Effect of Colloidal Metal Nanoparticles on Biomass, Polysaccharides, Flavonoids, and Melanin Accumulation in Medicinal Mushroom Inonotus obliquus (Ach.:Pers.) Pilát.

The article explores effect of colloidal nanoparticles (NPs) of Ag, Fe, and Mg metals on the growth activity of the medicinal mushroom Inonotus obliquus (Ach.:Pers.) Pilát and the synthesis of biologically active compounds (polysaccharides, flavonoids, and melanins).

Effect of Light Wavelengths and Coherence on Growth, Enzymes Activity, and Melanin Accumulation of Liquid-Cultured Inonotus obliquus (Ach.:Pers.) Pilát.

To investigate effects of light wavelengths and coherence on growth of liquid-cultured Inonotus obliquus mycelia, melanin accumulation and enzymes activity, culture condition as light of different wavelengths and coherence were studied. Short-term exposure of the vegetative mycelium by low-intensity coherent blue light was optimal for stimulation of growth, melanin synthesis, and increase in extracellular and intracellular activities of tyrosinase and polyphenoloxidase and extracellular catalase. Red coherent light, in the same mode, can effectively be used to stimulate the growth of mycelium and to increase intracellular and extracellular activity of polyphenoloxidase, extracellular catalase and tyrosinase, and intracellular peroxidase.

Effects of ionizing radiation on the antioxidant system of microscopic fungi with radioadaptive properties found in the Chernobyl exclusion zone.

Some microscopic fungi found in the area of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone appear to have unique radioadaptive properties associated with their capability to respond positively to the effects of ionizing irradiation. On the one hand, this capability can be used potentially in bio-remediation technologies, and on the other hand, it requires additional, more thorough studies to identify its underlying mechanisms. Practically, no data are currently available on mechanisms for implementation of these radioadaptive properties by microscopic fungi.

Fungi and ionizing radiation from radionuclides.

Radionuclides in the environment are one of the major concerns to human health and ecotoxicology. The explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant renewed interest in the role played by fungi in mediating radionuclide movement in ecosystems. As a result of these studies, our knowledge of the importance of fungi, especially in their mycorrhizal habit, in long-term accumulation of radionuclides, transfer up the food chain and regulation of accumulation by their host plants was increased.

The influence of ionizing radiation on spore germination and emergent hyphal growth response reactions of microfungi.

The accident at the Chernobyl Atomic Energy Station resulted in radiation contamination of large tracts of land and particularly the reactor building itself. Sustained exposure of microfungi to radiation appears to have resulted in formerly unknown adaptive features, such as directed growth of fungi to sources of ionizing radiation. We evaluate here spore germination and subsequent emergent hyphal growth of microfungi in the presence of pure gamma or mixed beta and gamma radiation of fungi isolated from a range of long term background radiation levels.

Ionizing radiation attracts soil fungi.

During the last 15 years, about 2000 strains of 200 species of 98 genera of fungi have been isolated from around the Chernobyl Atomic Energy Station. Many of these microfungi are capable of growing into and decomposing 'hot particles'; carbon based radioactive graphite from the reactor and there are suggestions that some fungi actively direct their growth toward sources of radioactivity, possibly attracted to the carbon skeleton of these structures. In our experiments, we eliminated the confounding effects of carbon as a fungal resource, by developing experimental protocols that expose fungal spores and their germinating hyphae to directional sources of ionizing radiation allowing us to measure fungal response to ionizing radiation per se.