Scanning Electron Microscope Studies of Interactions between Agaricus bisporus (Lang) Sing Hyphae and Bacteria in Casing Soil

Relationships between the hyphae of Agaricus bisporus (Lang) Sing and bacteria from the mushroom bed casing layer were examined with a scanning electron microscope. Hyphae growing in the casing layer differed morphologically from compost-grown hyphae. Whereas the compost contained thin single hyphae surrounded by calcium oxalate crystals, the casing layer contained mainly wide hyphae or mycelial strands without crystals. The bacterial population in the hyphal environment consisted of several types, some attached to the hyphae with filamentlike structures. This attachment may be important in stimulation of pinhead initiation.     

Effect of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid deaminase producing bacteria on the hyphal growth and primordium initiation of Agaricus bisporus

The mechanism of casing soil stimulating the primordium formation of Agaricus bisporus is not well understood so far. Our results showed that 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) deaminase (AcdS)-producing bacteria were abundant in the casing soil of A. bisporus and accounted for up to 20 % of total culturable bacteria. A. bisporus produced ACC and ethylene. The supplement of methionine increased the ACC concentrations within the hyphae, and aminooxyacetic acid displayed an opposite effect. Methionine and ACC promoted the ethylene production while CoCl₂ suppressed the production. The AcdS-producing bacterial strain Pseudomonas putida UW4 co-cultured with A. bisporus could attach to hyphae, stimulate the hyphal growth, and reduce the ethylene production of A. bisporus. Added in sterilized casing soil, it induced the primordium formation of A. bisporus. In comparison, its AcdS-deficient mutant UW4-AcdS^? displayed the opposite effects. These results indicated that the inhibitor to the primordium formation of A. bisporus was ethylene; the AcdS-producing bacteria within the casing layer cleaved ACC, lowered the ethylene level in mushroom hyphae, and relieved the inhibition of ethylene. This is a new model of the synergism between bacteria and fungi.     

双孢蘑菇疣孢霉病的发病过程及病原菌的核相研究

【目的】确定有害疣孢霉的传播途径,明确双孢蘑菇受有害疣孢霉侵染后发病症状和微观形态变化,以及有害疣孢霉的核相。【方法】将有害疣孢霉喷施于培养料及覆土材料的不同深度,观察记录双孢蘑菇的发病情况;将有害疣孢霉接种于不同生长阶段的双孢蘑菇子实体,观察记录其发病情况;使用光学显微镜及扫描电镜观察双孢蘑菇子实体受有害疣孢霉侵染前后的形态变化;通过DAPI(4′,6-二脒基-2-苯基吲哚)染色的方法对有害疣孢霉核相进行观察。【结果】将有害疣孢霉接种于培养料及覆土层的不同深度得到双孢蘑菇发病率如下:覆土层表面覆土层中间覆土与培养料交界处培养料中间层;有害疣孢霉可以侵染双孢蘑菇的任意阶段,将其接种于原基直径小于3 mm子实体表面时,得到不能正常分化的"马勃状"组织;对有害疣孢霉的侵染过程进行观察得到:其孢子可粘附于双孢蘑菇表面,并萌发长出芽管,接种处双孢蘑菇表面产生褐色病斑,双孢蘑菇菌丝体发生质壁分离,最后菌丝体膨大,细胞壁变薄甚至溢裂,菌丝体内部中空;有害疣孢霉产生两种类型的分生孢子,Ⅰ类无隔膜含1个细胞核;Ⅱ类具1隔膜含2个细胞核,2个细胞核被隔膜分开;细胞核的第1次有丝分裂发生于分生孢子母细胞中;厚垣孢子由上下2个细胞构成,上胞中含有2个细胞核。下胞含1–2个细胞核。有害疣孢霉的厚垣孢子萌发可产生1–2个芽管,芽管中细胞核的数目不断变化,一般0–2个细胞核。【结论】双孢蘑菇受其侵染后发生显著的细胞学变化;我们对有害疣孢霉做遗传分析时,进行单孢分离需挑取无隔膜的分生孢子为实验材料进行遗传分析。     

Evaluation of indigenous potent mushroom growth promoting bacteria (MGPB) on Agaricus bisporus production

