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.

Diversity of potentially exploitable pharmacological activities of the highly prized edible medicinal fungus Antrodia camphorata.

Antrodia camphorata, also known as A. cinnamomea, is a precious medicinal basidiomycete fungus endemic to Taiwan. This article summarizes the recent advances in research on the multifarious pharmacological effects of A. camphorata. The mushroom exhibits anticancer activity toward a large variety of cancers including breast, cervical, ovarian, prostate, bladder, colorectal, pancreatic, liver, and lung cancers; melanoma; leukemia; lymphoma; neuroblastoma; and glioblastoma. Other activities encompass antiinflammatory, antiatopic dermatitis, anticachexia, immunoregulatory, antiobesity, antidiabetic, antihyperlipidemic, antiatherosclerotic, antihypertensive, antiplatelet, antioxidative, antiphotodamaging, hepatoprotective, renoprotective, neuroprotective, testis protecting, antiasthmatic, osteogenic, osteoprotective, antiviral, antibacterial, and wound healing activities. This review aims to provide a reference for further development and utilization of this highly prized mushroom.

Studies in the Antrodia serialis group (Polyporales, Basidiomycota).

Taxonomy and phylogeny of the Antrodia serialis group are revised with morphological, ecological, and geographic data, partial translation elongation factor 1-α (tef1) gene sequences, and nuc rDNA ITS1-5.8S-ITS2-28S sequences. The group contains 13 species found in boreal and temperate zones of the Northern Hemisphere. The species are limited to certain geographic areas within Eurasia and North America. The traditional morphology-based concept of A. serialis covers at least four closely related species: A. serialis s. str. in Eurasia, A. angusta, sp. nov., in East Asia, A. serrata, sp. nov., in the American Northeast, and A. calcitrosa, sp. nov., in the American Northwest. They all are associated mostly with Picea spp. and show small, but stable morphological differences from each other. In addition, A. morganii, comb. nov., inhabiting wood of Populus spp., occurs in North America, and Antrodia alaskana, comb. nov., a large-pored species, macroscopically similar to A. variiformis, is distributed along the Pacific coast of North America. The pine-dwelling A. flavimontis, sp. nov., similar to A. primaeva from Eurasia, is so far known only from the eastern part of the Rocky Mountains (Utah and Wyoming).

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.

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.