A wide variety of fungi have spores with appendages or mucilaginous sheaths, which are most elaborate in aquatic ascomycetes, especially marine species. The form and structure of a wide range of appendaged spores are documented from both taxonomic and ecological fungal groups, and their role in nature is discussed. The effect of environmental factors on appendage development and how ascospores are adapted for release from asci are reviewed. How fungi evolved such a variety of appendages in form and structure is also discussed.

We investigated extracellular carbohydrase production in the medium of an ectomycorrhizal fungus, Tricholoma matsutake, to reveal its ability to utilize carbohydrates such as starch as a growth substrate and to survey the saprotrophic aspects. We found β-glucosidase activity in the static culture filtrate of this fungus. The β-glucosidase was purified and characterized. The purified enzyme was obtained from about 2.1l static culture filtrate, with 9.0% recovery, and showed a single protein band on SDS-PAGE. Molecular mass was about 160 kDa. The enzyme was most active around 60° C and pH 5.0, and stable over a pH of 4.0– 8.0 for 30 min at 37° C. The purified enzyme was activated by the presence of Ca²⁺ and Mn²⁺ ions (about 2–3 times that of the control). The enzyme readily hydrolyzed oligosaccharides having a β-1,4-glucosidic linkage such as cellobiose and cellotriose. However, it did not hydrolyze polysaccharides such as avicel and CM-cellulose or oligosaccharides having an α-glucosidic linkage. Moreover, cellotriose was hydrolyzed by the enzyme for various durations, and the resultant products were analyzed by TLC. We concluded that the enzyme from T. matsutake seems to be a β-glucosidase because cellotriose with a β-1,4-glucosidic linkage decomposed to glucose during the enzyme reaction.

The utility of fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) profiles for characterization and differentiation of isolates of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici and F. oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici was investigated. Two fatty acid analysis protocols of the normal (MIDI) and a modified MIDI method were used for their utility. Only the modified MIDI method allowed a clear differentiation between F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici and F. oxysporum f. sp. radicislycopersici. FAME profiles using the modified MIDI method gave the most consistent and reproducible analyzed fatty acid data. Evaluation of the FAME profiles based on cluster analysis and principal-component analysis revealed that FAME profiles from tested isolates were correlated with the same vegetative compatibility groups (VCGs) compared to the same races in F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici. Results indicated that FAME profiles could be an additional tool useful for characterizing isolates and forma species of F. oxysporum obtained from tomato.

Melampsora nujiangensis, a rust fungus found on Populus yunnanensis in China, is described as a new species. Light and scanning electron microscopy with herbarium specimens of the rust fungus show that the shape of its urediniospores differs from that of other known species of Melampsora, and its urediniospore walls are thinner than the other species. Furthermore, in phylogenetic trees based on the DNA sequences (28S and ITS) the rust fungus is phylogenetically separated by high bootstrap values. These results indicate that the fungus is an isolated species among the genus Melampsora.

Pinnaticoemansia coronantispora gen. sp. nov. (Kickxellaceae, Kickxellales) is described and illustrated. This species is characterized by imparipinnate sporocladia (sporocladia arranged in pairs), sporangiospores with a three-lobed corona, and the germination pattern of sporangiospores with downward hyphal growth and repeated dichotomy. The key to the genera of Kickxellales by Kurihara et al. (2001) is revised based on the observation of the germination pattern of this fungus in comparison with that of Asellariales.

We studied the tolerance of ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi to sodium chloride (NaCl) to find the best fungus to aid growth of Pinus thunbergii. Four ECM fungi, Cenococcum geophilum, Pisolithus tinctorius, Rhizopogon rubescens, and Suillus luteus, were grown in liquid MMN media with five different concentrations of NaCl for 30 days, and their mycelial weights were determined. Mycelial weights of P. tinctorius and R. rubescens were not significantly different between 0 mM and 200 mM, whereas those of C. geophilum and S. luteus decreased with increasing NaCl concentration, indicating that the former two species were more tolerant to higher NaCl concentrations than the latter species. We further studied the intraspecific differences in NaCl tolerance of nine P. tinctorius isolates. They were grown on MMN agar media with six different concentrations of NaCl for 21 days, and their radial growth was measured. In total, the hyphal growth at 25 mM NaCl was significantly higher than those at the other NaCl concentrations, and EC₅₀ values were confirmed at between 50 mM and 200 mM. Among the isolates, Pt03 and Pt21 showed measurable growth at 200 mM; the growth of Pt03 was not significantly different between 0 mM and 200 mM. The results indicate that there are intraspecific variations in NaCl tolerance of Pisolithus species.

An interesting aquatic ascomycete was found that appeared to possess characteristics of some members of the Sordariales. Subsequent sequencing of the 28S large subunit rDNA and β-tubulin genes confirmed the morphological data by placing it in the Sordariales but failed to provide support for placing this species in any recognized genus. Therefore, a new genus, Cuspidatispora, is erected to accommodate Cuspidatispora xiphiago, which is described as a new species based on a combination of morphological and molecular data. Cuspidatispora xiphiago is unique in possessing a central, melanized ascomal wall layer and apiosporous ascospores with a pronounced apical wall extension.

A morphological mutation particularly detectable in the dikaryotic state was found in Lentinula edodes. The mutant dikaryon was readily distinguishable from the normal dikaryon by the irregularly branched short hyphae, very slow hyphal growth, and sparse aerial hyphae. Genetic analysis revealed that expression of this mutation was controlled by a single recessive gene, mor-13. Linkage analysis showed that the mor-13 was not linked to either the incompatibility factors (A and B) or the five kinds of mor genes that were segregated independently of each other in a previous study.

Using agroinfection with a T-DNA vector carrying a hygromycin resistance marker, the recombinants were generated for the first time from the ectomycorrhizal basidiomycete Tricholoma matsutake, which produces commercially valuable fruit bodies, matsutake, during association with Pinus sp. plants. The transformation system may be useful in the genetic analysis of T. matsutake.

Lactarius ochrogalactus Hashiya, invalidly published in 1994, is validated and described in detail here. It is characterized by having yellowish-brown basidiocarps, yellowish-brown latex that stains reddish-brown, lampropalisade pileipellis, lamprotrichoderm stipitipellis, pleuromacrocystidia, and basidiospores that are ornamented with warts connected by fine lines. Because this species shares some characters with Lactarius subgen. Plinthogali as well as with Lactarius subgen. Lactiflui, we prefer to wait for molecular data before defining this species to a subgenus or section.