Macrofungi as Medicinal Resources in Uzbekistan: Biodiversity, Ethnomycology, and Ethnomedicinal Practices.

Interest in edible and medicinal macrofungi is millennial in terms of their uses in health and food products in Central Asia, while interest in inedible and medicinal macrofungi has grown in popularity in recent years. Edible and inedible medicinal basidiomycetes were collected during field surveys from different regions of Uzbekistan. The morphological characters and similarity assessment of rDNA-Internal Transcribed Spacer sequence data were used to measure diversity and habitat associations. A number of 17 species of medicinal macrofungi of ethnomycological and medicinal interest was found associated with 23 species of trees and shrubs belonging to 11 families and 14 genera. Polyporaceae and Hymenochaetaceae were represented by the highest number of species followed by Ganodermataceae, Fomitopsidaceae, Auriculariaceae, Cerrenaceae, Grifolaceae, Phanerochaetaceae, Laetiporaceae, Schizophyllaceae, and Stereaceae. The highest number of medicinal basidiomycete species was reported in the following host genera: Acer, Betula, Celtis, Crataegus, Juglans, Juniperus, Lonicera, Malus, Morus, Platanus, Populus, Prunus, Quercus, and Salix. An updated list of edible and inedible medicinal mushrooms identified in Uzbekistan, their morphological characteristics, and phylogenetic placement are given for the first time. Information is provided on their uses in traditional and modern medicine. Their bioactive compounds and extracts can be applied as medicines, as well as food and cosmetic ingredients.

Global phylogeographical distribution of Gloeoporus dichrous.

Phylogeographic analyses are efficient in ecological and evolutionary studies to discover the origin of a lineage, its dispersal routes, and the divergence of ancestral traits. Studies on widespread wood-decay fungi have revealed the phylogenetic division of several polypores based on geographical distribution. In this study, specimens of Gloeoporus dichrous, a cosmopolitan polypore species, were collected globally and analyzed for their geographic distribution. Multi-marker Bayesian molecular clock and haplotype analyses revealed a clear division of G. dichrous populations by continent. The species diverged from its neighboring clades 10.3 (16.0-5.6) million years ago, with Asian and North American populations at the center of divergence. Possible dispersal mechanisms and pathways are predicted and discussed based on the evaluated transfer routes. The biogeography of G. dichrous analyzed in this study represents a fraction of the polypore evolution and may advance the understanding of the overall evolution of wood-decay fungi.

Two new species of Fistulina (Agaricales, Basidiomycota) from the Northern Hemisphere.

Phylogenetic and morphological analyses on samples of Fistulina from East Asia and North America were carried out, and two new species were described, namely, Fistulina americana and Fistulina orientalis, both previously known as Fistulina hepatica. The former is characterized by lateral stipitate basidiocarps, relatively small pores (7-8 per mm), a monomitic hyphal system with both clamp connections and simple septa, and ellipsoid basidiospores of 4-4.8 × 3-3.3 µm, and the species has been found on Quercus in North-East USA. F. orientalis is characterized by lateral stipitate basidiocarps, very small pores (11-12 per mm) with pruinose dissepiments, a monomitic hyphal system with both clamp connections and simple septa, and ovoid to subglobose basidiospores of 3-4 × 2.7-3 µm, and the species has been found on Castanopsis in East Asia. Phylogenetically, samples of F. americana and F. orientalis form two new lineages nested in the Fistulina clade.

Species Prioritization Based on Spectral Dissimilarity: A Case Study of Polyporoid Fungal Species.

