Morphological plasticity in brown-rot fungi: Antrodia is redefined to encompass both poroid and corticioid species.

Most known brown rot-producing species of Polyporales belong to the so-called "Antrodia clade" that largely consists of poroid species. In this study, we use three genetic markers to revise Antrodia s. str., the core group of this clade. We show that a corticioid species with a smooth hymenophore, Phlebia griseoflavescens, belongs to Antrodia s. str. Accordingly, we revise the generic concept of Antrodia s. str. to accommodate this species and two recently described poroid taxa, A. tenerifensis and A. multiformis. In addition, we describe two new poroid species within Antrodia s. str., A. latebrosa from Africa and A. peregrina from East Asia, and provide new documentation for the Southeast Asian species A. parvula based on recent collections from the type location.

Species diversity in the Antrodia crassa group (Polyporales, Basidiomycota).

Antrodia is a polyphyletic genus, comprising brown-rot polypores with annual or short-lived perennial resupinate, dimitic basidiocarps. Here we focus on species that are closely related to Antrodia crassa, and investigate their phylogeny and species delimitation using geographic, ecological, morphological and molecular data (ITS and LSU rDNA, tef1). Phylogenetic analyses distinguished four clades within the monophyletic group of eleven conifer-inhabiting species (five described herein): (1)A. crassa s. str. (boreal Eurasia), Antrodia cincta sp. nova (North America) and Antrodia cretacea sp. nova (holarctic), all three being characterized by inamyloid skeletal hyphae that dissolve quickly in KOH solution; (2) Antrodia ignobilis sp. nova, Antrodia sitchensis and Antrodia sordida from North America, and Antrodia piceata sp. nova (previously considered conspecific with A. sitchensis) from Eurasia, possessing amyloid skeletal hyphae; (3) Antrodia ladiana sp. nova from the southern part of the USA, Antrodia pinea from East Asia, and Antrodia ferox - so far known from subtropical North America, but here reported also from Eurasia. These three species have inamyloid hyphae and narrow basidiospores; (4) the North American Antrodia pini-cubensis, sharing similar morphological characters with A. pinea, forming a separate clade. The habitat data indicate that several species are threatened by intensive forestry.

The anti-tumor activity of Antrodia salmonea in human promyelocytic leukemia (HL-60) cells is mediated via the induction of G1 cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis in vitro or in vivo.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The medicinal mushroom Antrodia salmonea has been used as a traditional Chinese medicine and has demonstrated antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the present study, we examined the anti-tumor activity of the fermented culture broth of Antrodia salmonea (AS) in vitro and in vivo and revealed its underlying molecular mechanism of action. RESULTS: Treatment of human promyelocytic leukemia (HL-60) cells with AS (50-150 µg/mL) significantly reduced cell viability and caused G1 arrest via the inhibition of cell-cycle regulatory proteins, including cyclin D1, CDK4, cyclin E, cyclin A, and phosphorylated retinoblastoma protein (p-Rb). Furthermore, AS treatment induced apoptosis, which was associated with DNA fragmentation, followed by a sequence of events, including intracellular ROS generation; mitochondrial dysfunction; Fas ligand activation; cytochrome c release; caspase-3, -8, -9, and PARP activation; and Bcl-2/Bax dysregulation. The results of the in vitro study suggested that AS-induced apoptosis in HL-60 cells was mediated by both the mitochondrial and death receptor pathways. Furthermore, we found that AS treatment was effective in delaying tumor incidence in HL-60 xenografted nude mice and reducing tumor burden. CONCLUSIONS: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report confirming the anti-tumor activity of this potentially beneficial mushroom against human promyelocytic leukemia.

What is Antrodia sensu stricto?

The polypore genus Antrodia (Polyporales, Basidiomycota) in the strict sense consists of a small number of species grouped around the type species A. serpens in phylogenetic analyses. This distinct clade (Antrodia sensu stricto in our view) contains species of the Antrodia heteromorpha complex, A. macra coll. and Antrodia mappa (formerly Postia mappa). Nuclear rDNA ITS and tef1 data show that the Antrodia heteromorpha species complex includes four species: A. heteromorpha sensu stricto (mostly on gymnosperms, large pores and spores), A. serpens (on angiosperms in Europe, resupinate, smaller pores but large spores), A. favescens (smaller pores and spores, pileate species in North America, formerly known as Trametes sepium), and A. tanakai (a close kin of A. favescens in Eurasia). Antrodia albida is a synonym of A. heteromorpha sensu stricto. We combine A. mappa, A. favescens and A. tanakai in Antrodia and designate neotypes for A. albida and A. heteromorpha, and an epitype for A. serpens. We also compare the morphologically similar but distantly related A. albidoides and A. mellita, and conclude that A. macrospora and A. subalbidoides are synonyms of A. albidoides.

Fructification of Antrodia cinnamomea was strain dependent in malt extract media and involved specific gene expression.

Antrodia cinnamomea is an expensive medicinal fungus that grows only inside the rotten trunk of Cinnamomum kanehirae . In vitro culture of A. cinnamomea fruiting body is difficult and, therefore, of value for further investigation. To study whether the fructification of A. cinnamomea is strain dependent in artificial media, we grew four different A. cinnamomea strains on malt extract agar (MEA) media. The standard MEA and a series of dilution of the MEA nutrient components were made to culture A. cinnamomea. The formation of fruiting body was determined by visual and microscopic observation on A. cinnamomea's porous morphogenesis and HPLC analysis. All A. cinnamomea strains cultured grew best in 50% MEA, but carried different capabilities of fructification. In addition, we studied four antioxidation- or senescence-related genes, including a cytochrome P450, a glutathione-S-transferase, a peroxiredoxin, and a manganese superoxide dismutase. We found both cytochrome P450 and glutathione-S-transferase were expressed 3.66- and 2.75-fold in fruiting body compared with mycelium, respectively, and perxoiredoxin and manganese superoxide dismutase were found with similar expressions in both fruiting body and mycelium.