Mycorrhizal generalist with wood-decay fungi

The climbing orchid Erythrorchis altissima is the largest mycoheterotroph in the world. Although previous in vitro work suggests that E. altissima has a unique symbiosis with wood-decaying fungi, little is known about how this giant orchid meets its carbon and nutrient demands exclusively via mycorrhizal fungi. In this study, the mycorrhizal fungi of E. altissima were molecularly identified using root samples from 26 individuals. Furthermore, in vitro symbiotic germination with five fungi and stable isotope compositions in five E. altissima at one site were examined. In total, 37 fungal operational taxonomic units (OTUs) belonging to nine orders in Basidiomycota were identified from the orchid roots. Most of the fungal OTUs were wood-decaying fungi, but underground roots had ectomycorrhizal Russula. Two fungal isolates from mycorrhizal roots induced seed germination and subsequent seedling development in vitro. Measurement of carbon and nitrogen stable isotope abundances revealed that E. altissima is a full mycoheterotroph whose carbon originates mainly from wood-decaying fungi. All of the results show that E. altissima is associated with a wide range of wood- and soil-inhabiting fungi, the majority of which are wood-decaying taxa. This generalist association enables E. altissima to access a large carbon pool in woody debris and has been key to the evolution of such a large mycoheterotroph

A new Amazonian species of Calocera with dendroid and multi-headed basidiocarp

During a biodiversity survey of Amazonian jelly fungi, we collected a unique dacrymycetous fungus. This fungus is characterized by stipitate, branched and multi-headed basidiocarps with fascicled marginal hyphae on the sterile parts of the basidiocarps and narrow cylindrical to navicular basidiospores. No dacrymycetous species with these morphological characteristics has been reported. Based on phylogenetic analysis of 28S rDNA sequences, the new specimens belong into the Dacrymycetaceae lineage. As an appropriate genus cannot be inferred from the phylogeny, we describe this fungus as a new species, Calocera arborea, based on its morphological characters. © 2012 The Mycological Society of Japa

Direct ethanol production from starch, wheat bran and rice straw by the white rot fungus Trametes hirsuta

The white rot fungus Trametes hirsuta produced ethanol from a variety of hexoses: glucose, mannose, cellobiose and maltose, with yields of 0.49. 0.48, 0.47 and 0.47 g/g of ethanol per sugar utilized, respectively. In addition, this fungus showed relatively favorable xylose consumption and ethanol production with a yield of 0.44 g/g. T. hirsuta was capable of directly fermenting starch, wheat bran and rice straw to ethanol without acid or enzymatic hydrolysis. Maximum ethanol concentrations of 9.1, 4.3 and 3.0 g/l, corresponding to 89.2%. 78.8% and 57.4% of the theoretical yield, were obtained when the fungus was grown in a medium containing 20 g/l starch, wheat bran or rice straw, respectively. The fermentation of rice straw pretreated with ball milling led to a small improvement in the ethanol yield: 3.4g ethanol/20 g ball-milled rice straw. As T. hirsuta is an efficient microorganism capable of hydrolyzing biomass to fermentable sugars and directly converting them to ethanol, it may represent a suitable microorganism in consolidated bioprocessing applications. (c) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

A new Amazonian species of Calocera with dendroid and multi-headed basidiocarp

During a biodiversity survey of Amazonian jelly fungi, we collected a unique dacrymycetous fungus. This fungus is characterized by stipitate, branched and multi-headed basidiocarps with fascicled marginal hyphae on the sterile parts of the basidiocarps and narrow cylindrical to navicular basidiospores. No dacrymycetous species with these morphological characteristics has been reported. Based on phylogenetic analysis of 28S rDNA sequences, the new specimens belong into the Dacrymycetaceae lineage. As an appropriate genus cannot be inferred from the phylogeny, we describe this fungus as a new species, Calocera arborea, based on its morphological characters. © 2012 The Mycological Society of Japa

Discovery or Extinction of New Scleroderma Species in Amazonia?

The Amazon Forest is a hotspot of biodiversity harboring an unknown number of undescribed taxa. Inventory studies are urgent, mainly in the areas most endangered by human activities such as extensive dam construction, where species could be in risk of extinction before being described and named. In 2015, intensive studies performed in a few locations in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest revealed three new species of the genus Scleroderma: S. anomalosporum, S. camassuense and S. duckei. The two first species were located in one of the many areas flooded by construction of hydroelectric dams throughout the Amazon; and the third in the Reserva Florestal Adolpho Ducke, a protected reverse by the INPA. The species were identified through morphology and molecular analyses of barcoding sequences (Internal Transcribed Spacer nrDNA). Scleroderma anomalosporum is characterized mainly by the smooth spores under LM in mature basidiomata (under SEM with small, unevenly distributed granules, a characteristic not observed in other species of the genus), the large size of the basidiomata, up to 120 mm diameter, and the stelliform dehiscence; S. camassuense mainly by the irregular to stellate dehiscence, the subreticulated spores and the bright sulfur-yellow colour, and Scleroderma duckei mainly by the verrucose exoperidium, stelliform dehiscence, and verrucose spores. Description, illustration and affinities with other species of the genus are provided. IntroductionWe are grateful to the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento CientõÂfico e TecnoloÂgico (CNPqÐBrazil, process PVE/407474/2013-7 and PPBio/457476/2012-5), and FundacËão de Amparo à Pesquisas do Estado do Amazonas (FAPEAM-Brazil) for the financial support; as well as to Centro de Estudos Integrados da Biodiversidade AmazoÃnica (INCT-CENBAM).Peer reviewe