Identification of Armillaria field isolates using isozymes and mycelial growth characteristics

This research was conducted to develop procedures based on mycelial growth characteristics and patterns of esterase (EST) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) production by diffuse mycelia for identification of Armillaria field isolates from Quercus-Carya-Pinus forests in the Ozark Mountains (central USA). The 285 isolates collected were first identified by standard diploid-haploid pairing tests as A. gallica, A. mellea, or A. tabescens. A strong PPO band was diagnostic for A. gallica. All A. mellea isolates tested and 91% of the A. tabescens isolates tested were distinguished based on production of EST bands in three standardized R f ranges. A procedure based on mycelial growth and morphology on tannic acid medium (TA) at 24 °C and on malt extract medium (ME) at 33 °C correctly identified 98% of A. gallica isolates and all A. mellea and A. tabescens isolates. On TA, A. gallica grew slowest. On ME, A. mellea grew slowest: mycelial morphology differed among species; A. gallica typically stained the agar and produced an appressed/submerged growth pattern with concentric bands of decreasing hyphal density, A. mellea typically did not stain the agar and produced round mycelia with smooth margins and abundant aerial hyphae, A. tabescens typically stained the agar and grew appressed/submerged with very irregular margins and patchy hyphal density. These are the first published systems evaluating the potential for identifying Armillaria field isolates based on their mycelial growth characteristics and EST and PPO complements. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Nonspecific elicitation of defense reaction in suspension tobacco cells by elicitors fromArmillaria

Ergosterol and chitin oligomers were detected in water extracts from Armillaria gallica, A. cepistipes, A. tabescens, A. ostoyae and A. mellea containing as active components elicitors able to trigger early events of defense reaction in suspension tobacco cells. More virulent strains of A. ostoyae and A. mellea had the same ability of elicitation as weak pathogens A. gallica, A. cepistipes, A. tabescens. The elicitation of the defense reaction early events by chitin oligomers was markedly enhanced by ergosterol probably due to the activation of several signal pathways.     

A study on intersterility groups of Armillaria in China

Mating tests were used to identify 282 basidiocarp specimens of Armillaria collected in 15 Chinese provinces, mostly in northern and southwestern parts of the country. Fourteen intersterile taxa were found, including the species A. borealis, A. gallica, A. mellea s.str., A. ostoyae, A. sinapina and A. tabescens and eight so far unnamed taxa called Chinese Biological Species (CBS) C, F, G, H, J, L, N and O. The CBS F might be A. singula, previously recorded from Japan, but six Chinese groups, C, H, J, L, N and O, are probably new biological species. The sexual system of 13 taxa is tetrapolar heterothallism. Homothallic forms also were found; they show a low degree of sexual compatibility with A. mellea s.str. and tentatively are included in the CBS G, but it is unclear whether this is a homogeneous group. Notes are presented on the distribution and ecology of the identified taxa.     

大兴安岭和长白山地区蜜环菌生物种的研究

从大兴安岭和长白山采集到30号蜜环菌(Armillaria mellea)标本,选其中有代表性的10个号的担子果获得单孢株。交配试验表明每一担子果都具有双因子异宗配合系。不同子实体交配型之间交配结果表明,在大兴安岭和长白山地区蜜环菌目前至少存在5个生物种,分别称为生物种A、B、C、D和E。将这5个生物种的单孢菌种与欧洲5个蜜环菌生物种的单孢菌株进行配合,生物种B与欧洲A.gallica,生物种E与欧洲A.ostoyae亲和交配,因此将生物种B和E分别定为A.gallica和A.ostoyae。生物种A、C和D则不与任何欧洲生物种交配。     

Evaluation of partial tef1, rpb2, and nLSU sequences for identification of isolates representing Armillaria calvescens and Armillaria gallica from northeastern North America

Armillaria calvescens and Armillaria gallica are two of the most closely-related species of Armillaria in North America and have been difficult to distinguish from one another using morphological and molecular techniques. In an attempt to better distinguish these two species, partial sequences of the elongation factor-1 alpha (tef1), RNA polymerase II (rpb2), and nuclear large subunit (nLSU) genes were generated for 32 total isolates; 12 isolates each for A. calvescens and A. gallica, along with two isolates each of Armillaria gemina, Armillaria mellea, Armillaria sinapina, and Armillaria solidipes. Within the tef1 amplicon, five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were present between A. calvescens and A. gallica. Phylogenetic reconstruction using the maximum likelihood (ML) and maximum parsimony (MP) methods showed that tef1 was the only gene capable of distinguishing A. calvescens from A. gallica, and additionally, all isolates representing the six northeastern North American species. Partial tef1 sequences grouped A. calvescens into a strongly-supported, monophyletic clade with bootstrap support (BS) values of 98/98% (ML/MP), while A. gallica was grouped into a monophyletic clade with lower BS support (76/59%). The results illustrate the utility of partial tef1 sequences for the identification of field isolates of Armillaria from northeastern North America.     

