Hygrophorus subsection Hygrophorus (Hygrophoraceae, Agaricales) in China.

Hygrophorus subsect. Hygrophorus has been relatively well-studied in Europe and North America, but studies on the taxa in Asia, particularly in China, are still limited. In this study, phylogenetic overviews of genus Hygrophorus, based on the nuclear large subunit (LSU) ribosomal RNA gene and of subsect. Hygrophorus, based on the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions were generated. Four new species, i.e. H. brunneodiscus, H. fuscopapillatus, H. glutiniceps and H. griseodiscus are described from southern China; and a rarely reported edible species H. hedrychii is described in detail, based upon the materials from north-eastern China. The main characteristics of the species under subsect. Hygrophorus worldwide are summarised in a table.

Additions to tribe Chromosereae (Basidiomycota, Hygrophoraceae) from China, including Sinohygrocybe gen. nov. and a first report of Gloioxanthomycesnitidus.

Sinohygrocybe gen. nov., typified by S.tomentosipes sp. nov., is described upon morphological and molecular evidence. The new genus is characterised by its sinuate to subdecurrent or short deccurent, usually furcate and interveined and relatively distant lamellae, dry and whitish tomentose stipe, thin-walled ellipsoid to oviod, non-constricted basidiospores and particularly elongated basidia and a ratio of basidiospore to basidium length of >5 to 8; it is close to genera Chromosera and Gloioxanthomyces of the tribe Chromosereae, but morphologically differs from Chromosera in less umbilicate basidiomata, tomentose stipe and usually longer basidia and differs from Gloioxanthomyces in more robust basidioma and less glutinous pileus and/or stipe surface. Phylogenetic analyses, with ITS-LSU-RPB2 data, also indicate that Sinohygrocybe forms a very distinct and independent clade at the generic level. In addition, a Chinese new record G.nitidus is described here.

Illumina-based de novo transcriptome sequencing and analysis of Amanita exitialis basidiocarps.

Amanita exitialis is a lethal mushroom that was first discovered in Guangdong Province, China. The high content of amanitin in its basidiocarps makes it lethal to humans. To comprehensively characterize the A. exitialis transcriptome and analyze the Amanita toxins as well as their related gene family, transcriptome sequencing of A. exitialis was performed using Illumina HiSeq 2000 technology. A total of 25,563,688 clean reads were collected and assembled into 62,137 cDNA contigs with an average length of 481 bp and N50 length of 788 bp. A total of 27,826 proteins and 39,661 unigenes were identified among the assembled contigs. All of the unigenes were classified into 166 functional categories for understanding the gene functions and regulation pathways. The genes contributing to toxic peptide biosynthesis were analyzed. From this set, eleven gene sequences encoding the toxins or related cyclic peptides were discovered in the transcriptome. Three of these sequences matched the peptide toxins α-amanitin, ß-amanitin, and phallacidin, while others matched amanexitide and seven matched unknown peptides. All of the genes encoding peptide toxins were confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in A. exitialis, and the phylogenetic relationships among these proprotein sequences were discussed. The gene polymorphism and degeneracy of the toxin encoding sequences were found and analyzed. This study provides the first primary transcriptome of A. exitialis, which provided comprehensive gene expression information on the lethal amanitas at the transcriptional level, and could lay a strong foundation for functional genomics studies in those fungi.

[Study on biological characteristics of Cordyceps ramosa mycelia].

OBJECTIVE: To study the biological characteristics of Cordyceps ramosa mycelia. METHODS: The effects of temperature, pH, carbon source, nitrogen source and C/N ratio on the mycelial growth of Cordyceps ramosa were investigated. RESULTS: The optimum temperature, pH, carbon source, nitrogen source and C/N ratio for the mycelial growth were 25 degrees C, 5.0-7.0, soluble starch, yeast extract and 24:1, respectively. CONCLUSION: The results provide a reference for cultivation of Cordyceps ramosa.