Amanita Section Phalloideae Species in the Mediterranean Basin: Destroying Angels Reviewed

What are the 100 most cited fungal genera?

The global diversity of fungi has been estimated between 2 to 11 million species, of which only about 155 000 have been named. Most fungi are invisible to the unaided eye, but they represent a major component of biodiversity on our planet, and play essential ecological roles, supporting life as we know it. Although approximately 20 000 fungal genera are presently recognised, the ecology of most remains undetermined. Despite all this diversity, the mycological community actively researches some fungal genera more commonly than others. This poses an interesting question: why have some fungal genera impacted mycology and related fields more than others? To address this issue, we conducted a bibliometric analysis to identify the top 100 most cited fungal genera. A thorough database search of the Web of Science, Google Scholar, and PubMed was performed to establish which genera are most cited. The most cited 10 genera are Saccharomyces, Candida, Aspergillus, Fusarium, Penicillium, Trichoderma, Botrytis, Pichia, Cryptococcus and Alternaria. Case studies are presented for the 100 most cited genera with general background, notes on their ecology and economic significance and important research advances. This paper provides a historic overview of scientific research of these genera and the prospect for further research. Citation: Bhunjun CS, Chen YJ, Phukhamsakda C, Boekhout T, Groenewald JZ, McKenzie EHC, Francisco EC, Frisvad JC, Groenewald M, Hurdeal VG, Luangsa-ard J, Perrone G, Visagie CM, Bai FY, Błaszkowski J, Braun U, de Souza FA, de Queiroz MB, Dutta AK, Gonkhom D, Goto BT, Guarnaccia V, Hagen F, Houbraken J, Lachance MA, Li JJ, Luo KY, Magurno F, Mongkolsamrit S, Robert V, Roy N, Tibpromma S, Wanasinghe DN, Wang DQ, Wei DP, Zhao CL, Aiphuk W, Ajayi-Oyetunde O, Arantes TD, Araujo JC, Begerow D, Bakhshi M, Barbosa RN, Behrens FH, Bensch K, Bezerra JDP, Bilański P, Bradley CA, Bubner B, Burgess TI, Buyck B, Čadež N, Cai L, Calaça FJS, Campbell LJ, Chaverri P, Chen YY, Chethana KWT, Coetzee B, Costa MM, Chen Q, Custódio FA, Dai YC, Damm U, de Azevedo Santiago ALCM, De Miccolis Angelini RM, Dijksterhuis J, Dissanayake AJ, Doilom M, Dong W, Alvarez-Duarte E, Fischer M, Gajanayake AJ, Gené J, Gomdola D, Gomes AAM, Hausner G, He MQ, Hou L, Iturrieta-González I, Jami F, Jankowiak R, Jayawardena RS, Kandemir H, Kiss L, Kobmoo N, Kowalski T, Landi L, Lin CG, Liu JK, Liu XB, Loizides M, Luangharn T, Maharachchikumbura SSN, Makhathini Mkhwanazi GJ, Manawasinghe IS, Marin-Felix Y, McTaggart AR, Moreau PA, Morozova OV, Mostert L, Osiewacz HD, Pem D, Phookamsak R, Pollastro S, Pordel A, Poyntner C, Phillips AJL, Phonemany M, Promputtha I, Rathnayaka AR, Rodrigues AM, Romanazzi G, Rothmann L, Salgado-Salazar C, Sandoval-Denis M, Saupe SJ, Scholler M, Scott P, Shivas RG, Silar P, Souza-Motta CM, Silva-Filho AGS, Spies CFJ, Stchigel AM, Sterflinger K, Summerbell RC, Svetasheva TY, Takamatsu S, Theelen B, Theodoro RC, Thines M, Thongklang N, Torres R, Turchetti B, van den Brule T, Wang XW, Wartchow F, Welti S, Wijesinghe SN, Wu F, Xu R, Yang ZL, Yilmaz N, Yurkov A, Zhao L, Zhao RL, Zhou N, Hyde KD, Crous PW (2024). What are the 100 most cited fungal genera? Studies in Mycology 108: 1-411. doi: 10.3114/sim.2024.108.01.

