Subject: mycorhizal fungi

From: [email-masked] (Paul Stewart)
Date: 25 Jan 1995 09:33:18 -0400

Fellow Myconuts:
	Has anyone a contact for research or info regarding mycorhizal fungi?
Specifically, I'm looking for any attempts to culture them.  My idea is 
to try extracts of the companion roots or surrounding soil as additives 
to agar and similar additives to the spawn mix (grain, wood chips, sawdust).
	I have successfully grown mycelium cultures of Boletus edulis 
(king bolete), chanterelles, and Suillus luteus (slippery Jack), all of 
which are native to PEI, but not reliably plentiful enough to wild 
harvest (not crazy about wild harvest anyway).  I've heard from plenty of 
people that I'm wasting my time, so I'd rather that not be my only reply 
(Stamets' latest book seems to agree with me).
	Anyone with ideas to share please e-mail me or reply to this 
group.  I'll continue to be willing to share any of my own findings.  I 
have already identified some necessary trace elements from soil 
containing Chanterelle mycelia.  I just took samples from the mycelial 
layer, the grass root zone, and below this, followed by similar samples a 
few feet away.  The mycelia seemed to accumulate manganese, boron, and 
calcium in significant quantities.  Any comments.....?
					Paul Stewart

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From: [email-masked] (Tom Volk)
Date: Thu, 26 Jan 1995 14:42:20 GMT

>to agar and similar additives to the spawn mix (grain, wood chips, sawdust).
[some stuff deleted}

For an excellent recnt article see Leonard Hutchison, 1991 Description and 
identification of cultures of ectomycorrhizal fungi found in North America.  
Mycotaxon 42:387-504.  IN this article, Dr. Hutchision describes some 
techniques for isolating & growing cultures of mycorrhizal fungi, and 
characters to look for in the cultres to be sure you have the right fungus 
in culture. note: includes many boletes, but not chanterelles.  INcludes 
many other genera, e.eg Tricholoma, Hebeloma, Amanita, Laccaria, etc..  I 
highly recommend the article.
---Tom Volk  Center for Forest Mycology Research, USDA Forest Products Lab, 
MAdison Wisconsin    <[email-masked]>

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From: [email-masked] (MYCOCHEF)
Date: 26 Jan 1995 16:48:21 -0500

hi, contact "Mushroom the Journal of Wild Mushrooming" for mucho info re:
your subject (mycorhizal fungi).  call Maggie Rogers 503.239.4321, the
editor for further stuff.  or contact the Mycological Society of San
Francisco thru Rose Flahery at 408.688.3606

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From: [email-masked] (Richard Winder)
Date: Mon, 30 Jan 1995 18:21:38 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] 
>(Stamets' latest book seems to agree with me).

You are not wasting your time.  Certain boletes (including B. edulis) have 
been reportedly grown in axenic culture.  Ditto for morels.  It will take a bit
of imagination and research to overcome the technical problems in a way that
would be economically feasible, though.

>calcium in significant quantities.  Any comments.....?

Just some really crazy ideas, with apologies out there to those who may have
already considered these things...

For culture of mycorrhizal mushrooms in general, I wonder if some of
the issues to contend with are:

1) Intactness/size of mycelium

Let's face it- B. edulis can get pretty big.  Many of these mushrooms probably
need to achieve a certain mycelial size before they start pumping all that
water and nutrients into a fruiting body (hence the use of deep dish agar
cultures to produce Boletus spp.)

2) Water relations

If the medium dries out before a fruiting body can get going, it will abort.
Proper water flow could also be involved in wicking away staling compounds or
inhibitory compounds such as phenolics.

3) Nutrient flux

A clear source/sink flow of nutrients may need to be established.
A disruption of this flux might also be necessary for fruiting.

4) Inhibitors

Some seeds need ample water to leach away inhibitors linked with dormancy- it
wouldn't be shocking to find them in fungi.  At any rate, closed systems
accumulate waste products, inhibitors, etc. much more readily than open ones.
Hence the incorporation of orange slices in successful Armillaria spp. 
mushroom culture (I think that the ascorbic acid/Vitamin C/antioxidant helps 
the fungus deal with accumulated phenolic compounds and other inhibitors- 
but watch that pH!).

5) Templates

The orange peels described above also provide a good hunk of cellulose which
probably acts as a nutritious growth template.

6) Photoperiod/hormones

The B. edulis in my front yard (no, you can't have my home address!) always
fruit exactly on Canada day (July 1) with the Amanita muscaria 2 days behind.
The involvement of photoperiod might be direct, or indirect (plant hormones,
etc.).