Delineation of the European Armillaria species based on the sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) of ribosomal DNA

Variation within the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) of the ribosomal RNA gene of 15 isolates representing seven European Armillaria species, was examined by sequencing of the PCR-amplified products. The analysis of an 744-bp region showed that the 5.8S gene appeared to be highly conserved in the 15 isolates and in other Basidiomycetes and Ascomycetes, whereas ITS1 and especially ITS2 spacers exhibited polymorphisms due to base substitutions, insertions or deletions of up to eight nucleotides. An initial dendrogram for the full sequence was drawn using cluster analysis (UPGMA), and a tree was constructed using the maximum parsimony method. Both methods indicated that the isolates could be divided into four major groups. One group, consisting of A. ectypa , was distinct from all the other species. Examination of the other groups indicated that A. tabescens and A. mellea were in a separated cluster, with a significant variation between the two isolates of the latter species. A. gallica and A. cepistipes constituted another closely related group distinguishable from A. ostoyae and A. borealis , these latter two species exhibiting the highest similarity. The results are consistent with, and discussed in regard to, the relationships estimated previously by pairing tests, morphological and physiological comparisons, as well as by restriction fragment length polymorphism of the rDNA.     

中国北方地区蜜环菌生物种的初步研究

对采自北京东灵山地区、黑龙江带岭地区、以及帽儿山地区不同寄主上的１５个蜜环菌子实体进行了极性测试和生物种测定。配对培养结果表明１５个子实体中共存在着四个生物种,分别命名为ＣｈＢＳＩ、ＣｈＢＳＩ、ＣｈＢＳⅢ和ＣｈＢＳⅣ。除生物种ＣｈＢＳⅢ的极性不清楚外,其它生物种都是四极性异宗配合的真菌。东灵山菌株中的两个生物种是ＣｈＢＳⅡ和ＣｈＢＳⅣ,带岭菌株中的两个生物种是ＣｈＢＳＩ和ＣｈＢＳⅢ,帽儿山菌株是生物种ＣｈＢＳⅠ。经过中国生物种与欧洲生物种的配对培养,发现生物种ＣｈＢＳⅣ与Ａｒｍｉｌａｒｉａｇａｌｉｃａ融合。     

黑龙江省蜜环菌生物种的地理分布概况

自1999年至2002年间对黑龙江省境内几个主要林区中的蜜环菌生物种进行了调查、采集和鉴定,并对其寄主种类和子实体发生规律以及地理分布特点进行了总结分析。结果表明:黑龙江省境内至少存在5个蜜环菌生物种,即芥黄蜜环菌Armillaria sinapina,高卢蜜环菌A.gallica,黄盖蜜环菌A.luteopileata,奥氏蜜环菌A.ostoyae和中国生物种F;寄主包括10个针叶和阔叶树种;与其他几种蜜环菌生物种相比较,A.gallica是黑龙江省境内出现概率最大的一个生物种;根据采集经验发现,温度和湿度是影响子实体发生的主要因子。     

Haploid vegetative mycelia of Armillaria gallica show among-cell-line variation for growth and phenotypic plasticity

Vegetative mycelial cells of Armillaria are expected to have diploid nuclei. Cells from a single mycelium therefore would not be expected to differ from one another for ecologically relevant quantitative traits. We isolated two sets of basidiome cell lines (from spores and stipe cells) and one set of vegetative cell lines (from an attached rhizomorph) from a single contiguous Armillaria gallica mycelium. We isolated a second set of vegetative cell lines from the soil 20 cm from the above basidiome-rhizomorph complex. In all four sets of cell lines in situ DAPI-DNA measurements showed cells are haploid and quantitative-trait analyses of cell lines grown at different water potentials revealed high levels of among-cell-line genetic variation for both growth and phenotypic plasticity. Haploidy and the existence of ecologically relevant genetic variation within vegetative individuals are unexpected and mean that a process similar to evolutionary adaptation could take place within the soma of a genetic individual. We believe this is a key to understanding how large A. gallica mycelia survive exposure to variation in ecological conditions during lives that potentially span several tree (host) generations.     

