs per decay class were sampled for fruiting bodies. Wood samples for DNA extraction were collected from the logs at 3 mechanized logged and 3 unlogged forest sites. Fruiting body surveys yielded 116 species; 34 from decay class 1 logs, 65 from decay class 4 logs, and 17 from both. Molecular sampling, based on selection of 20 clones per log, yielded 304 operational taxonomic units (OTUs); 97 from decay class 1 logs, 184 from decay class 4 logs, and 23 from both. Community composition differed strongly between the 2 decay classes both for the fruiting body and OTU samples, with more species being recovered from decay class 4 than decay class 1 logs. Community composition also significantly varied according to log diameter and volume for fruiting bodies. The number of fruiting bodies on decay class 1 logs was significantly greater in unlogged than logged sites and also was positively correlated with site-level volume of recently-decayed conifer woody debris. Dacrymyces chrysospermus and Fomitopsis rosea were significantly more frequently encountered in unlogged than logged stands. Despite relatively large volumes of woody debris in the logged stands that we sampled, we obtained evidence that logging in these forests resulted some 30–60 years later in a reduction in the amount and diameter of early-decay coniferous downed wood, with reductions in fungal fruiting body diversity as a result.

Transcriptome analyses during fruiting body formation in Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium verticillioides reflect species life history and ecology

Fusarium graminearum and F. verticillioides are devastating cereal pathogens with very different life history and ecological characteristics. F. graminearum is homothallic, and sexual spores are an important component of its life cycle, responsible for disease initiation. F. verticilloides is heterothallic, and produces only modest numbers of fruiting bodies, which are not a significant source of inoculum. To identify corresponding differences in the transcriptional program underlying fruiting body development in the two species, comparative expression was performed, analyzing six developmental stages. To accompany the transcriptional analysis, detailed morphological characterization of F. verticillioides development was performed and compared to a previous morphological analysis of F. graminearum. Morphological development was similar between the two species, except for the observation of possible trichogynes in F. verticillioides ascogonia, which have not been previously reported for any Fusarium species. Expression of over 9000 orthologous genes were measured for the two species. Functional assignments of highly expressed orthologous genes at each time-point revealed the majority of highly expressed genes fell into the “unclassified proteins” category, reflecting the lack of characterization of genes for sexual development in both species. Simultaneous examination of morphological development and stage-specific gene expression suggests that degeneration of the paraphyses during sexual development is an apoptotic process. Expression of mating type genes in the two species differed, possibly reflecting the divergent roles they play in sexual development. Overall, the differences in gene expression reflect the greater role of fruiting bodies in the life cycle and ecology of F. graminearum versus F. verticillioides.

Macrofungal diversity in disturbed vegetation types in North-East Hungary

AbstractMacrofungi play an extraordinarily important role in the catalysis of the nutrient cycle of deciduous and coniferous forests. Habitat degradation adversely influences the number of fruiting bodies of macrofungi and diminishes the diversity of the fungal community. The diversity of the terricolous- and lignicolous macrofungi assemblages were compared in stands of semi-natural and two plant associations modified by humans in different degrees in North-East Hungary. We used data from 15 permanent plots that were sampled for vascular plants and macrofungi. Rank-abundance curves and Rényi’s diversity profiles were applied for diversity research. The results indicated that structure and diversity of the terricolous macrofungi assemblages were mainly influenced by climatic and habitat conditions and the degradation of the plant associations to a lesser degree. The diversity of lignicolous macrofungi was primarily affected by the continuous presence, quality, and quantity of deadwood. Accordingly, the form and degree of forest management, as well as the age of the growing stocks, influenced community structure. If nature conservation planning and conservation activity are based on those biodiversity indicators which are good proxies for macrofungi biodiversity, the latter might be optimal for preserving macrofungi biodiversity.

Fruiting Body Formation of Cordyceps militaris from Multi-Ascospore Isolates and Their Single Ascospore Progeny Strains

Interest in commercial cultivation and product development of Cordyceps species has shown a recent increase. Due to its biochemical and pharmacological effects, Cordyceps militaris, commonly known as orange caterpillar fungus, is being investigated with great interest. Cultivation of C. militaris has been practiced on a large scale in order to fulfill a demand for scientific investigation and product development. Isolates of C. militaris can be easily established from both spores and tissue. For isolation of spores, ascospores released from mature stromata are trapped in sterile medium. Multi-ascospore isolates, as well as combinations of single ascospore strains, are used for production of fruiting bodies. Progeny ascospore strains can be isolated from artificial fruiting bodies, thus, the cycle of fruiting body production can be continued for a long period of time. In this study, we examined fruiting body production from multi-ascospore isolates and their progeny strains for three generations. F1 progeny strains generally produced a larger number of fruiting bodies, compared with their mother multi-ascospore isolates; however, F2 and F3 progeny strains produced fewer fruiting bodies. Optimum preservation conditions could help to increase the vitality of the progeny strains. In order to retain the fruiting ability of the strains, further testing of various methods of preservation and different methods for isolation should be performed.

Quantitative Trait Locus Mapping of Yield-Related Components and Oligogenic Control of the Cap Color of the Button Mushroom, Agaricus bisporus

As in other crops, yield is an important trait to be selected for in edible mushrooms, but its inheritance is poorly understood. Therefore, we have investigated the complex genetic architecture of yield-related traits in Agaricus bisporus through the mapping of quantitative trait loci (QTL), using second-generation hybrid progeny derived from a cross between a wild strain and a commercial cultivar. Yield, average weight per mushroom, number of fruiting bodies per m(2), earliness, and cap color were evaluated in two independent experiments. A total of 23 QTL were detected for 7 yield-related traits. These QTL together explained between 21% (two-flushes yield) and 59% (earliness) of the phenotypic variation. Fifteen QTL (65%) were consistent between the two experiments. Four regions underlying significant QTL controlling yield, average weight, and number were detected on linkage groups II, III, IV, and X, suggesting a pleiotropic effect or tight linkage. Up to six QTL were identified for earliness. The PPC1 locus, together with two additional genomic regions, explained up to 90% of the phenotypic variation of the cap color. Alleles from the wild parent showed beneficial effects for some yield traits, suggesting that the wild germ plasm is a valuable source of variation for several agronomic traits. Our results constitute a key step toward marker-assisted selection and provide a solid foundation to go further into the biological mechanisms controlling productive traits in the button mushroom.