Biological species collections are critical for natural product drug discovery programs. However, prioritization of target species in massive collections remains difficult. Here, we introduce an untargeted metabolomics-based prioritization workflow that uses MS/MS molecular networking to estimate scaffold-level distribution. As a demonstration, we applied the workflow to 40 polyporoid fungal species. Nine species were prioritized as candidates based on the chemical structural and compositional similarity (CSCS) metric. Most of the selected species showed relatively higher richness and uniqueness of metabolites than those of the others. Cryptoporus volvatus, one of the prioritized species, was investigated further. The chemical profiles of the extracts of C. volvatus culture and fruiting bodies were compared, and it was shown that derivative-level diversity was higher in the fruiting bodies; meanwhile, scaffold-level diversity was similar. This showed that the compounds found from a cultured fungus can also be isolated in wild mushrooms. Targeted isolation of the fruiting body extract yielded three unknown (1-3) and six known (4-9) cryptoporic acid derivatives, which are drimane-type sesquiterpenes with isocitric acid moieties that have been reported in this species. Cryptoporic acid T (1) is a trimeric cryptoporic acid reported for the first time. Compounds 2 and 5 exhibited cytotoxicity against HCT-116 cell lines with IC50 values of 4.3 and 3.6 µM, respectively.

Taxonomic revision of Russula subsection Amoeninae from South Korea.

Russula subsection Amoeninae is morphologically defined by a dry velvety pileus surface, a complete absence of cystidia with heteromorphous contents in all tissues, and spores without amyloid suprahilar spot. Thirty-four species within subsection Amoeninae have been published worldwide. Although most Russula species in South Korea have been assigned European or North American names, recent molecular studies have shown that Russula species from different continents are not conspecific. Therefore, the present study aims to: 1) define which species of Russula subsection Amoeninae occur on each continent using molecular phylogenetic analyses; 2) revise the taxonomy of Korean Amoeninae. The phylogenetic analyses using the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and multilocus sequences showed that subsection Amoeninae is monophyletic within subgenus Heterophyllidiae section Heterophyllae. A total of 21 Russula subsection Amoeninae species were confirmed from Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and Central America, and species from different continents formed separate clades. Three species were recognized from South Korea and were clearly separated from the European and North American species. These species are R. bella, also reported from Japan, a new species described herein, Russula orientipurpurea, and a new species undescribed due to insufficient material.

A proposed stepwise screening framework for the selection of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-degrading white rot fungi.

This study suggests a simple three-step screening protocol for the selection of white rot fungi (WRF) capable of degrading polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which combines easily applicable bioassay techniques, and verifies that protocol by evaluating the PAH degradation activity, ligninolytic enzyme secretion, and relevant gene expressions of the selected PAH-degraders. Using 120 fungal strains, a sequence of bioassay techniques was applied: Bavendamm's reaction (Step 1), remazol brilliant blue R (RBBR) decolorization (Step 2); assays for tolerance to four mixed PAHs-phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene, and pyrene (Step 3). This stepwise protocol selected 14 PAH-degrading WRF, including Microporus vernicipes, Peniophora incarnata, Perenniporia subacida, Phanerochaete sordida, Phlebia acerina, and Phlebia radiata. Of these, P. incarnata exhibited the highest PAH degradative activity, ranging from 40 to > 90%, which was related to the time-variable secretions of three extracellular ligninolytic enzymes: laccase, manganese-dependent peroxidase (MnP) and lignin peroxidase (LiP). Laccase and MnP production by P. incarnata tended to be greater in the early stages of PAH degradation, whereas its LiP production became intensified with decreasing laccase and MnP production. Pilc1 and pimp1 genes encoding laccase and MnP were expressed, indicating the occurrence of extracellular enzyme-driven biodegradation of PAH by the fungal strains.

Phylogeny and taxonomy of Ceriporia and other related taxa and description of three new species.

Species of Ceriporia (Irpicaceae, Basidiomycota) are saprotrophs or endophytes in forest ecosystems. To evaluate the taxonomy and generic relationships of Ceriporia and other related taxa, we used morphology and multigene phylogenetic analyses based on sequence data from nuc rDNA internal transcribed spacer ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 (ITS) region, nuc 28S rDNA (28S), and RNA polymerase II largest subunit (rpb1). Our results show that Ceriporia sensu lato is polyphyletic and distributed across multiple clades in the Irpicaceae, Phanerochaetaceae, and Meruliaceae. Some species previously considered in Ceriporia are now recovered in Meruliopsis, resulting in four new combinations: M. albomellea, M. crassitunicata, M. nanlingensis, and M. pseudocystidiata. Two new species of Meruliopsis are described: M. leptocystidiata from northeast China and South Korea and M. parvispora from Taiwan. Ceriporia arbuscula is described as a new species from Taiwan. Ceriporia mellita and Meruliopsis nanlingensis are newly recorded from Japan and Taiwan, and M. taxicola is recorded from Taiwan for the first time.

