Life cycle and mating compatibility in the Japanese white jelly mushroom, .

In this study, white jelly mushrooms that were collected in Tottori Prefecture, Japan, were identified as by phylogenetic analysis of the rDNA-ITS region. Fluorescent microscopic analysis using 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole staining to visualize the nuclei in each cell revealed that basidiospores isolated from the fruiting body were monokaryotic. Furthermore, monokaryotic yeasts were germinated from these basidiospores and the resulting crossed mycelium was dikaryotic and bore clamp cells, suggesting a heterothallic lifecycle for this species.

Effect of sodium chloride on basidiospore germination and vegetative mycelial growth of the ectomycorrhizal fungus .

is a basidiomycetous ectomycorrhizal fungus that inhabits mainly coastal areas. Understanding the response of this fungus to salinity at each stage of its life cycle will lead to elucidation of the strategies for its propagation. This study examined the effect of sodium chloride (NaCl) on basidiospore germination and mycelial growth of both homokaryotic and heterokaryotic strains of , on nutrient agar media with varying concentrations of NaCl (0, 50, 150, and 300 mM).

Hyphal coil morphology and its relationship to thromboplerous hyphae in .

While observing mycelial features of the ectomycorrhizal fungus , we noted the formation of hyphal coils in laboratory cultures. The coiled hyphae initially formed at the hyphal tip in the presence or absence of the plant host (), on both rich and poor modified Melin-Norkrans media. Hyphal coils formed from the hyphal tips toward the middle of the hyphae, with rope-like hyphal strands fused as extensive circular coils.

Basidium formation of Rhizopogon roseolus with Pinus thunbergii in agar medium.

The edible ectomycorrhizal (ECM) mushroom Rhizopogon roseolus usually develops basidium and basidiospores in the gleba of its basidiomata. Here, we report a novel production of basidia in laboratory cultures of the edible ECM mushroom. The basidium with sterigma was observed on the old mantle structure (> six months) of the ECM between R.

The impact of host plant () on the mycelial features of the ectomycorrhizal fungus .

The impact of host plant on the mycelial features of mycorrhizal symbiont and its characteristics has been poorly investigated. This study aimed to compare and quantify (statistically tested) some of the mycelial features of an ectomycorrhiza (ECM)-forming fungus with and without the ECM host. The ECM-forming fungus, , inoculated with or without on both rich and poor nutrient media, was observed under laboratory conditions.

Cytological comparison of mycelial aggregates of with and without the ectomycorrhiza host.

Most cytology reports on ectomycorrhiza (ECM) have been less focused on the fungal structures, especially on the exploratory organ. This study aimed to evaluate the morphological response of explorative mycelia of ECM forming fungi with and without the occurrence of the ECM host. We assessed the mycelial aggregates of which was inoculated with and without under controlled laboratory conditions.

Detection of autophagy-related structures in fruiting bodies of edible mushroom, Pleurotus ostreatus.

Autophagy is involved in various fungal morphogenetic processes. However, there are limited reports regarding the role of autophagy in mushroom fruiting body formation. The purpose of this study was to reveal the autophagy-related structures in mushroom-forming fungi.

Nuclear behavior in from Japan and estimation of the lifecycle.

In order to elucidate the lifecycle of , we examined the number of nuclei in basidiospores, hyphal cells and oidia. Basidiospores isolated from the fruiting bodies of four Japanese strains were binucleate. In both primary and secondary mycelia, most of the cells were binucleate.

Expression of α-glucosidase during morphological differentiation in the basidiomycetous fungus Pholiota microspora.

The α-glucosidase gene from Pholiota microspora, designated PnGcs, was amplified and characterized. The open reading frame region of PnGcs, from ATG to the stop codon, is 2937 bp and encodes a protein of 979 amino acids with a signal peptide of 20 amino acids at the N-terminus. The predicted amino acid sequence of PnGcs indicated that it is a glycoside hydrolase family 31 protein.

Maintenance of Chloroplast Structure and Function by Overexpression of the Rice MONOGALACTOSYLDIACYLGLYCEROL SYNTHASE Gene Leads to Enhanced Salt Tolerance in Tobacco.