Mushrooms such as Agaricus bisporus, are cultivated for food worldwide. Fruit body initiation in Agaricus bisporus is a phase change from the vegetative to the reproductive stage which depends on the presence of a casing layer with particular physical, chemical and microbiological properties. The phase change is achieved practically by environmental manipulation and the presence of naturally occurring bacteria such as Pseuodomonas putida. In this study, 274 individual bacterial isolates were collected by screening the casing layer of 14 edible mushroom farms. The isolates were analysed with respect to biochemical properties, organic and inorganic phosphate solubilization, production of siderophore and growth in the presence of volatile compound of 1-octen-3-ol. It was found that approximately 97% of the strains were able to grow in the presence of 1-octen-3-ol and 36% were able to solubilize phosphorus. Among the isolates, 23 strains were selected as potent mushroom growth promoting bacteria (MGPB) for inoculation of the casing layer. Field experiments using these strains showed various promoting effects on production of mushroom. Finally, 2 strains (strains Bt4 and Ps7) showing the highest increase in A. bisporus production, were characterized as Pseuodomonas putida by molecular methods and identified as the best suited growth promoting inoculants for application in production farms for increasing the mushroom yield.     

The nature of the microbial stimulus affecting sporophore formation in Agaricus bisporus (Lange) Sing

An apparatus is described in which pure cultures of Agaricus bisporus were maintained on composted media in filtered atmospheres free from (a) noxious concentrations of carbon dioxide, and (b) contaminating microorganisms. When grown on compost alone, cultures of A. bisporus did not produce sporophores. Their formation was however stimulated by a covering layer of an unsterilized mixture of peat and chalk (=‘casing’ soil). Autoclaving or fumigating ‘casing’ with propylene oxide decreased populations of contaminating bacteria and prevented sporophore formation. Populations of micro-organisms isolated from unsterile ‘casing’ contained bacteria which when added to pure cultures of A. bisporus stimulated fruit-body formation. Numbers of these stimulators increased when cultured on a carbon-free liquid medium exposed to atmospheres with ethanol, ethyl acetate and acetone or containing the volatile metabolites of A. bisporus. The ability to utilize these volatile chemicals was exploited in a selective technique for isolating sporophore stimulators where aqueous suspensions of mixed bacterial populations were exposed to atmospheres of these materials for 5 days, before aliquots were added to agar media subsequently gelled. The stimulatory bacteria were identified as, or closely related to, Pseudomonas putida.     

Molecular and physiological diversity among Verticillium fungicola var. fungicola

The genetic and physiological variability of Verticillium fungicola var. aleophilum responsible for Agaricus bisporus dry bubble disease in North America is well documented but little is known about the var. fungicola affecting European crops. Variability was assessed within this variety and compared with that reported for the var. aleophilum. Eighteen isolates of V. fungicola var. fungicola and four var. aleophilum isolates were analysed for DNA polymorphism, mycelial growth, response to biochemicals produced by A. bisporus, fungicide resistance, and pathogenicity assessed by direct inoculation on sporophore or casing contamination. RAPD and AFLP markers delineated three French isolates from a homogeneous group containing the other var. fungicola isolates, but no correlation could be drawn between DNA polymorphism and the various traits studied. The var. fungicola isolates were more susceptible than the var. aleophilum isolates to the antibiosis effect of A. bisporus. Only mycelial growth rate at 23 °C could explain the variability in aggressiveness among the European isolates. The putative effect of the post-incubation temperature on contamination during mushroom cultivation was discussed. This work emphasized that, like the American var. aleophilum, the var. fungicola in Europe is genetically homogeneous, but physiological diversity exists, especially in France where it could be related to less standardized cultural practices.     

Holistic assessment of the microbiome dynamics in the substrates used for commercial champignon (Agaricus bisporus) cultivation

Microorganisms strongly influence and are required to generate the selective substrate that provides nutrients and support for fungal growth, and ultimately to induce mushroom fructification under controlled environmental conditions. In this work, the fungal and bacterial microbiota living in the different substrates employed in a commercial crop (compost phase I, II and III, flush 1 and 2, and casing material on day 1, 6 and 8 after compost casing and during flush 1 and 2) have been characterized along the different stages of cultivation by metataxonomic analysis (16S rRNA and ITS2), analysis of phospholipid fatty acid content (PLFAs) and RT-qPCR. Additionally, laccase activity and the content of lignin and complex carbohydrates in compost and casing have been quantified. The bacterial diversity in compost and casing increased throughout the crop cycle boosted by the connection of both substrates. As reflected by the PLFAs, the total living bacterial biomass appears to be negatively correlated with the mycelium of the crop. Agaricus bisporus was the dominant fungal species in colonized substrates, displacing the pre-eminent Ascomycota, accompanied by a sustained increase in laccase activity, which is considered to be a major product of protein synthesis during the mycelial growth of champignon. From phase II onwards, the metabolic machinery of the fungal crop degrades lignin and carbohydrates in compost, while these components are hardly degraded in casing, which reflects the minor role of the casing for nourishing the crop. The techniques employed in this study provide a holistic and detailed characterization of the changing microbial composition in commercial champignon substrates. The knowledge generated will contribute to improve compost formulations (selection of base materials) and accelerate compost production, for instance, through biotechnological interventions in the form of tailored biostimulants and to design environmentally sustainable bio-based casing materials.     

