Book of Abstracts (PDF) - International Mycological Association

IMC7 Main Congress Theme I: BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION Posters
Hericium populations and make recommendations for their
artificial reintroduction, if necessary.
609 - Encapsulation cryopreservation of Serpula
lacrymans and the development of methods to identify
molecular damage
N.A. White 1* , A. Ariza 1 , E.E. Benson 1 , M.J. Ryan 2 & A.
Buddie 2
1 SIMBIOS, University of Abertay, Kydd Building, Bell St.,
Dundee, DD1 1HG, Scotland, U.K. - 2 CABI Bioscience,
Bakeham Lane, Egham, Surrey, TW20 9TY, England, U.K.
- E-mail: mltnaw@aberaty.ac.uk
We present a generic encapsulation-dehydration method
for the successful cryopreservation of building and
Himalayan woodland isolates of Serpula lacrymans and S.
himantioides. Mycelial cores from actively growing
cultures were encapsulated in alginate beads and pretreated
for 72 h in a 0.75 M sucrose solution. Three
desiccation methods were tested on the pre-treated beads: 4
h in a flow of sterile air while cooling the beads on ice (c.
19-26 °C), 4 h in a flow of sterile air without cooling the
beads (c. 28-40 °C) and 18 h in a specially designed
desiccator with silica gel (c. 22 °C). Desiccated beads were
stored in liquid nitrogen for 30 min, then left to recover and
the effect of treatment on the survival, lag phase, radial
colony extension rate and morphology measured. A
comparison of the different experimental methodologies
employed clearly highlights the sensitivity of this approach
to the operational parameters, in particular temperature.
Results are described and compared for individuals of
different origin and in view of the known temperature
sensitivities of Serpula species. The development of
molecular techniques such as ISSR-PCR to identify genetic
damage accumulated during different storage and
preservation treatments applied to S. lacrymans are
described.
610 - The biomarkers and fossils of cryptoendolithic
Antarctic fungi and lichens
J. Wierzchos 1 & C. Ascaso 2*
1 Universitat de Lleida, Servei de Microscòpia Electrònica,
c/ Rovira Roure 44, 25198 Lleida, Spain. - 2 Centro de
Ciencias Medioambientales, CSIC, c/ Serrano 115 dpdo.,
28006 Madrid, Spain. - E-mail: ascaso@ccma.csic.es
Lithobiontic microbial communities living within are an
example of survival in an extremely cold and dry
environment. Any unfavourable change in external
conditions can result in the death and disappearance of
microbes, and this may be followed by the appearance of
trace biomarkers and/or their microbial fossils. The results
reveal the presence of inorganic biomarkers in the form of
physicochemical bioweathering mineral patterns. The
presence of Fe-hydroxide nanocrystals and biogenic clays
around endolithic hyphae cells have been also observed.
Others biomarkers, including deposits of calcium oxalates
and silica accumulations, are clear signs of endolithic
hyphae activity. The interior of the sandstone rocks reveal
the presence of microbial fossils of cryptoendolithic
lichens. These microbial fossils, detected for the first time
within Antarctic rocks, contain well preserved relics of
ultrastructural cytoplasm elements. Recognising internal
cell structures within fossilised cells is proposed as a new
criterion for defining the biogenicity of biomorphs. We
suggest the use of SEM-BSE and EDS in situ
microscopical and microanalytical investigation strategies,
which make it possible to clearly determine inorganic
traces of Antarctic endoliths. The implications of our
findings are potentially significant for astrobiology because
Antarctic cold and dry ecosystem are considered a
terrestrial analogue for possible life on early Mars.
611 - Study on the biodiversity of inoperculate
discomycetes in Yamingshan, Taiwan
M.L. Wu
Dept. of Natural Science Education, Taipei Municipal
Teachers' College, No. 1, Ai-Kuo West Rd. Taipei, Taiwan.
- E-mail: wuml@mail1.tmtc.edu.tw
Thirty sampling areas with 1 square meter had been
constructed at the Silvergrass Grasslands and Arrow
Bamboo Bushes near Hsiaoyukeng as well as Broadleaved
Forest near Lujankenghsi in Yangmingshan National Park,
Taiwan. One hundred and twelve samples including 43
from decayed twigs, 10 from arrow bamboo and 59 from
silvergrass and other straws had been collected from the
above sampling areas at the elevations of 510-830 m since
August, 2000 to July, 2001. Eighteen species of
Dermateaceae, 4 species of Leotiaceae, 3 species of
Orbiliaceae, 4 species of Sclerotiniaceae, 18 species of
Hyaloscyphaceae had been identified. The dominant
species of the above three different areas of Lujankenghsi,
Silvergrass Grasslands and Arrow Bamboo Bushes are
respectively Lachnum sclerotii,Lachnum cf. apala and the
species of Mollisia.
612 - Fungi, rotted wood and beetles: Implications for
native forest management in Tasmania
M. Yee 1 , Z.Q. Yuan 2 & C. Mohammed 3*
1 Co-operative Research Centre for Sustainable Production
Forestry, GPO Box 252-12, Hobart, Tasmania, 7001,
Australia. - 2 School of Agricultural Science, University of
Tasmania, GPO Box 252-54, Hobart, Tasmania, 7001,
Australia. - 3 CSIRO Forestry and Forest Products, GPO
Box 252-12, Hobart, Tasmania, 7001, Australia. - E-mail:
caroline.mohammed@csiro.au
Shorter rotation lengths of around 80 years in commercial
native forests in Tasmania will eventually lead to the
Book of Abstracts 185