In plants, the galactolipids monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG) and digalactodiacylglycerol (DGDG) are major constituents of photosynthetic membranes in chloroplasts. One of the key enzymes for the biosynthesis of these galactolipids is MGDG synthase (MGD). To investigate the role of MGD in the plant's response to salt stress, we cloned an MGD gene from rice (Oryza sativa) and generated tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) plants overexpressing OsMGD.

Gymnopilins, a product of a hallucinogenic mushroom, inhibit the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor.

Gymnopilins are substances produced in fruiting bodies of the hallucinogenic mushroom, Gymnopilus junonius. Although, only a few biological effects of gymnopilins on animal tissues have been reported, it is believed that gymnopilins are a key factor of the G. junonius poisoning.

Combined molecular and morphological data for improving phylogenetic hypothesis in Dacrymycetes.

We analyzed the DNA sequences of four gene regions, 28S and 18S rDNA, the ITS region and rpb2, to obtain a high resolution phylogenetic tree of Dacrymycetes. In addition, we comparatively studied micro- and macromorphological characteristics of representative species. The traditional generic classification based on morphological characteristics was not reflected by our molecular phylogenies.

Multiple effects of gymnopilin on circulatory system of the rat.

Gymnopilin is one of the substances produced by the hallucinogenic mushroom, Gymnopilus junonius. In this study, we examined effects of gymnopilins purified from wild fruiting bodies of G. junonius on contractile activity of aorta preparations and blood pressure in rats.

Gymnopilin--a substance produced by the hallucinogenic mushroom, Gymnopilus junonius--mobilizes intracellular Ca(2+) in dorsal root ganglion cells.

Gymnopilus junonius is a widely spread mushroom in Japan and well known as a hallucinogenic mushroom. Gymnopilin was purified from the fruiting body of G. junonius and was reported to act on the spinal cord and depolarize motoneurons.

Karyological characterization of meiosis, post-meiotic mitosis and nuclear migration in the ectomycorrhizal fungus Rhizopogon roseolus (= R. rubescens).

Karyological characteristics during basidiosporogenesis of Rhizopogon roseolus, a member of the hypogeous Agaricomycetes, were studied by light and transmission electron microscopy. More than 1000 tissue fragments of young basidiomata were stained with HCl-Giemsa and observed by a light microscopy to evaluate nuclear behavior. Basidium morphology in the hymenium was observed by transmission electron microscopy.

Abscisic acid substantially inhibits senescence of cucumber plants (Cucumis sativus) grown under low nitrogen conditions.

Low nitrogen (N) availability such as that found in both dry land and tropical regions limits plant growth and development. The relationship between the level of abscisic acid (ABA) in a plant and its growth under low-N conditions was investigated. The level of ABA in cucumber (Cucumis sativus) plants under low-N conditions was significantly higher at 10 and 20 d after transplantation compared with that under sufficient-N conditions.

Specific arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi associated with non-photosynthetic Petrosavia sakuraii (Petrosaviaceae).

Mycorrhizal fungi in roots of the achlorophyllous Petrosavia sakuraii (Petrosaviaceae) were identified by molecular methods. Habitats examined were plantations of the Japanese cypress Chamaecyparis obtusa in Honshu, an evergreen broad-leaved forest in Amami Island in Japan and a mixed deciduous and evergreen forest in China. Aseptate hyphal coils were observed in root cortical cells of P.

A-mating-type gene expression can drive clamp formation in the bipolar mushroom Pholiota microspora (Pholiota nameko).

In the bipolar basidiomycete Pholiota microspora, a pair of homeodomain protein genes located at the A-mating-type locus regulates mating compatibility. In the present study, we used a DNA-mediated transformation system in P. microspora to investigate the homeodomain proteins that control the clamp formation.

Taxonomic reconsideration of a sequestrate fungus, Octaviania columellifera, with the proposal of a new genus, Heliogaster, and its phylogenetic relationships in the Boletales.

During taxonomic revision of genus Octaviania in Japan we examined herbarium and fresh specimens of O. columellifera and O. asterosperma sensu S.

Rapid species identification of cooked poisonous mushrooms by using real-time PCR.

Species-specific identification of the major cooked and fresh poisonous mushrooms in Japan was performed using a real-time PCR system. Specific fluorescence signals were detected, and no nonspecific signals were detected. Therefore, we succeeded in developing a species-specific test for the identification of poisonous mushrooms within 1.