Study on Ultrastructure and Localization of Acid Phosphatase of Gastrodia elata Cortical Cells in Their Digestive Process of Armillaria mellea

In order to study the mechanism of the digestive process of Armillaria mellea in Castrodia data, electron microscopy and cytochemical method for determination of acid phosphatase activity was employed. The provacuoles were formed by means of expanded or convoluted ER under the stimulation of cortical cells and large cells of Gastrodia data by Armillaria mellea. A product of acid phosphatase (lead phosphate deposits) occured on the tonoplast. The papillae were produced in the cell wall of cortex in Gastrodia data when Armillaria mellea penetrated into its cortex. Our results showed that the enzyme was not released from cell of Armillaria mellea. A number of small vacuoles in the cortical cells disappeared. At the same time, lead phosphate deposits on the Armillaria mellea hyphae wall were observed and than Armillaria mellea hyphae wall was going to be digested, and the hyphae lost their structure. The activity of Armillaria mellea hyphae was not observed in the large cell of Gastrodia data. A great deal of small vacuoles and mitochondria were produced, at the same time the renewable nuclei and nuclolar vacuoles etc. appeared in the large cells of Gastrodia data under the stimulation of Armillaria mellea.     

山东省的菌根真菌及分布

1842年Vittadini观察到树木小根可以从在其上面形成根套的真菌中获得营养。1885年Frank发展和完善了Vittadini 的观察,提出     

Genetic Diversity within an Italian Population of Forest Armillaria gallica Isolates as Assessed by RAPD-PCR Analysis

The genus Armillaria includes harmful fungal pathogens that cause root rot and wood decay in a broad range of host plants throughout the world. The aim of this study was to detect, by means of Random amplified polymorphic DNA-polymerase chain reaction (RAPD-PCR) markers, the level of intraspecific variability within isolates of an Armillaria gallica population sampled from a Quercus spp. stand located in Gravina in Puglia, southern Italy. UPGMA cluster analysis of RAPD profiles generated by decamer primers grouped the isolates in subclusters demonstrating relatively low intraspecific genetic variability. Moreover, RAPD pattern analysis yielded clusters which did not correspond to the groups discriminated by vegetative compatibility tests performed by a previous investigation on the same population. The findings of this research pose the question of whether somatic incompatibility, which involves an undefined number of genes and alleles per gene, might still be considered an effective tool for the epidemiological studies of A. gallica , whereas molecular analyses are more useful for assessing genomic variation within the species.     

中国蜜环菌生物种的RAPD分析

以中国蜜环菌(Armillaria mellea (vahl: Fr.) Kummer)生物种B．生物种E分别与欧洲种A. gallica 和A. ostoyae交配,用AP—PCR技术分析了中国五个生物种及欧洲2个种的代表菌株的系统发育关系。根据系统聚类分析的结果,将其分为4个群：生物种B与A．Gallia, A与C,D与E,A. ostoyae 单独为一群。这与交配试验及RAPD图谱直观分析的结果一致,最小支撑树也支持将中国生物种B鉴定为A．Gallica。证明RAPD是研究蜜环菌生物种的进化关系的有用手段。     

中国与欧洲高卢蜜环菌的遗传多样性

高卢蜜环菌(Armillaria gallica)为北半球广布种,不同大陆间的菌株遗传相似性和多样性水平能反映出该种在洲际大陆尺度上的地理遗传变异关系。作者用ISSR(inter-simple sequence repeat)分子标记技术,对从中国和欧洲收集到的高卢蜜环菌79个菌株进行了遗传多样性分析。用6个ISSR引物扩增得到210个位点,其中多态性位点(频率<0.95)为202个,占96.2%,平均每个引物多态位点多达33.6个,表明ISSR标记在蜜环菌中存在较高的多态性。根据非加权类平均法(UPGMA)聚类分析,中国53个菌株中的49个在0.773的相似性水平上聚成了中国类群(China group);而欧洲26个菌株遗传分化较大,分别在0.775和0.763的相似性水平上聚成了欧洲类群A(Europe group A)和B(Europe group B);2个欧洲类群间的相似性水平仅为0.738,而欧洲类群A与中国类群间的相似性却达到了0.770;两个大陆均有少数菌株表现出较为明显的遗传分化,个别菌株的种内遗传相似性甚至低于蜜环菌种间的遗传相似性。结果表明,中欧两个大陆间的A.gallica菌株因地理隔离已经表现出明显的遗传分化,处于异域物种形成过程中;欧洲大陆的菌株遗传分化更为明显,可能是两个大陆A.gallica菌株的起源地。     

