Two new toxic yellow species from China: morphological characteristics, phylogenetic analyses and toxin detection.

Some species of caused neurotoxic poisoning after consumption around the world. However, there are a large number of species in this genus that have not been studied for their toxicity or toxin content. In this study, we report two new toxic yellow species from China based on morphological characteristics, phylogenetic analyses and toxin detection.

Novel Cyclic Peptides from Lethal Mushrooms through a Genome-Guided Approach.

Most species in the genus are ectomycorrhizal fungi comprising both edible and poisonous mushrooms. Some species produce potent cyclic peptide toxins, such as α-amanitin, which places them among the deadliest organisms known to mankind. These toxins and related cyclic peptides are encoded by genes of the "MSDIN" family (named after the first five amino acid residues of the precursor peptides), and it is largely unknown to what extent these genes are expressed in the basidiocarps.

Multi-locus phylogeny of lethal amanitas: implications for species diversity and historical biogeography.

Background: Lethal amanitas (Amanita section Phalloideae) are a group of wild, fatal mushrooms causing many poisoning cases worldwide. However, the diversity and evolutionary history of these lethal mushrooms remain poorly known due to the limited sampling and insufficient gene fragments employed for phylogenetic analyses. In this study, five gene loci (nrLSU, ITS, rpb2, ef1-α and β-tubulin) with a widely geographic sampling from East and South Asia, Europe, North and Central America, South Africa and Australia were analysed with maximum-likelihood, maximum-parsimony and Bayesian inference methods.