Minute Mycological Mysteries : The Influence of Arthropods on the Lives of Fungi

s for Presentations a t the 1993 Annual Meetinq o f the Mycological Society of America Abstracts o f all symposium presentations, posters, and special lectures are noted as such a t the start o f eaeh abstract. Contributed oral resentations are not specifically marked a t the start o f each abstract except with the day an 8 time o f presentation.s o f all symposium presentations, posters, and special lectures are noted as such a t the start o f eaeh abstract. Contributed oral resentations are not specifically marked a t the start o f each abstract except with the day an 8 time o f presentation. Sunday, 9:30 am Phylogenetic utility of the internal transcribed spacers of nuclear ribosomal DNA in Leucostoma and Valsa Gerard C. A d a m and John W. Taylor. Dept. Botany & Plant Pathology, Michigan State Univ., East Lansing, MI 48824, and Dep t Plant Biology, Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA 94720. The 626 base pair @p) internal transmibed spacer region (m), indusive of the 5.8s DNA, was sequenced in nine species of Leuwstoma (Nits.) von Hoehnel and three species of Valsa Fries. The sequences were highly alignable. Base pair substitution occurred at 86 sites, 34% of which were also sites of deletions/insertions. Single bp deletions/ insertions occurred at 18 other sites. The lTS of L. sequoriae contained two unique length deletions of 8 bp and 13 bp. The species is also unique in being the only Lawstoma with an anamorph in the Torsellin (Fr.) Gvrit. section of Cytospora, rather than in Leuwcyfospwa. Separate lines of evolutionary descent were not evident between Valsa &d Leuwstoma species nor between species with host ranges restricted to conifers and angiosperms. L, persoonti was most similar in sequence to V. japonica, with an anamorph in Section Cytospora, and L. massariana, respectively. The three ' s4es were grouped separately by parsimony analysis from other Lawstom and Valsa species, including L. cincta. The generic distinction between Leucostoma and Valsa is not supported by this limited study. Apparently, the lTS is not evolving sufficiently fast to allow resolution of speciation events but might be potentially useful for phylogeny reconstruction of Valsa sensu lato at the level of section. Symposium; Monday am Taxonomy of industrially important wood-rotting fungi J. E. Adaskaveg. Dept. of Plant Pathology, Univ. of California, Davis, CA 95616. Wood-rotting fungi have been mainly recognized for their pathological, wood destructive, and ecological roles in forest communities, as well as their medicinal and artistic use in numerous social cultures. Based on appearance and degradation of cellular components, fungi can be physiologically grouped into those that cause white, brown, and soft rots, and those that cause stains in wood. Currently, the potential of white rot and stain fungi in industrial applications is being realized and developed in the bioprocessing of wood (i.e., biopulping, biobleaching, pitch removal) and in bioremediation of industrial wastes. To date, only a limited number of these fungi have been aitic' ally evaluated for biotechnological applications. In North America over 1700 wood-rotting species are classified in 33 families in the Basidiomycotina, whereas thousands of wood colonizing fungi are dassified in the Ascomycotina and Deuteromycotina. Thus, the ,complexity and number of organisms involved emphasizes the importance of taxonomy, classification, and identification of this evolutionarily diverse group of organisms. On the basis of macroand microscopic morphological characters, physiological characteristics, and interfertility data, progress has been made in recent taxonomic treatments. Molecular evaluations, as well as additional biological studies of wood rotting fungi will allow the development of diverse informational databases, new classification systems, and improve our understanding of relationshG of fungi. Furthermore, computer programs are available and are being developed to assist in analysis and development of dassification schemes and to aid in the identification of taxa of wood decaying fungi. MondayP:OO pm Selective dominance of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in a field trial with Prosopis juliflora and soils of high alkalinity N o k Adholeya. Microbiology Unit, Tata Energy Research Institute, New Delhi 110 003, India. A tree legume species, namely P. jul~flwa, was selected to use as target hee in highly alkaline, degraded poor soil conditions to evaluate the performance of a certain VAM genus over a period of three years. The interesting interactions and selectivity in terms of soil, plant, and causal organism were found. The growth of P. juliflma and soil improvement has shown a direct correlation with the dominant genus Glomus over a period of three years. Poster Ell; Sunday pm An edible Psathyrella species from Haiti Brian P. Akers and Fabienne Boncy. D e p t of Plant Biology, Southern Illinois Univ. at Carbondale, Carbondale, lL 62901-2237. The diondion is a Psathyrella species from Haiti and is an object of commerce there as a food item. Following Smith's dassification of the genus (1972; The North American species of Psathyrella; Memoirs of the New York Botanical Garden 24: 1433), it is an undesaibed species of section Candollerma, subgenus Cnndollem. This determination was based on the presence of appendiculate veil remnants and the absence of pleumqstidia from the hymenium. The species most similar to the diondion is P. hpemcephala (Pk.) Smith, from