Relative contribution of nematodes (Caenorhabditis elegans) and bacteria towards the disruption of flushing patterns and losses in yield and quality of mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus)

Laboratory tests of bacteria isolated from the body surface, or from the gut, of a saprophagous rhabditid nematode Caenorhabditis elegans infesting mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) showed that some bacteria enhanced nematode reproduction and that others inhibited it. As some bacteria were shown to inhibit mycelial growth of the mushroom, the effects of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus var. anitratus, Enterobacter cloacae and Serratia liquefaciens, either alone or in combination with C. elegans, on the flushing patterns, quality and yield of A. bisporus (strain Horst U3) were studied. Bacteria alone had little effect on flushing patterns whereas C. elegans delayed the onset of mushroom production and significantly disrupted the growth pattern of crops, with mushrooms appearing more regularly and not within obvious flushes. Inoculation with bacteria resulted in ‘browning’ of mushrooms that was even more pronounced in C. elegans treatments. Characteristic distortion of sporophores was observed only in the presence of C. elegans. Nematodes commonly colonised sporophores. Bacteria affected the size of nematode populations both on the sporophores and in the casing. Significant yield loss occurred; up to 10% when bacteria were inoculated, up to 27.8% when C. elegans was inoculated, and up to 35% with both bacteria and nematodes. Synergism between C. elegans and A. calcoaceticus var. anitratus was observed; the combination resulted in significantly greater reduction in mushroom yield than any other treatment. It is concluded that bacteria contribute to yield loss and quality deterioration in A. bisporus but that the effects are far greater in the presence of C. elegans.     

Physiologic response of Agaricus subrufescens using different casing materials and practices applied in the cultivation of Agaricus bisporus

Casing materials and practices used in the cultivation of Agaricus bisporus were evaluated in the cultivation of Agaricus subrufescens, using the best techniques for optimization of production, including the possibility of re-casing of the compost for the production of a second crop of mushroom. Casing based on peat moss, loam soil or coir was compared to casing material mixed with or without spawn-run compost. Based on the results, we conclude that the casing layer used in the cultivation of A. subrufescens should not necessarily be the same as that used in the cultivation of A. bisporus. For the tested strain cultivated with loam soil as casing layer, the ruffling technique is highly superior to CACing and should be pursued in further research. The re-casing of compost in new cycles showed good results suggesting that the currently used compost could be improved.     

Sporophore production ofAgaricus bisporus in aseptic environments

Production of mature sporophores ofAgaricus bisporus was achieved for the first time in amended, autoclaved soil, gamma-sterilized soil, and soil-extract agar medium. The initiation of sporophores was triggered by metabolites of soil-inhabiting bacteria, particularly nodule forming isolates. Whether a single metabolite or several metabolites of these bacteria caused formation of sporophores could not be established; however, biotin alone when added to soil extract medium produced comparable results. The potentiality of different bacteria to induce sporophore formation varied considerably within species and isolates.Amino acids favored vegetative growth ofA. bisporus, but failed to induce formation of sporophores. Organic acids supported luxuriant growth and poor sporophore formation. Among several growth-promoting substances and vitamins, biotin induced abundant formation of mature sporophores.The authors are thankful to Dr. C. Corke, Department of Soil Microbiology, University of Guelph, Ontario, for providing some bacterial cultures used in this study.     

