Messina Crocata It is a long-known species of fungus frequently reported from Europe and Japan, which was considered non-luminous until now.
Heinzelmann et al. Report evidence for bioluminescence in Messina Crocata and show that the genome of this species is fully equipped with genes associated with fungal bioluminescence. Image credit: Heinzelmann et al., doi: 10.47371/mycosci.2024.03.001.
Messina Crocata It is a type of fungi Messina Known from Europe, North Africa, Asia and North America.
It occurs mostly on leaf litter and woody debris from beech, and occasionally other hardwood trees such as oak, ash, alder, and birch.
Messina CrocataIts fruiting bodies appear summer through fall and are easy to recognize.
It reaches a height of 5-15 cm and has a slender line that shows a distinct color gradation ranging from bright orange-red at the base to pale yellow or cream at the top.
In addition, there may be yellow-red or orange-red spots on the white gills.
But what is most striking is that Messina Crocata It secretes a distinctive saffron-red juice when cut, which is also reflected in its common name, the saffron cap mushroom, as well as in the species’ Latin title. Crocata Which means saffron color.
Evidence for bioluminescence in Messina Crocata Discovered by Zurich-based artists Heidi Bagenstoss and Andreas Rudolf.
“We wanted to show that bioluminescent mushrooms exist in Swiss forests, and that we don’t have to travel far to find them,” Bagenstoss said.
“One evening, as we were walking through the woods in the Alpsrieden district of Zurich, we noticed some green light through our camera.”
“Sometimes the fungi’s bioluminescent light is so weak that it cannot be seen with the naked eye.”
Bagenstoss, Rudolf, and Dr. Renate Heinzelmann from the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research examined a large collection of… Messina Crocata.
They studied the bioluminescent properties of their fruiting bodies and mycelium using digital photography and photomultipliers.
In addition, they captured the spectrum of bioluminescence emitted by this species and confirmed the presence of bioluminescence-related genes in its genome.
“Photometric measurements showed that the fruiting body of… Messina CrocataThey explained that these cells, apart from the base of the dot, were non-luminescent, while the mycelium showed the greatest amount of bioluminescence.
“As a result, the wood decays Messina Crocata The growth can also emit a green glow when opened, lasting for up to 4 hours, until the wood dries.
“When we grew pure fungal cultures, under ideal conditions, these cells remained bioluminescent for up to 164 days.”
According to the authors, the ecological role of bioluminescence in fungi remains a mystery.
“In some fungal species with highly luminescent fruiting bodies, bioluminescence attracts arthropods during the night, which may enhance spore dispersal,” they said.
“bacteria Messina The species is usually spread by wind and in species that do not have luminous fruiting bodies, such as Messina CrocataBioluminescence likely plays a different but unknown role.
“We conclude from our study that it is very likely that there are other well-known species Messina They added that the species whose biological characteristics have not yet been discovered.
“Therefore, current studies on fungal bioluminescence may underestimate the frequency of bioluminescence in the mycinoid lineage.”
“Further studies on the evolution of luminescence within the Mycenoid lineage are recommended to verify the luminescent properties of the putative non-luminescent species in the absence of clear evidence of their lack of bioluminescence.”
A paper On the results published in the journal mycology.
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Renate Heinzelmann et al. 2024. It is bioluminescent in many Messina Overlooked species? – Case study from M. crocata In Switzerland. mycology 65 (4): 173-179; doi: 10.47371/mycosci.2024.03.001