which it differs primarily in having distinctly smaller cheilocystidia. Smith hypothesizes a relationship between subgenus Crmdolleana and section Subatratae of subgenus Psathyrella. The diondion shares a number of characters with section Subatratae, especially series Atricastanea. Cheilocystidial measurements of several Caribbean species in series Attiu1stanea correspond closely to the diondion, but their velar characters differ. Because of its intermediate set of characters, the diondion reinforces Smith's hypothesis. Symposium; Monday pm Use of white-rot fungi in biopulping Masood Akhtar. Univ. of Wisconsin Biotechnology Center and Institute for Microbial and Biochemical Technology, USDA Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, WI 53705. Pulp is produced from wood by either chemical delignification, mechanical separation of the fibers, or by the combinations of chemical and mechanical methods. Mechanical pulping methods are used increasingly because they give much higher yields than chemical methods. They also are less polluting than chemical methods, and mills using these methods are less expensive to build. The main disadvantages of mechanical pulping methods are, however, the production of lower quality pulps, which are unsuitable for fiber products that need high strength properties, and the amount of energy required for production Problems associated with mechanical pulping methods can be overcome with the use of white-rot fungi as a pretreatment (biopulping). Last year, we completed a 5-year Biopulping Consortium I (April 1987-March 1992) involving the USDA Forest Products Laboratory, the University of Wisconsin Biotechnology Center and 21 companies, and established the technical feasibility of biopulping. A fungal pretreatment of softwood and hardwood species prior to mechnical pulping reduced the energy requirement b; 50%, hnproved paper strength properties, and reduced the environmental impact of pulping during a comprehensive bench-scale investigation. Encouraged by these results, another ?-year Biopulping Consortium I1 (April 1992-March 1995) has been established to determine the commercial feasibility of biopulpinp;. This paper will summarize the results of the ~ i o ~ u l ~ i n g co sdrtiefforts, and describe the objectives of the Biopulping Consortium 11. Poster E7; Sunday pm Some fungi of Pacific Northwest old-growth forests Joe Amrnirati, Lorelei Norvell, Tom O'Dell , Michelle Seidl, Glenn Walker: and the Puget Sound Mycological Society. Dept. of Botany, KB15, Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195. For several years we have been studying the macrofungi of True FirHemlock, Sitka Spruce-Hemlock and Douglas Fir-Hemlock old-growth forests in western Washington State. Basic to this study are the compilation of fungus species by forest type and the phenologies (fruiting periods) of individual species. Also, we are determining which macrofungi are characteristic of old-growth forests and whether or not there are rare or endangered taxa. This preliminary report will indude species lists by forest type, present basic phenological patterns, and indicate some of the potentially rare and perhaps endangered species. Tuesday, 8.30 am Effects of cell wall-cytoskeleton linkage inhibition on growth and development in Saprolegnia ferax Catherine Bachewich and I.B. Heath. Dept. of Biology, York Univ., 4700 Keele Street, North York, Ontario, M3J 1P3. It has been demonstrated in animal and plant cells that peptides containing the arginine-glycine-asparagine amino acid sequence (RGD) can compete with extracellular matrix molecules for binding to plasma membrane receptors which link the extracellular matrix to the cytoskeleton. The resulting interruption in the plasma membrane -extracellular matrix linkage leads to a disruption of cellular processes ranging from migration todifferentiation. similar linkages may be important in hyphal tip growth in Saprolegnia . To determine the effects of peptides on tip growth, colonies were grown in media containing RGD and controls such as RAD, RGE , glycine,and peptone, a mixture of peptides. RGD significantly inhibited the growth of colonies compared to the other controls. The degree of inhibition increased with increasing concentration of peptide. Growth rates of individual tips decreased with the addition of RGD and developed a distinctive morphology characterized by disorganized cytoplasm. RAD also inhibited growth, suggesting that exad specificity in the RGD sequence is not as strong a requirement in Saprolegnia as in animal cells. In comparing the effects of RGD, RAD and RGE, asparagine @) appears to be necessary for the effects on growth. In regenerating protoplasts, RGD and RAD inhibited both wall synthesis and hyphal regeneration. The evidence presented suggests the involvement of substrate adhesion molecules in the growth of hyphal tips of Saprolegnia. This indicates the possible importance of cell wall-plasma membranecytoskeleton linkages in tip growth. Poster A5; Sunday pm Utilization of suaose and raffinose bv several pathogens which cause seed rot and seedling blight of super sweet (sh2) sweet corn Richard E. Baird. Botany and Plant Pathology Dept., Purdue University, Southwest Purdue Agricultural Program, RR6, Box 139A, Vincennes, IN 47591. Shntnken-2 (sh2) sweet com hybrids have severe problems with stand establishment caused by seed rot and seedling blight pathogens. Approximately, 70% of the seeds dry weight is sugar (over two-thirds suaose and one-third raffinose), which is believed to be responsible for the increased disease