New Report of Three Unrecorded Species in Trichoderma harzianum Species Complex in Korea.

The genus Trichoderma (Hypocreaceae, Ascomycota) consists of globally distributed fungi. Among them, T. harzianum, one of the most commonly collected Trichoderma species, had been known as a polyphyletic or aggregate species. However, a total of 19 species were determined from the polyphyletic groups of T. harzianum. Thus, we explored Korean "T. harzianum" specimens that were collected in 2013-2014. These specimens were re-examined based on a recent study with translate elongation factor 1-alpha (EF1α) sequences to reveal cryptic Trichoderma species in Korea. As a result, four different species, T. afroharzianum, T. atrobruneum, T. pyramidale, and T. harzianum, were identified. Except T. harzianum, the other three species have not been reported in Korea. In this work, we describe these species and provide figures.

Taxonomic evaluation of selected Ganoderma species and database sequence validation.

Species in the genus Ganoderma include several ecologically important and pathogenic fungal species whose medicinal and economic value is substantial. Due to the highly similar morphological features within the Ganoderma, identification of species has relied heavily on DNA sequencing using BLAST searches, which are only reliable if the GenBank submissions are accurately labeled. In this study, we examined 113 specimens collected from 1969 to 2016 from various regions in Korea using morphological features and multigene analysis (internal transcribed spacer, translation elongation factor 1-α, and the second largest subunit of RNA polymerase II). These specimens were identified as four Ganoderma species: G. sichuanense, G. cf. adspersum, G. cf. applanatum, and G. cf. gibbosum. With the exception of G. sichuanense, these species were difficult to distinguish based solely on morphological features. However, phylogenetic analysis at three different loci yielded concordant phylogenetic information, and supported the four species distinctions with high bootstrap support. A survey of over 600 Ganoderma sequences available on GenBank revealed that 65% of sequences were either misidentified or ambiguously labeled. Here, we suggest corrected annotations for GenBank sequences based on our phylogenetic validation and provide updated global distribution patterns for these Ganoderma species.

Five New Wood Decay Fungi (Polyporales and Hymenochaetales) in Korea.

The wood decay fungi are a diverse taxonomic group that plays a pivotal role in forest carbon cycling. Wood decay fungi use various enzymatic pathways to digest dead or living wood in order to obtain carbon and other nutrients and these enzymatic systems have been exploited for both industrial and medical applications. Over 600 wood decay fungi species have been described in Korea; however, the recent application of molecular markers has dramatically altered the taxonomy of many of these wood decay fungi at both the genus and species levels. By combining molecular methods, specifically sequences of the internal transcribed spacer region, with traditional morphological characters, this study identified five new species records for Korea in five genera: Aurantiporus, Favolus, Neofavolus, Loweomyces, and Hymenochaetopsis. Three of these genera (Aurantiporus, Favolus, and Loweomyces) were previously unknown in Korea. The relatively simple morphology of the wood decay fungi often leads to ambiguous taxonomic assignment. Therefore, molecular markers are a necessary component of any taxonomic or evolutionary study of wood decay fungi. Our study highlights the need for a more robust and multifaceted approach in investigating new wood decay fungi in Korea.

Diversity of Wood-Inhabiting Polyporoid and Corticioid Fungi in Odaesan National Park, Korea.