Incidence,identification and pathogenicity of Cladobotryum mycophilum,causal agent of cobweb disease on Agaricus bisporus mushroom crops in Spain

Between 2008 and 2011, outbreaks of cobweb were observed in commercial white button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) crops in Castilla‐La Mancha (Spain). In the last 3 years, the presence of the disease has notably increased resulting in serious economic losses. Based on morphological and genetic analyses, the casual agent of cobweb was identified as Cladobotryum mycophilum. A. bisporus mushroom crops were surveyed over a 2‐year period to estimate the incidence of cobweb. The presence of the disease was detected in 32% of the mushroom crops observed, being of particular concern in autumn (44% of crops infected) and winter (37%). As regards the casing material, the percentage of crops affected by cobweb was 34% in crops using mineral casing and 29% in those cased with a peat‐based casing, with no statistical relationship between the casing and the presence of cobweb. Two cropping trials inoculated with C. mycophilum were set up to evaluate the pathogenicity of the causal agent of cobweb in three peat‐based casings (C1, C2 and C3). The effect of cobweb on mushroom productivity was evaluated by comparing mushroom production and the cobweb patches detected in the casing soil. The decrease in total yield of mushrooms attributed to cobweb reached 12.9% with C2, and the crop area colonised by cobweb reached a final percentage of 36% with C3.     

Characteristics of a Hydrated, Alginate-Based Delivery System for Cultivation of the Button Mushroom

The production of the button mushroom Agaricus bisporus with mycelium-colonized alginate pellets as an inoculant of the growing medium was investigated. Pellets having an irregular surface and porous internal structure were prepared by complexing a mixture of 1% sodium alginate, 2 to 6% vermiculite, 2% hygramer, and various concentrations of Nutrisoy (soy protein) with calcium chloride. The porous structure allowed the pellets to be formed septically and then inoculated and colonized with the fungus following sterilization. By using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to estimate fungal biomass, the matrix components of the pellet were found to be of no nutritive value to A. bisporus. Pellets amended with Nutrisoy at a concentration of 0.5 to 8% supported extensive mycelial growth, as determined by significantly increased ELISA values, with a concentration of 4% being optimal and higher concentrations proving inhibitory. The addition of hydrated, mycelium-invaded pellets to the compost or casing layer supported the thorough colonization of the growing substrate and culminated in the formation of mushrooms that showed normal development and typical morphology. Yields and sizes of mushrooms were comparable from composts seeded with either colonized pellets or cereal grain spawn. Similarly, amending the casing layer with pelletized-mycelium-colonized compost resulted in a 2- to 3-day-earlier and more-synchronous emergence of mushrooms than with untreated casing. This technology shows the greatest potential as a pathogen-free inoculant of the casing layer in the commercial cultivation of mushrooms.     

A method for estimating biomass ofAgaricus bisporus in a solid substrate,composted wheat straw

Summary Growth ofAgaricus bisporus mycelium in liquid cultures, or linear growth in compost, was directly proportional to the quantity of extracellular laccase. Laccase activity measured during the mycelial colonisation of composted straw can therefore be used to quantify the mycelial growth. Immunological methods indicate that the laccase appears to be a specific product ofA. bisporus or very closely related species.     

Effects of the mushroom-volatile 1-octen-3-ol on dry bubble disease

Dry bubble disease caused by Lecanicillium fungicola is a persistent problem in the cultivation of the white button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus). Because control is hampered by chemicals becoming less effective, new ways to control dry bubble disease are urgently required. 1-Octen-3-ol is a volatile that is produced by A. bisporus and many other fungi. In A. bisporus, it has been implicated in self-inhibition of fruiting body formation while it was shown to inhibit spore germination in ascomycetes. Here, we show that 1-octen-3-ol inhibits germination of L. fungicola and that enhanced levels of 1-octen-3-ol can effectively control the malady. In addition, application of 1-octen-3-ol stimulates growth of bacterial populations in the casing and of Pseudomonas spp. specifically. Pseudomonas spp. and other bacteria have been demonstrated to play part in both the onset of mushroom formation in A. bisporus, as well as the inhibition of L. fungicola spore germination. A potential role of 1-octen-3-ol in the ecology of L. fungicola is discussed.     

