FUNGI FUN
Finding a home for the wandering mushrooms —— Phylogenetic and taxonomic updates of Agaricales
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THE AGARICALES WAS DIVIDED IN TO 10 SUBORDERS. PHYLLOTOPSIDINEAE AND SARCOMYXINEAE ARE PROPOSED AS NEW SUBORDERS IN THIS STUDY.
view moreCREDIT: GENG-SHEN WANG, KUNMING INSTITUTE OF BOTANY, CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
Many edible, medicinal, and poisonous mushrooms that we are familiar with belong to the order Agaricales, which is a group of fungi with important economic and ecological value. Understanding the phylogenetic relationships of Agaricales can help us to know their evolutionary history and diversity, as well as their interactions with other organisms. Moreover, the phylogenetic framework of Agaricales can provide a basis for conserving biodiversity, such as measuring phylogenetic diversity and assessing the uniqueness and importance of different species.
Previous studies divided Agaricales into 8 suborders and 46 families, but the systematic position and phylogenetic relationship of some genera and species were unclear. For example, genera Tricholomopsis and Sarcomyxa have been controversial for a long time.
In collaboration with domestic and international colleagues, the research group of fungal diversity and molecular evolution at Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, conducted genome skimming of fungal specimens from the genera Tricholomopsis, Sarcomyxa, Macrotyphula, Phyllotopsis, and other related groups, and combined them with publicly available genome data of some other species of Agaricales from databases. Using various analytical methods, such as single-copy orthologous gene extraction, gene conflict detection, phylogenetic tree construction, and topology structure testing, they reconstructed the most resolved and robust phylogenetic framework of Agaricales based on the amino acid sequences of 555 single-copy orthologous genes, and clarified the phylogenetic relationships among suborders, as well as the systematic position of Tricholomopsis and Sarcomyxa. They proposed a new classification system of Agaricales with 10 suborders, and made some adjustments to the members of several suborders. They also formally published 2 new suborders (Sarcomyxineae and Phyllotopsidineae), 1 new genus (Conoloma), 2 new sections, and 6 new species, and solved many problems in the classification of Tricholomopsis in China. They also discussed the substrate preference and cap surface scale evolution of this genus.
“It has important scientific significance for further understanding the phylogenetic relationships among the major groups of Agaricales”, Geng-Shen Wang said.
See the article:
Phylogenetic and taxonomic updates of Agaricales, with an emphasis on Tricholomopsis
About Mycology
Mycology —— An International Journal on Fungal Biology is a renowned international, peer-reviewed, open access journal that publishes all aspects of mycological research, sponsored by the Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Mycological Society of China. Since its inception in 2010, Mycology received strong support from mycologists around the world. By publishing cutting-edge research and facilitating collaborations, Mycology strives to advance the understanding and knowledge of mycology, while fostering innovative research and scientific discussions in the field.
JOURNAL
Mycology: An International Journal on Fungal Biology
DOI
A novel strategy for extracting white mycelial pulp from fruiting mushroom bodies
Researchers successfully extract mycelial fibers from fruiting bodies of mushrooms without destroying their microsized mycelial structures
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RESEARCHERS FROM SHINSHU UNIVERSITY REPORT AN INNOVATIVE WAY OF OBTAINING BLEACHED WHITE MYCELIUM FIBERS FROM REISHI AND ENOKI MUSHROOMS WHILE PRESERVING THEIR MICROSCALE MYCELIAL STRUCTURES.
view moreCREDIT: SATOMI TAGAWA FROM SHINSHU UNIVERSITY, JAPAN
Mycelial fibers, the fibrous cells found in fruiting mushroom bodies, have gained momentum as a sustainable material for making leather and packaging owing to their excellent formability. Recently, a team of researchers from Shinshu University, Japan, has found a simple way of obtaining mycelial fibers, called “mycelial pulp,” from fruiting mushroom bodies and bleaching them using sunlight while keeping their mycelial structures intact.