Polyporoid and corticioid fungi are among the most important wood-decay fungi. Not only do they contribute to nutrient cycling by decomposing wood debris, but they are also valuable sources for natural products. Polyporoid and corticioid wood-inhabiting fungi were investigated in Odaesan National Park. Fruit bodies were collected and identified based on morphological and molecular analyses using 28S and internal transcribed spacer regions of DNA sequences. As a result, a total of 149 species, 69 genera, 22 families, and 11 orders were recognized. Half (74 species) of the species were polypores, and the other half (75 species) were corticioid fungi. Most of the species belonged to Polyporales (92 species) followed by Hymenochaetales (33 species) and Russulales (11 species). At the genus level, a high number of species was observed from Steccherinum, Hyphodontia, Phanerochaete, Postia, and Trametes. Concerning distribution, almost all the species could be found below 1,000 m, and only 20% of the species were observed from above 1,000 m. Stereum subtomentosum, Trametes versicolor, T. hirsuta, T. pubescens, Bjerkandera adusta, and Ganoderma applanatum had wide distribution areas. Deciduous wood was the preferred substrate for the collected species. Sixty-three species were new to this region, and 21 species were new to Korea, of which 17 species were described and illustrated.

Taxonomic Study of the Genus Abundisporus in Korea.

The polypore genus Abundisporus Ryvarden is characterized by resupinate to pileate fruitbodies with a purplish brown hymenophore, slightly thick-walled, pale yellowish and non-dextrinoid basidiospores, and causing white rot. A purple color hymenophore, an easily observable and striking character, was considered the main distinctive feature at the generic level within polypores. However, due to highly similar basidiocarp features, species identification within these purple polypores is particularly difficult. Three species of purple colored polypores have been reported in Korea (Abundisporus fuscopurpureus, A. pubertatis, and Fomitopsis rosea). Based on morphological re-examination, ecological information, and sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer, we showed that previous classification was incorrect and there is only one species (A. pubertatis) in Korea. We provide a detailed description of A. pubertatis in Korea, as well as a taxonomic key to distinguish wood rot fungi with a purple hymenophore.

Re-evaluation of the Genus Antrodia (Polyporales, Basidiomycota) in Korea.

The wood decay fungi Antrodia P. Karst. play important ecological roles and have significant industrial and economic impacts as both wood degraders and sources of pharmaceutical and biotechnological products. Although each Antrodia species has distinct morphological characteristics, the misidentification rate is especially high due to their simple morphological characters. A combination of morphological and internal transcribed spacer region sequence analyses revealed that 27 of 89 specimens previously identified by morphology alone were correct, whereas 35 of these specimens were misidentified as other Antrodia species. We report here that seven Antrodia species exist in Korea (A. albida, A. heteromorpha, A. malicola, A. serialis, A. sinuosa, A. sitchensis, and A. xantha) and based on these specimens, we provide taxonomic descriptions of these species, except for A. serialis, which was only confirmed by isolate.

Wood decay fungi in South Korea: polypores from seoul.

In Seoul, a majority of plant communities have undergone significant changes over the last few decades; however, how wood decay fungi have responded and adapted to the changes in vegetation remains unknown. Through an ongoing investigation of Korean indigenous fungi, ca. 300 specimens with poroid basidiocarp were collected in Seoul during 2008~2012. Morphological examination and molecular analysis using the internal transcribed spacer and nuclear large subunit ribosomal DNA region sequences helped identify 38 species belonging to 28 genera, 10 families, and 5 orders in this area. Among them, three polypores, Abundisporus pubertatis, Coriolopsis strumosa, and Perenniporia maackiae were found to be new to South Korea.

The First Report of Antrodia sitchensis (Polyporaceae, Basidiomycota) in Korea.

An unrecorded Antrodia species was collected in South Korea and based on morphological characteristics, the species was identified as Antrodia sitchensis. To confirm its affinity within the polypores, the phylogenetic relationships of A. sitchensis and allied species were established using large subunit rDNA sequences.

Cerrena aurantiopora sp. nov. (Polyporaceae) from eastern Asia.

A new species of polypore in genus Cerrena was discovered in Kangwon Province, Korea. The resupinate basidiocarp and light orange, poroid hymenophore were sufficiently different to be distinguished from previously recorded species of Cerrena, C. consors, C. cystidiata, C. sclerodepsis and C. unicolor. Based on the results of morphological and phylogenetic analyses, we propose this new polypore as Cerrena aurantiopora sp. nov.