levels. Current research (Baird, unpub. data) has shown that the primary pathogens occur internally within the seeds. The most common fungi routinely isolated from seed tissue were Fusmium monilifonne (primary pathogen), F. oxysparm (nonpathogen), Penicillium oxalicum (highly pathogenic), Rhizopus arrhizus (nonpathogen) and Aspergillus niger (nonpathogen); however, F. monilifane was isolated from a lower percentage of internal tissue than P. oxalim. It is hypothesized that F. moniliforme and P. oxalicum could utilize sucrose and raffinose more readily than the other fungi isolated from the internal tissues, but no data was available to support this belief. The fungi were grown at room temperature on a Basal Medium developed by Lilly and Bamett, 1953, with the two sugars compared separately and in combination (sucrose and raffinose 7:3). The results showed that the dry weights were similar between the carbon sources sucrose, raffinose, and suaose + raffinose. On suaose alone, A. niger had the highest dry weights compared to P. oxalicum and F. monilifane. On raffinose, F. monilifonne had greater dry weights followed by R. mrhizus and A. nip. When suaose + raffinose were analyzed, P. oxalinrm, R. mrhirus, and F. monilifm had the highest dry weights, but they were all similar. The results indicated that no difference in growth occurred between the primary pathogens, excluding R. arrhirus, but other parameters such as temperature and precipitation are aitical in fungal colonization. Poster E16; Sunday pm A relational database for the type specimens of C. H. Peck Partha Banerie and John H. Haines. New York State Museum, Rm. 3132 CEC, Albany, NY 12230. Information on fungal types desaibed between 1868 and 1913 by American mycologist Charles H. Peck is being included in a detailed database at the New York State Museum. When completed, information on the status and location of the type specimens as well as original illustratim, synonyms, descriptions, locality, references to field notes and original correspondence will be available on a printout for users of the herbarium. In addition, loan records, specimen condition, specimen size and other curatorial information will be kept in the same database. PARADOX 4.0 has been chosen as the program for the project because of its versatility as a relational database, widespread usage, and compatibility with other systems. Fields pertaining to loans, localities, and illustrations are being developed with and shared by other members of the museum staff. In general, decisions about lectotypificationand identification of species are made by monographers, but questions involving the status and identification of herbarium specimens as types can best be answered by curators, and it is these questions that are being addressed by the Peck database project. Some information is available on line at the present time, and the basic project is scheduled for completion by October 1994. Eventually, information on al l types specimens and "herbarium names" at the New York State Mycological Herbarium will be included. Wednesday, 990 am The enigma of Entoloma nitidum Qu6l. Observations on its occurrence in North America and proposal for realignment in the Entolomataceae (Agaricales). T. 1. Baroni and D. L. Largent. Dept. of Biological Sciences, State Univ. of New York College at Cortland, Cortland, NY 1304 and Dept. of Biological Sciences, Hurnboldt State UNv., Arcata, CA 95221. This report documents the occurrence of Entoloma nitidum from North America. At present, this species is known only from the state of Washington k~ the Pacific Northwest. In comparing European and North American collections of this taxon, surface characteristics of the basidiospores, as visualized using SEM, indicate that this species should be removed from Entoloma sensu stricto and placed into the Renus Rhodwbe of the Entolomataceae. The combination of basidiospore and biidiome hyphal features dsplayed by E. nitidurn, indicate a close relationship with Rhodocybe trachyospora, R. prism, R. speciosa and a new, yet to be desaibed, taxon of Rhodocybe recently collected from South Carolina. Because of several unusual and cohesive characteristics, this satellite group of taxa will be removed from Section Rhodophana of Rhodocybe and placed in a new section in the genus. A phylogeny of the ~ntolomataceae will also be discussed. Poster Cl8; Sunday pm Population genetics of the ectomycorrhizal fungus Laccaria bicolor Paul de la Bastide *Bradley Kropp, and Yves Pich6. Centre de recherche en biologie foresti&re, UniversiM Laval, Sainte-Foy, Qubbec, Canada, G1V 1S7, and *Dept. of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, 84322, USA. Lamria biwlor is an ectomycorrhizal Basidiomycete with a broad host range, including both coniferous and deciduous tree species. As an early-stage mycobiont, this species plays an important role in forest regeneration. Previous laboratory studies with this species have identified substantial phenotypic and genotypic variability among different isolates. Different aspects of its population genetics and the level of variability existing in natural populations were investigated in the current study. The temporal persistence of L. bicolur genotypes was assessed and it was determined that a single individual can remain mycomhizal with a host root system for at least two years, as confirmed by isozyme markers and mating type analysis of mapped sporophore hpul&ions. As well, the spacial distribution of these genotypes varied signihcantly over time and appeared to be correlated with radial root system