巨菌草不同生长时期对砒砂岩地区土壤理化性质及细菌群落结构的影响

[目的]揭示巨菌草种植前及其不同生长时期对砒砂岩地区土壤基本理化性质及细菌群落结构的影响,为更好应用巨菌草改良砒砂岩地区土壤提供理论依据。[方法]运用Illumina MiSeq高通量测序技术,在门、属水平上比较砒砂岩地区巨菌草不同生长时期对土壤细菌结构及多样性的影响。[结果]巨菌草种植后,三块样地的含水量在巨菌草分蘖期最低,在成熟期达到最高,土壤有机含量有所增加,土壤pH值变化不明显。细菌菌群结构：各样地的土壤细菌在巨菌草种植前及其生长的四个时期,门水平上的优势菌群均为放线菌门（Actinobacteria）、变形菌门（Proteobacteria）;在属水平上,含量最高的是未分类（unidentified）的细菌。Alpha多样性及群落组成丰度分析表明,三块样地种植巨菌草后,其细菌多样性和物种丰度均比种植前高,农田地土壤细菌多样性和物种丰度在巨菌草拔节期达到峰值,在分蘖期土壤细菌数量最大,比种植前土壤细菌数量高出8倍多,达2.09×10⁷ CFU/g干土,山顶地土壤细菌多样性和物种丰度在巨菌草分蘖期达到峰值,河滩地土壤细菌多样性在巨菌草苗期达到峰值,其丰富度在拔节期达到最大。[结论]砒砂岩地区土壤细菌群落结构在巨菌草不同生长时期相似,巨菌草能明显促进砒砂岩地区土壤细菌菌群多样性和丰富度,能有效提高土壤有机质含量,但砒砂岩地区各样地土壤细菌多样性、数量和有机质含量达到峰值的时期不同。     

Effect of Metabolites Produced by Trichoderma harzianum Biotypes and Agaricus bisporus on Their Respective Growth Radii in Culture

Trichoderma harzianum biotypes Th1, Th2, and Th3 produced volatile metabolites in vitro which had similar fungistatic effects on the growth of Agaricus bisporus. Metabolites present in agar colonized by these strains also inhibited mycelial growth of A. bisporus, although the reduction in growth was less in the presence of metabolites produced by biotype Th2 than that in the presence of metabolites produced by Th1 or Th3. A. bisporus produced metabolites in liquid culture that inhibited the growth of Th1 and Th3 but stimulated the growth of Th2. A compound(s) responsible for the inhibition and stimulation was extracted from A. bisporus culture filtrate and from compost-grown fruit bodies with n-butanol, but the identity of the compound(s) was not determined. We suggest that the stimulation of Th2 by metabolites produced by A. bisporus and the relatively low level of inhibition of A. bisporus by Th2 facilitate colonization of compost by both fungi. However, as compost colonization reaches a maximum, a change in the competitive balance in favor of Th2 results in the inhibition of fruit body production by A. bisporus and the devastating green mold epidemics affecting mushroom production.     

Effect of various salts on the growth and development of Geotrichum candidum,the causal agent of carrot sour rot

This study evaluated the efficacy of ammonium, calcium, potassium and sodium salts as possible alternatives to synthetic fungicides in the control of Geotrichum candidum, the causal agent of sour rot on carrots. In vitro mycelial growth of G. candidum was completely halted by ammonium bicarbonate and carbonate; calcium oxide; potassium benzoate, carbonate and sorbate; sodium benzoate, carbonate and fluoride (2% w/v). Potassium and sodium bicarbonate also reduced mycelial growth by 77.78% and 90.60%, respectively, and the difference between the effects of sodium bicarbonate and the first group of salts was not statistically significant (p < 0.05). With the exception of potassium and sodium bicarbonate, the above‐mentioned salts also halted or strongly reduced arthrospore germination. Potassium bicarbonate, and sodium bicarbonate, acetate and propionate significantly increased conidiation (p < 0.05). Of all the salts tested in vitro, only ammonium bicarbonate and carbonate, calcium oxide and sodium fluoride were toxic to G. candidum. In in vivo studies, all the calcium salts tested (acetate, chloride, citrate, formate, lactate, oxide, propionate and silicate), several of the sodium salts (acetate, bicarbonate, chloride and fluoride) and potassium bicarbonate exhibited both protective and curative activity against G. candidum, significantly reducing the severity of sour rot in comparison to pathogen‐inoculated controls (p < 0.05). Although no curative was observed with ammonium bicarbonate, ammonium carbonate, potassium carbonate, potassium chloride, sodium carbonate or sodium citrate, these salts also demonstrated significant protective activity against sour rot when compared to controls (p < 0.05). In sum, the study findings show that all of the selected salts may be used to control carrot sour rot, except for sodium fluoride, which exhibited phytotoxicity to carrots.     