The first report of two species of Polyporus (Polyporaceae, Basidiomycota) from South Korea.

Based on morphological examination, two species of Polyporus, P. dictyopus, and P. tuberaster, were identified, which constitutes the first record of these species in South Korea. To confirm their affinity within the genus Polyporus, the phylogenetic relationships of Polyporus and allied genera were established from nuclear large subunit ribosomal DNA (nLSU rDNA) sequences, and a morphological diagnostic key is presented to clarify the Korean species of Polyporus.

Resolving taxonomic and phylogenetic incongruence within species Ceratocystiopsis minuta.

Ceratocystiopsis minuta (Siemaszko) H.P. Upadhyay & W.B. Kendr., originally isolated in Poland, is the type species of genus Ceratocystiopsis H.P. Upadhyay & W.B. Kendr. Species in this genus are characterized by dark perithecia with short conical beaks, usually with convergent ostiolar hyphae and dark ascocarps, and by falcate or lunate ascospores. Work within the genus is complicated by historical inconsistencies, errors in strain identification and the absence of a holotype specimen. We used sequence data from the beta-tubulin gene, internal transcribed spacer and large subunit regions of ribosomal DNA to phylogenetically characterize 23 putative strains of Cop. minuta from Europe, Japan and North America, as well as strains from other species in genus Ceratocystiopsis. Our results show that Cop. minuta strains from Europe and Japan are monophyletic, whereas those from North American are polyphyletic and likely misidentified. This suggests that prior research groups have used misidentified strains of Cop. minuta or fungal strains that were only distantly related to the Cop. minuta strain originally described from Poland. Further our multigene phylogenetic analysis also shows that Cop. minuta strains from Europe and Japan can be segregated into three clades. This suggests the presence of several phylogenetic species that are morphologically similar to Cop. minuta, and we anticipate that this species complex will challenge researchers until such relationships are resolved.

Genetic variation and relationships in Laetiporus sulphureus s. lat., as determined by ITS rDNA sequences and in vitro growth rate.

The aim of this study was to characterise the genetic variation and molecular relationships of the brown rot polypore, Laetiporus sulphureus s. lat., from Europe, South America, Africa, and Asia, using ITS sequences of the nu-rDNA and by comparing the growth rate in vitro. In a NJ analysis of the sequences of 130 individuals of L. sulphureus s. lat., eight distinct clusters emerged, supported by BS values of 70-100%. Within each cluster, the ITS rDNA sequence variation was below 3%. The sequences were also analysed together with Laetiporus sequences available from GenBank. Results demonstrated the possible presence of L. huroniensis in Europe (invalidly named L. montanus) and L. gilbertsonii in South America, and provided more information on the Pan-American and European distribution of one of the clades, currently known in North America as L. sulphureus. L. conifericola formed a separate distinct clade. Moreover, the analysis revealed two unknown Laetiporus taxa in Korea, one in South Africa, and one in Europe. As L. sulphureus is described from Europe (France), and we show that more than one taxon exist here, it is presently not possible to define L. sulphureus s. str. Certain biological differences between some of the clades (in vitro growth rates, chemical composition, and pigmentation) were demonstrated and discussed.

The Wood-rotting Fungal Flora of Three Islands in the Yellow Sea, Korea.

The wood-rotting fungi of three Korean islands in the Yellow Sea, Soyeonpyung-do (SY), Oeyeon-do (OY), and Gageo-do (GG), were investigated from October 2004 to November 2005. During four sampling trips on each island, a total of 46, 44, and 44 specimens were collected from SY, OY, and GG, respectively. The identified wood-rotting fungi from SY included 29 species of 22 genera and nine families; OY had 31 species of 26 genera and 10 families; and GG had 34 species of 27 genera and 11 families. The majority of the fungi were in the Polyporaceae, which was represented by 23 genera and 30 species. Auricularia polytricha, Daedaleopsis tricolor, Daldinia concentrica, Hymenochaete cinnamomea, Hymenochaete yasudai, Hyphoderma setigerum, Lopharia mirabilis, Schizopora paradoxa, and Trametes versicolor were collected from all three islands.