New findings on the fungal species Tricholoma matsutake from Ukraine, and revision of its taxonomy and biogeography based on multilocus phylogenetic analyses.

Matsutake mushrooms are among the best-known edible wild mushroom taxa worldwide. The representative Tricholoma matsutake is from East Asia and the northern and central regions of Europe. Here, we report the existence of T. matsutake under fir trees in Eastern Europe (i.e., Ukraine), as confirmed by phylogenetic analysis of nine loci on the nuclear and mitochondrial genomes. All specimens from Japan, Bhutan, China, North Korea, South Korea, Sweden, Finland, and Ukraine formed a T. matsutake clade according to the phylogeny of the internal transcribed spacer region. The European population of T. matsutake was clustered based on the ß2 tubulin gene, with a moderate bootstrap value. In contrast, based on analyses of three loci, i.e., rpb2, tef1, and the ß2 tubulin gene, T. matsutake specimens sampled from Bhutan and China belonged to a clade independent of the other specimens of this species, implying a genetically isolated population. As biologically available type specimens of T. matsutake have not been designated since its description as a new species from Japan in 1925, we established an epitype of this fungus, sampled in a Pinus densiflora forest in Nagano, Japan.

Effects of Ganoderma lucidum (Higher Basidiomycetes) Extracts on the miRNA Profile and Telomerase Activity of the MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cell Line.

Ganoderma lucidum is a medicinal higher Basidiomycetes mushroom that exerts anticancer effects through several different mechanisms. This study investigated the effects of G. lucidum on the telomerase activity and microRNA (miRNA) profiles of MCF-7 cells. According to the cytotoxicity results, the G. lucidum ether extract exhibits the highest cytotoxic potency; therefore it was chosen for the subsequent telomerase activity assay and miRNA profiling. The telomerase activity observed in the cells treated with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration of G. lucidum ether extract (100 µg/mL in dimethyl sulfoxide) was 32.2% lower than that of the control cells treated with 1% dimethyl sulfoxide. Among 1066 miRNAs, the most downregulated miRNA was hsa-miR-27a* (4.469-fold), and the most upregulated miRNA was hsa-miR-1285 (10.462-fold). A database search revealed the predicted miRNAs that target the catalytic subunit of the telomerase enzyme telomerase reverse transcriptase, and only miR-3687 (upregulated 2.153-fold) and miR-1207-5p (upregulated 2.895-fold) were changed by at least 2-fold. The miRNA profile changes demonstrated in this study provide a data set regarding their effects on the pathways that regulate telomerase activity in MCF-7 breast cancer cells treated with G. lucidum. These data should aid the development of novel cancer treatment strategies.

Biological decolorization of textile dyes from isolated microfungi.

In this study, biological decolorization of two textile dyestuff (Benazol black ZN and Cibacron black W-NN) was comparatively studied using 22 microfungi strains isolated from polluted industrial soil areas. The initial dye concentrations in the medium were 250 and 500 mg l(-1). Benazol black ZN was the best decolorized by Haematonectria haematococca (HH1) (36.0%) and Cibacron black W-NN was the best decolorized by Aspergillus niger (AN1) (33.0%) at 250 mg l(-1) dye concentration. At 500 mg l(-1) dye concentration for two different dyes all microfungi strains used showed weak decolorization rates, maximum 13.0% for Benazol black ZN and 6.0% for Cibacron Black W-NN.

In vitro ectomycorrhizal specificity between the Asian red pine Pinus densiflora and Tricholoma matsutake and allied species from worldwide Pinaceae and Fagaceae forests.