堇菜叶片草酸钙晶体与水分维持的关系

随着全球气候变化加重,干旱强度和持续时间逐渐增加,严重影响植物生长和作物产量。喀斯特为典型的干旱和高钙生境,植物叶片富集大量的草酸钙晶体,而该晶体与植物耐旱性之间的关系并不清楚。该研究以喀斯特适生植物堇菜(Viola verecumda)为材料,土壤进行自然干旱,分析堇菜叶片的草酸钙晶体变化特征与水分之间的关系。结果表明:在土壤自然干旱条件下,堇菜主要通过细胞内束缚水的释放,维持细胞内水分平衡;而在干旱后期,叶片通过关闭气孔,将部分自由水转变为束缚水,防止水分流失。此外,草酸钙晶体的密度与束缚水含量具有极其显著的强正相关线性回归关系(r=0.825 3,P0.000 1),表明草酸钙晶体作为主要的束缚水物质。因此,堇菜植物在耐旱过程中可能协调草酸钙晶体和气孔的生理行为忍耐干旱胁迫。     

Expression of the urease gene of Agaricus bisporus: a tool for studying fruit body formation and post-harvest development

Fruit body initials of Agaricus bisporus contain high levels of urea, which decrease in the following developmental stages until stage 4 (harvest) when urea levels increase again. At storage, the high urea content may affect the quality of the mushroom, i.e. by the formation of ammonia from urea through the action of urease (EC 3.5.1.5). Despite the abundance of urea in the edible mushroom A. bisporus, little is known about its physiological role. The urease gene of A. bisporus and its promoter region were identified and cloned. The coding part of the genomic DNA was interrupted by nine introns as confirmed by cDNA analysis. The first full homobasidiomycete urease protein sequence obtained comprised 838 amino acids (molecular mass 90,694 Da, pI 5.8). An alignment with fungal, plant and bacterial ureases revealed a high conservation. The expression of the urease gene, measured by Northern analyses, was studied both during normal development of fruit bodies and during post-harvest senescence. Expression in normal development was significantly up-regulated in developmental stages 5 and 6. During post-harvest senescence, the expression of urease was mainly observed in the stipe tissue; expression decreased on the first day and remained at a basal level through the remaining sampling period.     

Role of Plants in the Vegetative and Reproductive Growth of Saprobic Basidiomycetous Ground Fungi

Non-symbiotic microorganisms engineered or expensively selected to degrade xenobiotic hydrocarbons or modify heavy-metal uptake of plants in soil remediations die back after their introduction into the target soils. Mycelia of saprobic basidiomycetes were therefore inoculated into soil samples of 1 l in glass vessels to record mycelial growth and reproduction in the immediate rhizosphere of up to 11 herbaceous plant species, or to study their responses to the separate volatiles from whole plant swards or their root balls whose emanations had been collected in 1.5-l plastic bags fixed to the glass vessels. Excess CO₂ was controlled with NaOH solution. Volatiles from root balls of parsley and pea but not wheat, from unplanted soils, from the fungus-permeated, unplanted substrate soil itself, and from the rooting soil of whole wheat sward increased mycelial densities in Clitocybe sp. more than in Agaricus macrocarpus and indicated thus a higher nutrient state of the mycelia. Organic volatiles proved therefore to be a significant carbon source for certain basidiomycetes in poor natural soils. The contemporary decline in the number of basidiocarp initials to 0 to 36% in both fungi relative to the unplanted and aerated controls was caused by volatiles from rooted and unplanted soil and pointed thus to their ecological role as antibiotics, fumigants, toxins, and hormonal compounds. Aqueous extracts from root balls of wheat stimulated mycelial density and fruiting in A. macrocarpus contemporarily because of their contents in soil-derived macronutrients. They suppressed once more fruiting in the more sensitive Clitocybe sp. by active agents in the aqueous phase. Within plant rhizospheres, densities of Clitocybe sp. mycelia were stimulated in the presence of alfalfa, carrot, red clover, ryegrass, and spinach, whereas those of A. macrocarpus were halved by 7 of 10 plant species including alfalfa, red clover, ryegrass, and spinach. Mycelia of A. macrocarpus may thereby have responded to differences in concentration and composition of volatile compounds. The contemporary repression of fruiting in both fungi and in nearly all treatments was not due to plant competition for macronutrients. Mycelia of basidiomycetes over-compensated for losses in macronutrients to the plant by decomposing soil matrix constituents. It is concluded that organic volatiles emitted by several plant organs and natural soils improved the nutritional state of A. macrocarpus and Clitocybe sp. but not of Agaricus bisporus mycelia and could therefore help establish certain ground fungi in the field. The contemporary and general suppression of fruiting by constituents of the gaseous (and liquid) phase in all fungi examined suggests interference with basic physiological processes and recommends an urgent re-examination of the degradative ability of basidiomycetes in the presence of volatiles.