Je-O Lee

Cordyceps bassiana and Production of Stromata in vitro Showing Beauveria Anamorph in Korea

A Cordyceps species was found with a Beauveria anamorph state on larval insect cadavers on Obong mountains in Gangwon Provinces, Republic of Korea. Cultures from discharged aseospores formed an anamorph identifiable as Beauveria bassiana. This teleomorph-anamorph connection was also confirmed by the in vitro production of fertile aseomata from conidial cultures with morphology like that of lield-eolleeted specimen. This is the first report of in vitro production of a teleomorph for any Beauveria species. The Cordyceps species has been eonspeeilied as Cordyceps bassiana, a species described from China with B. bassiana anamorph.

Stable Formation of Fruiting Body in Cordyceps bassiana.

In order to breed a Cordyceps bassiana isolate that stably forms fruiting body in artificial cultivation, isolates derived from subculturing and single spores were tested through mating. From C. bassiana EFCC 783, three subcultured isolates EFCC 2830, EFCC 2831 and EFCC 2832 were obtained and fourteen single conidial isolates were obtained from these three subcultured isolates. Two different morphological types were found in the fourteen single conidial isolates. One type was able to form synnemata and another type was not able to form synnemata. Since switch of morphological type was not observed despite their continuous subculturing, cross was performed between the two types and the formation of fruiting body was examined. Ascospores were obtained from a selected fruiting body formed by hybrid of the cross. Self-cross and combinational cross of the ascospore-derived isolates generated hybrids that stably produce high quality fruiting body in artificial media.

Cultural Characteristics and Fruiting Body Production in Cordyceps bassiana

Abstract Single ascospore isolates of Cordyceps bassiana were observed for their colony pigmentation on Sabouraud Dextrose agar plus Yeast Extract (SDAY) plates and were inoculated in a brown rice medium for production of fruiting bodies. Colony pigmentation did not show any relationship with perithecial stromata formation. The isolates were also grown on opposite sides of SDAY agar plates and were observed for vegetative compatibility. Neither vegetative compatibility nor perithecial stromata could be found to be related to each other. It was concluded that fertile fruiting body production was independent of colony pigmentation and vegetative compatibility. Synnemata formation was found to be more common than perithecial stromata formation. This might be due to its highly conidiogenous anamorphic stage, i.e., Beauveria bassiana.

Successful Development of Cordyceps bassiana Stromata from Beauveria bassiana

Abstract A specimen of Beauveria bassiana was collected from Yang-yang of Gangwon province, Korea in October 2006. Conidial isolates were prepared from the specimen by the dilution method and inoculated in brown rice medium for fruiting body production. After nearly two months incubation for perithecial stromata developed from single isolates as well as from their combinations. They were determined as Cordyceps bassiana by observing the stromatal characters and their conidial structures. This is the first report of the development of C. bassiana from B. bassiana cultures.

Distribution and in vitro Fruiting of Cordyceps militaris in Korea

Cordyceps militaris specimens were continuously collected by Entomopathogenic Fungal Culture Collection (FFCC), Kangwon National University from different mountains, national parks and recreation parks of Korea from 1986 to 2002, mainly from late May to October of each year. Dry specimens of C. militaris along with their isolates have been preserved in EFCC. Fruiting of C. militaris was induced from single aseospore isolates as well as their combinations in brown rice medium. Fruiting experiments showed that combinations of single aseospore isolates produced fertile fruiting bodies, but single isolates could not produce any fruiting bodies. It was shown that two isolates of the opposite mating types were required to produce fertile stromata. However, combinations of the same mating type isolates produced no fruiting body, showing that C. militaris is a bipolar, heterothallie fungus.

Effect of Preservation Periods and Subcultures on Fruiting Body Formation of Cordyceps militaris In Vitro

Effects of various preservation periods and subcultures on fruiting body formation of Cordyceps militaris were investigated using EFCC C-10995 single ascospore strains. Fruiting body formation by original strains was profuse when preserved at 4°C for 5~6 months. Fruiting from subcultures was stable till second to sixth subcultures, after which it decreased sharply. The more the colony color of subcultures changed, the less the fruiting bodies formed. Liquid inoculum preparation of single ascospore strains in the same or separate broths did not affect fruiting body formation. Similarly, two strains C-10995–3 and C-10995–6 in different numbers during liquid inoculum preparation produced similar fruiting bodies.

Some unrecorded higher fungi of the seoraksan and odaesan national parks.

Higher Fungi were collected twice a month from May to September 2004 during field survey trips to Seoraksan and Odaesan National Parks. All the collected specimens were investigated for the morphological characters of carpophores and other features, and deposited in the herbarium of the Entomopathogenie Fungal Culture Collection (FFCC), Kangwon National University, Chuncheon. Among the identified specimens, three genera Rhodotus, Hotermannia and Sebacina and four species Rhodotus palmatus, Gomphus clavatus, Holtermannia corniformis and Sebacina incrustans were confirmed as new to Korea and reported here with descriptions.