蜜环菌(Armillaria mellea)内参基因的筛选

[背景]蜜环菌属(Armillaria)是一类营腐生或寄生生活的药食两用型真菌,研究其功能基因表达具有重要意义。[目的]筛选并获得蜜环菌(Armillaria mellea)最稳定的内参基因。[方法]以蜜环菌(A.mellea)541为研究对象,以马铃薯琼脂糖培养基培养的菌丝和菌索为对照组,以添加还原型烟酰胺腺嘌呤二核苷酸磷酸(nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate,NADPH)氧化酶抑制剂氯化二亚苯基碘鎓(diphenyleneiodonium chloride,DPI)培养的菌丝和菌索为抑制剂组,以添加木屑培养的菌丝和菌索为诱导剂组,利用RT-qPCR技术和BestKeeper程序系统评估候选内参基因ACT-1、α-TUB、β-TUB 1、γ-TUB、UBQ、EF-lγ、18S rRNA biogenesis protein基因(18S rRNA BP)和GAPDH的表达量稳定性。[结果]内参基因EF-1γ在对照组、DPI抑制剂组和木屑诱导剂组中的表达量稳定性最好。[结论]EF-1γ为蜜环菌(A.mellea)的最佳内参基因,为蜜环菌属真菌功能基因表达研究提供了参考。     

Increased heat resistance in mycelia from wood fungi prevalent in forests characterized by fire: a possible adaptation to forest fire

Forest fires have been the major stand-replacing/modifying disturbance in boreal forests. To adapt to fire disturbance, different strategies have evolved. This study focuses on wood fungi, and a specific adaptation to forest fire: increased heat resistance in their mycelia. Fifteen species of wood fungi were selected and a priori sorted in two groups according to their prevalence in fire-affected environments. The fungi were cultivated on fresh wood and exposed to 100, 140, 180, 220 °C for 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 min. under laboratory conditions. A clear difference was found among the two groups. Species prevalent in fire-affected habitats had a much higher survival rate over all combinations of time and temperature compared to species associated with other environments. Thus, the results indicate that fire adaptation in terms of increased heat resistance in mycelia occurs in some species of wood fungi. Such adaptation will influence the ecology and population dynamics of wood fungi, as well as having implications for best practices during restoration fires.     

Purification and characterization of fibrinolytic enzyme from cultured mycelia of Armillaria mellea

A fibrinolytic enzyme was purified from the cultured mycelia of Armillaria mellea by ion-exchange chromatography followed by gel filtration, and was designated A. mellea metalloprotease (AMMP). The purification protocol resulted in a 627-fold purification of the enzyme, with a final yield of 6.05%. The apparent molecular mass of the purified enzyme was estimated to be 21kDa by SDS-PAGE, fibrin-zymography and gel filtration chromatography, which revealed a monomeric form of the enzyme. The optimal reaction pH value and temperature were, pH 6.0, and 33 degrees C, respectively. This protease effectively hydrolyzed fibrinogen, preferentially digesting the Aalpha-chain over the Bbeta- and r-chains. Enzyme activity was inhibited by Cu(2+) and Co(2+), but enhanced by the addition of Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) ions. Furthermore, AMMP activity was potently inhibited by EDTA, and was found to exhibit a higher specificity for the substrate S-2586 for chymotrypsin, indicating that the enzyme is a chymotrypsin-like metalloprotease. The first 24 amino acid residues of the N-terminal sequence were MFSLSSRFFLYTLCL SAVAVSAAP, which is extremely similar to the 24 amino acid residues of the N-terminal sequence of the fruiting body of A. mellea. These data suggest that the fibrinolytic enzyme AMMP, obtained from the A. mellea exhibits a profound fibrinolytic activity. The mycelia of A. mellea may thus represent a potential source of new therapeutic agents to treat thrombosis.     

Characterization of Armillaria isolates from tea (Camellia sinensis) in Kenya

Armillaria is a primary root rot pathogen of tea (Camellia sinensis) in Kenya. The main species presently described in this country are A. mellea and A. heimii. A survey covering fourteen districts of Kenya was carried out and forty-seven isolates of Armillaria collected. Cultural morphology, rhizomorph characteristics, somatic incompatibility and features of basidiomata were used to characterize the isolates, together with molecular analysis based on randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR), restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and the intergenic spacer (IGS) regions and sequence of the IGS region. It can be concluded that two Armillaria species were present and they were different from A. mellea. The first group was morphologically similar to A. heimii but this was contradicted by the molecular data, suggesting that A. heimii could be a complex of several species. The second group was different from the first and morphological and molecular data strongly suggest that it could be a new Armillaria species.     

Ligninolytic enzyme complex ofArmillaria spp

Ten strains belonging to five species of European Armillaria (Fr.:Fr.) Staude were examined for their ability to produce laccase, lignin peroxidase, manganese-dependent peroxidase and manganese-independent peroxidase. No lignin peroxidase activity was observed in any of the strains. Manganese-dependent peroxidase production by all tested strains was low. Difference in the ratio of laccase to manganese-independent peroxidase in strains of A. gallica in comparison to all other species was detected.