Verification study on how macrofungal fruitbody formation can be predicted by artificial neural network

The occurrence and regularity of macrofungal fruitbody formation are influenced by meteorological conditions; however, there is a scarcity of data about the use of machine-learning techniques to estimate their occurrence based on meteorological indicators. Therefore, we employed an artificial neural network (ANN) to forecast fruitbody occurrence in mycorrhizal species of Russula and Amanita, utilizing meteorological factors and validating the accuracy of the forecast of fruitbody formation. Fungal data were collected from two locations in Western Hungary between 2015 and 2020. The ANN was the commonly used algorithm for classification problems: feed-forward multilayer perceptrons with a backpropagation algorithm to estimate the binary (Yes/No) classification of fruitbody appearance in natural and undisturbed forests. The verification indices resulted in two outcomes: however, development is most often studied by genus level, we established a more successful, new model per species. Furthermore, the algorithm is able to successfully estimate fruitbody formations with medium to high accuracy (60-80%). Therefore, this work was the first to reliably utilise the ANN approach of estimating fruitbody occurrence based on meteorological parameters of mycorrhizal specified with an extended vegetation period. These findings can assist in field mycological investigations that utilize sporocarp occurrences to ascertain species abundance.

Two new species of Inocybe from Mediterranean Cistaceae heathlands

This study explored a heathland region in Portugal, and through morphology, biogeography, and multilocus phylogeny, two new species of Inocybaceae are described. The first species, Inocybe iberilepora, belongs to "I. flocculosa group," whereas the second species, Inocybe phaeosquamosa, belongs to a relatively isolated and understudied clade, distantly related to I. furfurea and allies. Both species are tied to a west Mediterranean distribution and ecology, associating with the local Cistaceae ecosystems. By characterizing these new species, our research contributes to the understanding of European Funga and enriches the knowledge of the genus Inocybe on a global scale.

Toxicokinetics and tissue distribution of phalloidin in mice

Phalloidin, a bicyclic heptapeptide found in Amanita mushroom, specifically binds to F-actin in the liver causing cholestatic hepatotoxicity. However, the toxicokinetics and tissue distribution properties of phalloidin as well as their underlying mechanisms have to be studied further. The area under the plasma concentration curve (AUC) of phalloidin increased in proportion to the doses (0.2, 0.4, and 0.8 mg/kg for intravenous injection and 2, 5, and 10 mg/kg for oral administration). Phalloidin exhibited dose-independent low volume of distribution (395.6-456.9 mL/kg) and clearance (21.4-25.5 mL/min/kg) and low oral bioavailability (2.4%-3.3%). This could be supported with its low absorptive permeability (0.23 ± 0.05 × 10-6 cm/s) in Caco-2 cells. The tissue-to-plasma AUC ratios of intravenously injected and orally administered phalloidin were the highest in the liver and intestines, respectively, and also high in the kidneys, suggesting that the liver, kidneys, and intestines could be susceptible to phalloidin exposure and that active transport via the hepatic and renal organic anion transporters (OATP1B1, OATP1B3, and OAT3) may contribute to the higher distribution of phalloidin in the liver and kidneys.

Amanitins: The Most Poisonous Molecules of the Fungal World

Among the toxic metabolites of the fungal world, those that, due to their strong biological effect, can seriously (even fatally) damage the life processes of humans (and certain groups of animals) stand out. Amatoxin-containing mushrooms and the poisonings caused by them stand out from the higher fungi, the mushrooms. There are already historical data and records about such poisonings, but scientific research on the responsible molecules began in the middle of the last century. The goals of this review work are as follows: presentation of the cosmopolitan mushroom species that produce amanitins (which are known from certain genera of four mushroom families), an overview of the chemical structure and specific properties of amanitins, a summary of the analytical methods applicable to them, a presentation of the "medical history" of poisonings, and a summary of the therapeutic methods used so far. The main responsible molecules (the amanitins) are bicyclic octapeptides, whose structure is characterized by an outer loop and an inner loop (bridge). It follows from the unusual properties of amanitins, especially their extreme stability (against heat, the acidic pH of the medium, and their resistance to human, and animal, digestive enzymes), that they are absorbed almost without hindrance and quickly transported to our vital organs. Adding to the problems is that accidental consumption causes no noticeable symptoms for a few hours (or even 24-36 h) after consumption, but the toxins already damage the metabolism of the target organs and the synthesis of nucleic acid and proteins. The biochemical catastrophe of the cells causes irreversible structural changes, which lead to necrotic damage (in the liver and kidneys) and death. The scientific topicality of the review is due to the recent publication of new data on the probable antidote molecule (ICR: indocyanine green) against amanitins. Further research can provide a new foundation for the therapeutic treatment of poisonings, and the toxicological situation, which currently still poses a deadly threat, could even be tamed into a controllable problem. We also draw attention to the review conclusions, as well as the mycological and social tasks related to amanitin poisonings (prevention of poisonings).