7) Nutrient base

Approximating more closely the amino acids and sugars present in a tree root 
which are being exported to the mycelium might be a big help.  Pectins,
suberin, and various cell wall constituents  might help.  Maybe you also
need phosphorylated compounds, membrane compounds (glycolipids, DNA fragments,
etc.), or triggers like c-AMP to indicate a "living" presence- who knows. 

8) Microbes

Chantrelles and truffles apparently have a good deal of bacteria incorporated
into their sporocarps, which may indicate symbiosis with other microbes as well
as plants.  It might be that bacterial cell wall components could be
incorporated into the medium to avoid the contamination problems posed
by these symbionts, which are usually facultative saprobes.  If the bacteria 
produce iron-abosorbing ionophores which the fungus can use, this might be
another thing to look into.  Various microbes (bacteria, yeasts) may not be
true symbionts, but may aid in sporocarp formation by providing competitve
stress or an environmental cue.

Still ready to grow boletes commercially?	-RSW

  RICHARD WINDER                    Title: Research Scientist
  Canadian Forest Service           Phone: (604) 363-0773
  Victoria, B.C.                    Internet: [email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (Paul Stewart)
Date: 31 Jan 1995 12:25:48 -0400

My sincere thanks to all who have responded so far to my inquiries into 
mycorrhizal culture:
Ralph Arnold		Wayne Harrison		Mycochef
"jagput"		Keith Seifert		Tom Volk
Richard Winder		and any others I may have lost track of.

Nothing so far has dampened my motivation. Since I am only at the stage 
of growing mycelia of morel, boletes, and chanterelle, I have ample 
opportunity to become discouraged in the coming months :-) .

I will be moving the mycelia to some sort of spawn mixture in the coming 
weeks, and all your suggestions will be tried, along with any other wacky 
suggestions y'all come up with. Glad to see there is so much interest in 
this topic. It certainly isn't a big thing in our University library, 
which is mostly funded these days by the Vet school (anyone know of a 
smily for slightly bitter resentment?)

For what it's worth, I would be very interested in trading mycelia with 
others in Canada.  Does anyone have experience with the regulations and 
methods of shipping cultures outside Canada or the US?

For what it's further worth, I will gladly share what small successes I 
may trip over in the coming months. Thanks again.....PAUL

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From: [email-masked] (Lewis Melville)
Date: 2 Feb 1995 21:20:07 GMT

Paul Stewart ([email-masked]) wrote:
: Fellow Myconuts:
: 	Has anyone a contact for research or info regarding mycorhizal fungi?
: Specifically, I'm looking for any attempts to culture them.  My idea is 
: to try extracts of the companion roots or surrounding soil as additives 
: to agar and similar additives to the spawn mix (grain, wood chips, sawdust).

	We published a book called Practical Methods in Mycorrhiza 
Research which contains information on culturing and isolating Ecto 
fungi. It is available from Mycologue PUblications, 8728 Lochside Drive, 
Sidney, B.C. Canada. V8L 1M8. U.S. $23.00. 

	Culturing VAM fungi is a different story, usually done in pot 
cultures with a host plant. 
 
	You could also join the micronet listserv list, and contact 
mycorrhiza reseachers that way. SEnd a mail message to 
[email-masked] with the message 
subscribe micronet <your name> 
Good luck. lewis melville.

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From: Richard W. Kerrigan <[email-masked]>
Date: 7 Feb 1995 12:20:03 -0500

Paul Stewart ([email-masked]) wrote:
: My sincere thanks to all who have responded so far to my inquiries into 
: mycorrhizal culture...

[ETC.]

I didn't see the following info posted, so:  The research lab 'Station 
Champignons' at INRA-Bordeaux has pioneered this area very successfully 
for more than 15 years.  Contact Dr. J.-M. Olivier at the station, BP 81, 
33883 Villenave d'Ornon, FRANCE.  They wrote the book on Truffle culture 
and have had other successes, e.g. Lactarius spp.

You might also want to contact Dr. Makoto Ogawa of Japan, to learn about 
unsuccessful work on Matsutake.  I don't have his address at hand but 
could look it up if you e-mail me directly at [email-masked].

Good luck! -- Rick
-- 
Richard W. Kerrigan, Research Department, Sylvan Spawn Laboratory, Inc.		
               1163 Winfield Rd., Cabot, PA  16032  USA
e-mail:	[email-masked]      phone: 412-352-1521      fax: 412-352-4062
	"Success has a thousand parents; failure is an orphan"