Tricholoma matsutake produces commercially valuable, yet uncultivable, mushrooms (matsutake) in association with pines in the Far East and Scandinavia and with both pines and oaks in the foothills of Tibet. Other matsutake mushrooms, such as Tricholoma anatolicum from the Mediterranean regions and Tricholoma magnivelare and Tricholoma sp. from the North Pacific Coast area of Canada and North America as well as Mexico, respectively, are associated with pines or oaks in their natural habitats. Tricholoma bakamatsutake and Tricholoma fulvocastaneum from Asia produce moderately valuable matsutake mushrooms and are solely associated with Fagaceae in nature. In this study, we demonstrate for the first time that matsutake mushrooms from Scandinavia, Mediterranean regions, North America, and Tibet form ectomycorrhizae with Pinus densiflora similar to the Far East T. matsutake. In general, worldwide T. matsutake and the symbionts of Pinaceae colonize the rhizospheres of P. densiflora as well as T. matsutake isolated from the host plant. However, T. fulvocastaneum and T. bakamatsutake formed a discontinuous Hartig net and no Hartig net, respectively, and colonized to a lesser extent as compared to T. matsutake. The data suggest that conifer-associated matsutake mushrooms in their native habitat will associate symbiotically with the Asian red pine.

Evaluation of two wild types of Pleurotus ostreatus (MCC07 and MCC20) isolated from nature for their ability to decolorize Benazol Black ZN textile dye in comparison to some commercial types of white rot fungi: Pleurotus ostreatus, Pleurotus djamor, and Pleurotus citrinopileatus.

Biological decolorization of Benazol Black ZN, a reactive azo-type textile dyestuff, was comparatively studied using 3 different commercial-type white rot fungi strains (Pleurotus ostreatus, Pleurotus cornucopiae var. citrinopileatus, Pleurotus djamor, and 2 wild types of P. ostreatus (MCC07 and MCC20) isolated from the nature. The initial dye concentrations in the medium were 500 and 1000 mg.L-1. All the organisms studied decolorized Benazol Black ZN to varying degrees. At low dye concentration, both commercial and wild type of P. ostreatus resulted in the best decolorization, conversely, wild-type P. ostreatus (MCC07) was found to be much more robust against increasing dye concentration and provided the best decolorization efficiency at high dye concentration.

Feasibility of using olive mill effluent (OME) as a wetting agent during the cultivation of oyster mushroom, Pleurotus ostreatus, on wheat straw.

In this study, cultivation of oyster mushroom, Pleurotus ostreatus, on wheat straw substrate containing tap water and olive mill effluent (OME) mixture containing varying volume of OME was studied in order to investigate the feasibility of using OME as an alternative wetting agent and OME's impact on some fundamental food quality characteristics of mushrooms. Time period for mycelial colonization, primordium initiation and first harvest were comparatively evaluated with the control group. It was shown that the use of OME and tap water mixture consisting of OME up to 25% volumetrically was possible for the purpose of commercial mushroom production. Experimental results obtained from substrate containing 25% OME mixture showed no statistically significant difference compared to control group. The negative effects of increasing volume of OME in the mixture were also indicated by bioefficiency, which was found to be 13.8% for substrates wetted with 100% OME, whereas bioefficiency was 53.6% for control group. Increasing volume of OME in the mixture resulted in deformation of fruit body shape, whereas no significant difference in food quality was observed due to the higher amount of OME. This work suggested that the use of OME up to 25% as moisturizer could be considered, especially for the locations having significant number of olive mills and mushroom producers, both as an environmentally friendly solution for the safe and ecological disposal of OME and a practical way for recovering OME's economic value thereby.

Antimicrobial activity of two wild mushrooms Clitocybe alexandri (Gill.) Konr. and Rhizopogon roseolus (Corda) T.M. Fries collected from Turkey.

Two edible wild mushrooms, namely Clitocybe alexandri (Gill.) Konr. (Tricholomataceae) and Rhizopogon roseolus (Corda) T.M. Fries (Rhizopogonaceae), collected from the southwest of Turkey, were tested for their antimicrobial activity by using the disc diffusion method. The ethanol, methanol, diethyl ether, water, ethylacetate and n-hexane extracts from the fruit bodies of mushrooms were assayed against 13 microorganisms. In comparison with the test antibiotics penicillin, novobiocin, nalidixic acid and ampicillin, the methanol extract obtained from the two mushrooms presented significant activity against E. coli, Bacillus subtilis and Enterobacter aerogenes. On the other hand, the ethylacetate extract from C. alexandri was found to be active against Candida albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, whereas the ethanol extract of Rhizopogon roseolus was active against Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This research has shown that various extracts obtained from two macrofungi could be used in vitro to inhibit the growth of some important bacteria and fungi.