Harold H. Burdsall

Preserving cultures of wood-decaying Basidiomycotina using sterile distilled water in cryovials

Prior to 1985, cultures at the Center for Forest Mycology Research were maintained on 1.5% malt extract agar test-tube slants. This system not only made it necessary to transfer the entire collection ev? ery year but also permitted genetic change because continual growth occurred. In 1985, the method of storing fungal cultures in sterile distilled water in cryovials was introduced. This study reports on the use of this method for long-term fungal storage. For varying periods up to 7 years, 151 miscellaneous spe? cies of wood-decaying Basidiomycotina were stored in sterile distilled water. Water storage has numerous advantages: culture viability or growth rate is not sig? nificantly influenced; isolates can be stored longer; genetic stability is greater; the method is quick, easy, and inexpensive, and requires less space.

Armillaria nabsnona, a new species from western North America

Armillaria nabsnona is characterized mor? phologically and described as a new species. It is com? patible with tester strains of North American biolog? ical species (NABS) IX. Using restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products amplified from the intergenic spacer (IGS) region of the ribosomal DNA, we also demonstrate an association of cultures of specimens with tester strains of NABS IX. Armil? laria nabsnona appears to be restricted to several spe? cies of hardwood trees in the states of Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho and Alaska, and in the Ca- nadian province of British Columbia. Basidiomata have been found in both the fall and spring.

A Revision of the Genus Hydnocystis (Tuberales) and of the Hypogeous Species of Geopora (Pezizales)

Hydnocystis Tul. & Tul. is shown to be a monotypic genus containing only H. piligera Tul. & Tul. in the family Geneaceae of the Tuberales. Sepultaria (Cooke) Boud. (Pezizales) is shown to be congeneric with the older genus Geopora Harkness. Two new forms and a new subspecies, all hypogeous, are proposed for Geopora. Two species of Sepultaria and several in Hydnocystis are transferred to Geopora. Hydnocystis convoluta McAlpine is transferred and renamed Peziza jactata Burdsall & Korf.

Sexuality and somatic incompatibility in Phellinus gilvus

Phellinus gilvus was found to have an out? crossing, bifactorial (tetrapolar) mating system. Two types of heterokaryon formation were evident in in- trabasidiome homokaryon-homokaryon pairings: 1) bidirectional nuclear migration resulting in the for? mation of a single heterokaryotic thallus, and 2) re? stricted nuclear migration with a heterokaryon formed only in the interaction zone between the paired homo? karyotic colonies. The mating system of P. gilvus is multiallelic; pairings between homokaryotic isolates from different basidiomes were always compatible with bidirectional nuclear migration. One heterozygous lo? cus had major effects on somatic incompatibility re? actions among progeny from two studied fruiting bod? ies. This was supported by the observation that pair? ings among sets of heterokaryons composed of one common nonsibling nucleus and the other sib-related resulted in two somatic incompatibility groups, while pairings among sibling heterokaryons resulted in three groups. The sexual compatibility loci were separate from the somatic incompatibility loci and no linkage was found between them.

Serological differentiation of three species of Armillaria and Lentinula edodes by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using immunized chickens as a source of antibodies.

Antibodies to three isolates each of Armillaria mellea, A. ostoyae, A. tabescens, and Lentinula edodes were isolated from eggs of immunized laying hens. The reactivity of each antibody preparation with all isolates was examined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The cross-reactivity of the antibody preparations to a given Armillaria species varied considerably when tested against isolates of other Armillaria species. Several antibody preparations were capable of distinguishing isolates of its homologous species from isolates of heterologous species. The specificity of the antibodies present in eggs was dependent on time elapsed since immunization. Eggs laid 3 weeks after immunization with an Armillaria species isolate possessed antibodies that were most specific for isolates of that species. The intergeneric cross-reactivity was found to be smallest with antibodies from eggs laid 5 weeks or more after immunization. Preliminary results suggest that ELISA using chicken egg yolk antibodies will provide useful information in the taxonomy of ArmilIaria.

Taxonomy of Cronartium quercuum and C. fusiforme.

Cronartium fusiforme is considered conspecific with C. quercuum based on morphological studies, but maintained as a distinct forma specialis of C. quercuum because of its restricted host range on P...

TAXONOMY OF PHYLLOSTICTA VACCINII (COELOMYCETES) AND A NEW NAME FOR THE TRUE ANAMORPH OF BOTRYOSPHAERIA VACCINII (DOTHIDEALES, DOTHIORACEAE)

A new species, Phyllosticta elongata, is described, replacing Phyllosticta vaccinii as the anamorph of Botryosphaeria (=Guignardia) vaccinii on cranberry. These Phyllosticta species differ in morphology, colony characteristics, and pathogenicity. Phyllosticta vaccinii causes a fruit rot and leaf spot of cranberry in Massachusetts and New Jersey. Phyllosticta elongata is associated with latent infections of cranberry leaves and fruit, berry speckle, and is widely distributed.

CLAMP CONNECTIONS IN NORTH AMERICAN ARMILLARIA SPECIES: OCCURRENCE AND POTENTIAL APPLICATION FOR DELIMITING SPECIES

Clamp connections were observed in basidiospore dilutions from each of four North American biological species of Armillaria (A. gallica, A. sinapina, A. ostoyae, and A. calvescens) following spore germination and hyphal anastomosis. The occurrence of clamp connections in intrabasidioma pairings of single-germinated basidiospores and of excised margin-hyphae of Armillaria ostoyae and A. gallica was that expected of a bifactorial incompatibility system. All intraspecific pairings between basidiospores or excised margin-hyphae from actively growing haploid cultures from two different basidiomata of A. ostoyae and of A. gallica produced clamp connections. The development of the crustose colony morphology was almost fully coincident with the formation of clamp connections in compatible matings with either A. ostoyae or A. gallica. Results indicate that clamp connections occur predictably and provide an additional precise and useful criterion for recognizing biological species of Armillaria. For unexplained reasons, haploid isolates paired more than 3 mm apart failed to produce clamp connections.

Stephanocysts: unique structures in the Basidiomycetes.

SUMMARYStephanocysts are described and illustrated and their taxonomic value is elucidated. A description of Hyphoderma tenue (Pat.) Donk is also presented.

The Taxonomy of Sporotrichum Pruinosum and Sporotrichum Pulverulentum/Phanerochaete Chrysosporium

SUMMARYCultures of Phanerochaete chrysosporium were compared with isolates from the type specimens of Sporotrichum pruinosum and S. pulverulentum. Both morphological and physiological characters we...