Development and Evaluation of Real-Time Quantitative PCR Assays for Detection of Causing Brown Root Rot Disease.

Brown root rot disease (BRRD) is a highly destructive tree disease. Early diagnosis of BRRD has been challenging because the first symptoms and signs are often observed after extensive tissue colonization. Existing molecular detection methods, all based on the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, were developed without testing against global isolates, other wood-decay fungi, or host plant tissues.

Phylogeography of the wide-host range panglobal plant pathogen Phytophthora cinnamomi.

Various hypotheses have been proposed regarding the origin of the plant pathogen Phytophthora cinnamomi. P. cinnamomi is a devastating, highly invasive soilborne pathogen associated with epidemics of agricultural, horticultural and forest plantations and native ecosystems worldwide.

Tuber elevatireticulatum sp. nov., a new species of whitish truffle from Taiwan.

Background: There are estimated 180-220 species of Tuber described in the world, but the diversity of the genus in Taiwan is poorly known, with only two species recorded, i.e., Tuber formosanum and T.

The Genetic Structure of Phellinus noxius and Dissemination Pattern of Brown Root Rot Disease in Taiwan.

Since the 1990s, brown root rot caused by Phellinus noxius (Corner) Cunningham has become a major tree disease in Taiwan. This fungal pathogen can infect more than 200 hardwood and softwood tree species, causing gradual to fast decline of the trees. For effective control, we must determine how the pathogen is disseminated and how the new infection center of brown root rot is established.

MicroRNA-like small RNAs prediction in the development of Antrodia cinnamomea.

Antrodia cinnamomea, a precious, host-specific brown-rot fungus that has been used as a folk medicine in Taiwan for centuries is known to have diverse bioactive compounds with potent pharmaceutical activity. In this study, different fermentation states of A. cinnamomea (wild-type fruiting bodies and liquid cultured mycelium) were sequenced using the next-generation sequencing (NGS) technique.

Genomic and transcriptomic analyses of the medicinal fungus Antrodia cinnamomea for its metabolite biosynthesis and sexual development.

Antrodia cinnamomea, a polyporus mushroom of Taiwan, has long been used as a remedy for cancer, hypertension, and hangover, with an annual market of over $100 million (US) in Taiwan. We obtained a 32.15-Mb genome draft containing 9,254 genes.

Ophiodiaporthe cyatheae gen. et sp. nov., a diaporthalean pathogen causing a devastating wilt disease of Cyathea lepifera in Taiwan.

The scaly tree fern, Cyathea lepifera, in Taiwan has been devastated by an ascomycetous pathogen in recent years. This fungus resembles species of Diaporthe, but unlike anamorphs of Diaporthe that produce two types of conidia, its anamorph produces one conidium type. It is described herein as Ophiodiaporthe cyatheae gen.

Recent research and development of Antrodia cinnamomea.

Medicinal mushrooms have attracted much attention recently owing to their potent therapeutic activity, especially as chemopreventive and immunomodulatory agents. Antrodia cinnamomea is a treasured Taiwanese mushroom that has been used by aboriginal tribes for centuries to treat food intoxication and to enhance liver functions. It was included in Asian folk medicine in the last few decades with remarkable results in treating inflammatory disorders, cancers, hypertension and hepatitis.

Evaluation of dazomet as fumigant for the control of brown root rot disease.

Background: Brown root rot disease caused by Phellinus noxius is widespread in approximately 216 tree and plant species in tropical and subtropical countries. No direct means of protection against P. noxius infection have thus far been developed.

Cloning and characterization of the lanosterol 14alpha-demethylase gene from Antrodia cinnamomea.

Sterol 14alpha-demethylase (CYP51) is one of the key enzymes for sterol biosynthesis in fungi; it is widely distributed in all members of the cytochrome P450 superfamily. In this study, AcCyp51, encoding a cytochrome P450 sterol 14alpha-demethylase, was obtained from the sequences of EST libraries of Antrodia cinnamomea by using 5' RACE and genome walking methods. The open reading frame of AcCyp51 is 1635 bp and encodes 544 amino acids.

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.

A triterpenoid methyl antcinate K isolated from Antrodia cinnamomea promotes dendritic cell activation and Th2 differentiation.

Dendritic cells (DC) play a central role in the initiation and regulation of immune responses. Increasing evidence has indicated that manipulation of DC can serve as a therapeutic mechanism for immunomodulation. In this study we tested some unique compounds isolated from Antrodia cinnamomea, a medicinal fungus in Taiwan, on mouse bone marrow-derived DC activation.

Molecular characterization and expression analysis of Acmago and AcY14 in Antrodia cinnamomea.

Mago nashi (Mago) and Y14 proteins, highly conserved among eukaryotes, participate in mRNA localization and splicing, and as such play important roles in oogenesis, embryogenesis and germ-line sex determination during animal development. Here we identified mago (Acmago) and Y14 (AcY14) homologues derived from Antrodia cinnamomea. Acmago encodes 149 amino acids and AcY14 encodes 168 amino acids.

Lanostanes from Phellinus igniarius and their iNOS inhibitory activities.

Four new lanostanol-type triterpenoids, igniarens A - D ( 1- 4), were isolated from the fruit body of Phellinus igniarius together with two known triterpenoids, and two known ergostanes. These four new compounds were identified by spectroscopic analysis as 22 R-hydroxy-24-methylene-29-norlanost-7, 9(11)-dien-3-one (1), 3alpha,22 R-dihydroxy-24-methylene-29-norlanost-7, 9(11)-diene (2), 3alpha,22 R-dihydroxy-24-methylene-29-norlanost-8-ene ( 3), and 3alpha,22 R-dihydroxy-24-methylenelanost-8-ene ( 4). Their effects on NO production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated macrophages were assessed.

