Earticle

Somatic hybrids of inter-compatible and inter-incompatible strains were obtained by protoplast fusion. The fusion products between compatible strains, Pleurotus ostreatus and P. florida, formed heterokaryons, while fusants between incompatible strains such as P. cornucopiae + P. florida , P. ostreatus + Ganoderma applanatum, P. florida + Ganoderma lucidum, and P. ostreatus + Flammulina velutipes formed synkaryons that retained genes from both parents. The heterokaryons showed the same level of basidioma development. In contrast, the synkaryons showed unique characteristics including clamp connection formation at mitosis, either partner basidioma development, and abnormal segregation and recombination compared with inter-compatible strains. Synkaryons can be classified into homokaryoyic and heterokaryotic type. A comparison of somatic hybrids with compatible and incompatible strains was made using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis. The heterokaryons between compatible species showed the same level of variability and contained both parental RAPD bands. In contrast, most of the synkaryons between incompatible species showed similarity to those of either parental bands and non-parental RAPD bands. Synkaryons can be classified into microgenome insertion type and macrogenome insertion type. A tetrapolar mating system was found among monospore isolates in somatic hybrids and wild type P. ostreatus. Homokaryons from each somatic hybrid combination were paired with tester homokaryons of the initial wild type of P. ostreatus. The changed mating types were identified in progenies. The pattern of mating type switching in somatic hybrids depends on compatibility of fusion partner. There are several factors related to the mechanism of clamp connection formation and fruiting body development of synkaryons. Of these,the major factor may be associated with self-fertility and mating type switching such as homokaryotic fruiting of wild type P. ostreatus. This review will discuss these aspects.

Laccases are multicopper-containing enzymes which catalyze the oxidation of phenolic and nonphenolic compounds with the concomitant reduction of molecular oxygen. They often occur as isoenzymes, either constitutive or inducible, that oligomerize to multilateral complexes, what allow for penetration to the woody cell wall structure. White rot basidiomycete fungi may produce a number of laccase isoenzymes, some constitutively and others after induction. Fungal laccase is commonly induced by many ions, such as Cu2+, Cd2+ Ca2+, Li+, Mn2+, Ag+, Hg2+, Mn and Fe3+, phenolic compounds, some organic compounds, such as ethanol, isopropanol, cAMP, caffeine, p-anisidine, viscosinamide and paraquat, and nitrogens and even heat shock. A combination of Cu and pHB (p-hydroxybenzoic acid) made it possible to extend the inducible laccase activities over 30-fold. But the most effective inducer of laccase in the basidiomycete and other higher fungi is 2,5-xylidine, over 160-fold stimulation of laccase activity. The laccases are frequently encoded by gene families, as e.g. in Pycnoporus cinnabarinus, from which the lcc3-1 or the allelic form lac1 and lac3-2 have been cloned and sequenced. In the case of inducible forms the post-inductional laccase formation depends upon the synthesis of mRNA and the induction is due to the synthesis of a new protein.

Traditionally, Cordyceps species have been used as a part of herbal medicine in Oriental countries, including Korea for internal health, vigor and to cure different diseases related to heart, lung etc. In recent years, research on artificial fruiting of some species of the genus Cordyceps including C. militaris has been carried out extensively because of their medicinal value. Instability observed in the in vitro fruiting of C. militaris is reported in the present study.

This study was carried out to screen the fruiting body formation-specific genes from the medicinal mushroom Cordyceps militaris. A cDNA synthesized using total RNA from 4 stages of mushroom development, mycelium, primordium, immature fruiting body and mature fruiting body. Differential expression gene screening was performed by DD- PCR(Differential Display Arbitrary Primer PCR) with cDNA, we sequenced partial 6 genes using pGEM cloning vector. The DNA Sequence of the six DD-PCR products derived from differentially expressed genes was compared to that in the GenBank database by using the NCBI BLAST search to identify similarities to known sequences. Sequence analysis showed that six of DD-PCR products have unknown sequence.

This study was carried out to obtain basic data on physiological characteristics for an artificial cultivation of fruiting body of Cordyceps. Specimens such as Cordyceps longissima, C. militaris and C. pruinosa were collected at Mt. Halla of Cheju island in July, 2003. Among four different culture media which have been used for culture of mushrooms, MCM medium was selected for the favorable culture medium of the Cordyceps tested. The initial pH of solid medium for mycelial growth of Cordyceps was good in the range of pH 5.0~7.0 lower than 8.0. The mycelial growth of C. longissima was most favorable on culture media supplemented with glucose, one of monosaccharides. In C. militaris, nine carbon sources were favorable to the mycelial growth as compared with control among 11 carbon sources. Six nitrogen sources were favorable to the mycelial growth of C. longissima as compared with control among 9 carbon sources; namely, the mycelial growth of C. longissima was most favorable on culture media contained potassium nitrate, and followed in order by ammonium citrate and sodium nitrate in 4 weeks incubation.

The objectives of this experiment were to study the growth and development of fruiting body of the two Ganoderma lucidum isolates on log of the soft wood Paraserianthes falcataria and the hard wood Shorea sp., and determination of organic germanium and crude ganoderic acid content of the fruiting body produced. The two Ganoderma lucidum isolates used were one Indonesian native (Indonesia isolate) and another isolate was purchased from Fungi Perfecti, USA (commercial isolate). The development and quality of the primordium and fruiting body of the mushroom, in general, were influenced by the isolates used. The types of wood, however, had no effect on the quality of the primordium and fruiting body produced. The Indonesian isolate produced better fruiting body compared to that of the commercial isolate. The development of fruiting body from primordium, however, was low for the two isolates tested. In general, only about one third of the primordium developed further into mature fruiting bodies, except for the commercial isolate grown on the soft wood medium in which more than 60% of the primordium developed into mature fruiting body. Apart from producing normal fruiting body, the commercial isolate also produced an abnormal one, which had a white mature pileus, whereas the normal one was brownish red. The organic germanium concentration of the fruiting body produced on the hard wood, in general, was higher than that of grown on the soft wood. The fruiting body from commercial isolate had higher organic germanium concentration compared to that of Indonesian isolate in both wood types. The two isolates used, however, had almost the same value of the crude ganoderic acid concentration in both types of wood tested. The Indonesian isolate had higher total yield of both organic germanium and crude ganoderic acid of the fruiting body produced compared to that of the commercial isolate.

It shows that there is the fastest growth of S. crispa in the weak acid pH5. Also, it shows that S. crispa has the best environment in the MEF media. The next desirable one was as in this array: MES, MEI, YMF, YMM, YMT, YMB, YMI, MEA, PDA. The best fungi-growth of S. crispa is shown within the 0.2% addition of multi-mineral. The slow fungi-growth of S. crispa is shown within as the opposite. The phisical growth of S. crispa has a absolute need of comparatably large amount of P,K,N,S etc as inorganic minerals. In addition of that, as a minor element, Fe, Zn, Cu, Mo, Co, Mn, Cl etc are should be included. The best fungi-growth of S. crispa is shown within the 0.1% addition of biotin. The slow fungi-growth of S. crispa is shown within as the opposite. The best fungi-growth of S. crispa is shown within the 2% addition of fructose. The slow fungi-growth of S. crispa is shown within as the opposite.