Every year, humans generate millions of tons of waste, and almost 38% of that waste ends up in a landfill. A significant portion of it is made up of plastic or petroleum-based materials that can neither decompose nor degrade with time. This has led scientists to develop materials that are effective yet good for the environment.
One such alternative and renewable resource is mushroom-based materials. The root-like fruiting bodies of mushrooms, also known as mycelial fibers, have shown promising results as the new age, eco-friendly material for a wide range of consumer and industrial applications. The mycelium fibers from the fruiting body contain proteins, chitin, and polysaccharides, which make them ideal for making packaging materials, soundproofing, textiles, and much more. They are not only versatile but also have low environmental impact, are biodegradable, and have a low cost of production. However, conventional chemical or mechanical treatments used to obtain mycelium fibers have notable shortcomings. Many extraction processes tend to give the materials an unwanted color and often destroy their intricate mycelial structures, thereby limiting their nanoscale applications.
Now, a recent ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering paper, made available online on 21 October 2023 and published on 6 November 2023, provides a simple and effective way of obtaining mycelial pulp and fibers from mushrooms without destroying their structure.
“Mushrooms, previously known primarily as a food resource, will now be utilized in everyday household items, allowing people to choose products that are safe, reliable, and environmentally friendly,” says Assistant Professor Satomi Tagawa from the Faculty of Engineering at Shinshu University, who led this study.
Dr. Tagawa and her team members, Dr. Hiroya Nakauchi, recipient of the Research Fellowship for Young Scientists of Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) and Dr. Yoshihiko Amano, Professor at the Faculty of Engineering at Shinshu University, present a novel way of extracting the fibers which ensures that the mycelial structures remain intact.
The team treated the fruiting bodies of enoki mushrooms and the inedible reishi mushrooms with sodium hydroxide and hydrogen peroxide. They then bleached (or decolorized) the obtained substances by exposing them to sunlight. The now white material was subjected to ultrasonic treatment to defibrillate the pulp at a mycelial level. This process produced a dispersion containing micrometer-sized mycelium fibers with intact mycelial structures, as verified by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy.
The fibers obtained via this process showed excellent deformability and could be used for designing products like 3D porous sponges, 2D films, and 1D yarns.
Apart from obtaining a versatile mushroom-based material, this simple approach makes a valuable addition to the scrap-and-build approach for fabricating mushroom materials, which can complement the existing bottom-up approaches. “This technology has opened possibilities for upcycling unwanted by-products generated by the mushroom industry and making mushroom materials more circular and easier to reuse. We believe that further research on such sustainable materials and methods could create new industries, provide employment opportunities, and revitalize local communities,” remarks Dr. Tagawa, highlighting the scientific and social impact of their findings.
We hope that this research will help reduce waste on our planet and promote the bioeconomy!
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About Shinshu University
Shinshu University is a national university founded in 1949 and located nestled under the Japanese Alps in Nagano known for its stunning natural landscapes. Our motto, "Powered by Nature - strengthening our network with society and applying nature to create innovative solutions for a better tomorrow" reflects the mission of fostering promising creative professionals and deepening the collaborative relationship with local communities, which leads to our contribution to regional development by innovation in various fields. We’re working on providing solutions for building a sustainable society through interdisciplinary research fields: material science (carbon, fibre and composites), biomedical science (for intractable diseases and preventive medicine) and mountain science, and aiming to boost research and innovation capability through collaborative projects with distinguished researchers from the world. For more information visit https://www.shinshu-u.ac.jp/english/ or follow us on X (Twitter) @ShinshuUni for our latest news.
JOURNAL
ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering
METHOD OF RESEARCH
Experimental study
SUBJECT OF RESEARCH
Not applicable
ARTICLE TITLE
Preparation of Mycelium Pulp from Mushroom Fruiting Bodies
ARTICLE TITLE
Phylogenetic and taxonomic updates of Agaricales, with an emphasis on Tricholomopsis
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