Compound MMH01 possesses toxicity against human leukemia and pancreatic cancer cells.

MMH01 is a compound isolated from Antrodia cinnamomea. MMH01 markedly inhibited growth of human leukemia U937 and pancreatic cancer BxPC3 cells. It resulted in distinct patterns of cell cycle distribution in U937 (G2/M, sub-G1 and polyploidy) and BxPC3 cells (G0/G1 and sub-G1).

Lanostane-triterpenoids from the fungus Phellinus gilvus.

Triterpenoids gilvsins A-D (1-4), with oxygenated lanostane skeletons, were isolated from the fruiting body of Phellinus gilvus, together with two known compounds, 24-methylenelanost-8-ene-3beta, 22-diol and 5alpha-ergosta-7,22-diene-3-one. The structures of 1-4 were deduced from analysis of spectroscopic data. The absolute configuration at C-22 of 1 was determined by the modified Mosher's method and the structure of 1 was confirmed by X-ray analysis.

Isolation and analysis of genes specifically expressed during basidiomatal development in Antrodia cinnamomea by subtractive PCR and cDNA microarray.

cDNAs specifically expressed at the basidiome stage were isolated by using PCR-selected cDNA subtraction in order to study gene regulation during porous-hymenium basidiomatal formation in Antrodia cinnamomea. blastx results suggested that most of the expressed sequence tags (52.4-69.

Antifungal activity of essential oil and its constituents from Calocedrus macrolepis var. formosana Florin leaf against plant pathogenic fungi.

Resistance to conventional fungicides causes the poor disease control of agriculture. Natural products from plants have great potential as novel fungicide sources for controlling pathogenic fungi. In this study antipathogenic activity of the leaf essential oil and its constituents from Calocedrus macrolepis var.

Anti-inflammatory ergostanes from the basidiomata of Antrodia salmonea.

Three new anti-oxidative ergostanes, methyl antcinate L (1), antcin M (2), and methyl antcinate K (3), together with nine additional known compounds, 3-ketodehydrosulphurenic acid, sulphurenic acid, dehydrosulphurenic acid, 3beta,15alpha-dihydroxylanosta-7,9(11),24-trien-21-oic acid, zhankuic acid A, zhankuic acid B, zhankuic acid C, antcin C, and antcin K were isolated from the basidiomata of Antrodia salmonea, a newly identified species of Antrodia (Polyporaceae) in Taiwan. These three new compounds were identified as methyl 3alpha,7alpha,12alpha-trihydroxy-4alpha-methylergosta-8,24(29)-dien-11-on-26-oate (1), 3alpha,12alpha-dihydroxy-4alpha-methylergosta-8,24(29)-dien-11-on-26-oic acid (2), and methyl 3alpha,4beta,7beta-trihydroxy-4alpha-methylergosta-8,24(29)-dien-11-on-26-oate (3) by spectroscopic analysis. We studied their antioxidative potential on the production of reactive oxygen species and nitric oxide (NO) in neutrophils and microglial cells, respectively.

New lanostanes and naphthoquinones isolated from Antrodia salmonea and their antioxidative burst activity in human leukocytes.

Four new compounds were isolated from the basidiomata of the fungus Antrodia salmonea, a newly identified species of Antrodia (Aphyllophorales) in Taiwan. These new compounds are named as lanosta-8,24-diene-3beta,15alpha,21-triol (1), 24-methylenelanost-8-ene-3beta,15alpha,21-triol (2), 2,3-dimethoxy-5-(2',5'-dimethoxy-3',4'-methylenedioxyphenyl)-7-methyl-[1,4]-naphthoquinone (3), and 2,3-dimethoxy-6-(2',5'-dimethoxy-3',4'-methylenedioxyphenyl)-7-methyl-[1,4]-naphthoquinone (4), respectively. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods.

Promotion of hyphal growth and underlying chemical changes in Antrodia camphorata by host factors from Cinnamomum camphora.

The aim of this research was to investigate the hyphal growth-promoting factors (HGFs) of Antrodia camphorata from the host-related species, Cinnamomum camphora (CC) and the underlying chemical produced. The HGF was identified in the polysaccharide fraction of CC at levels ranging from 80 to 320 mg L(-1), and it maximally stimulated growth to 5.50 g L(-1) during a 14-day culture period compared to that of the control of 2.

Study for anti-angiogenic activities of polysaccharides isolated from Antrodia cinnamomea in endothelial cells.

The main purposes of this study were to investigate the regulation of polysaccharides isolated from A. cinnamomea on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-induced cyclin D1 expression and down stream signaling pathway that may correlate with their anti-angiogenc effects in endothelial cells (ECs). Crude and fractionated polysaccharides (Fra-1 to Fra-4) of A.

Evaluation of the anti-inflammatory activity of zhankuic acids isolated from the fruiting bodies of Antrodia camphorata.

We have previously shown that a concentrated ethanol extract of the fruiting bodies of Antrodia camphorata exhibited immunomodulating effects in human leukocytes and fourteen compounds including zhankuic acids A, B, C, and antcin K were identified in the extract. In this study, an acute cellular model in isolated peripheral human neutrophils was established to elucidate the anti-inflammatory effects of these compounds. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and firm adhesion by neutrophils display two important responses during inflammation.

Taiwanoporia, a new aphyllophoralean genus.

A new genus, Taiwanoporia, is proposed to accommodate a new species, T. amylospora, recently collected in Taiwan. This species has a monomitic hyphal system with simple septa, and amyloid, hyaline, smooth, subglobose basidiospores.

Effect of Soil Moisture Content on the Survival of Ganoderma Species and Other Wood-Inhabiting Fungi.

The survival of mycelia of Ganoderma australe, G. boninense, G. lucidum, and G.