- Forest biologist, soil ecologist and teacheredit
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summaryEctomycorrhizas were synthesized in growth pouches between Eucalyptus pilularis Sm. and Hydnangium carneum Wallr. in Dietr. Colonization of lateral roots occurred within 14 d after inoculation with the development of a dense white... more
summaryEctomycorrhizas were synthesized in growth pouches between Eucalyptus pilularis Sm. and Hydnangium carneum Wallr. in Dietr. Colonization of lateral roots occurred within 14 d after inoculation with the development of a dense white mantle and a paraepidermal Hartig net. Cystidium‐like structures and unusual hyphal coils were present on the surface of the mature mantle. The mantle consisted of distinctive outer and inner portions with small, uniform hyphae comprising the outer mantle and much enlarged and modified hyphae in the inner mantle. Granular deposits were abundant primarily in the inner mantle hyphae as shown by light and fluorescence microscopy. These granules were shown to be polyphosphate through cytochemical tests and the use of energy dispersive X‐ray microanalysis. Phosphorus and calcium were the main elements identified in these granules.
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SUMMARYRoot colonization patterns were studied after Phialocephala fortinii was inoculated on Lupinus latifolius (broad‐leafed lupin), a nitrogen‐fixing legume, and Pinus contorta (lodgepole pine). The fungus colonized epidermal and... more
SUMMARYRoot colonization patterns were studied after Phialocephala fortinii was inoculated on Lupinus latifolius (broad‐leafed lupin), a nitrogen‐fixing legume, and Pinus contorta (lodgepole pine). The fungus colonized epidermal and cortical cells in the root hair zone on ultimate pine roots, as well as cortical and epidermal cells of primary roots of both hosts. Fungal colonization was inter‐ and intracellular with sclerotia forming in cells of both hosts. Labyrinthine tissue, a type of fungal differentiation that occurs in the Hartig net of ectomycorrhizas, formed sporadically on pine roots. Similar colonization has been observed on conifers and many other plants, but this report is the first showing that a single fungus can form such structures on both pine and lupin.
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Arbutoid mycorrhizae were synthesized in growth pouches between Arbutus menziesii Pursch. (Pacific madrone) and two broad host range basidiomycete fungi, Pisolithus tinctorius (Pers.) Coker and Couch and Piloderma bicolor (Peck) Jülich.... more
Arbutoid mycorrhizae were synthesized in growth pouches between Arbutus menziesii Pursch. (Pacific madrone) and two broad host range basidiomycete fungi, Pisolithus tinctorius (Pers.) Coker and Couch and Piloderma bicolor (Peck) Jülich. P. tinctorius induced the formation of dense, pinnate mycorrhizal root clusters enveloped by a thick fungal mantle. P. bicolor mycorrhizae were usually unbranched, and had a thin or non-existent
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Research Interests: Environmental Science, Forestry, Forest Ecology And Management, Forest fire, Biological Sciences, and 15 moreEnvironmental Sciences, Wildfire, British Columbia, Forest ecosystem, Soil nitrogen, Plant species, Montane Forest, Plant Succession, Chemical Composition, Forest Floor, Boreal, Organic Matter, Taiga, Shrub, and nutrient cycle
SUMMARYSeedlings of Abies grandis, Alnus rubra, Pinus ponderosa, Picea sitchensis, Pseudotsuga menziesii and Tsuga heterophylla were grown in monoculture and dual culture in the greenhouse and inoculated with spore slurries of 20 isolates... more
SUMMARYSeedlings of Abies grandis, Alnus rubra, Pinus ponderosa, Picea sitchensis, Pseudotsuga menziesii and Tsuga heterophylla were grown in monoculture and dual culture in the greenhouse and inoculated with spore slurries of 20 isolates representing 15 species of ectomycorrhizal hypogeous fungi (11 Rhizopogon species, Alpova diplophloeus, Truncocolumella citrina, Melanogaster euryspermus and Zelleromyces gilkeyae). The primary objectives were to assess and compare the pattern of host specificity between symbionts and to study the influence of neighbouring plants on ectomycorrhiza development. None of the fungal species had broad host range affinities. A variety of specificity responses were exhibited by the different fungal taxa, ranging from genus‐restricted to intermediate host range. In monoculture, nine species of Rhizopogon (R. arctostaphyli, R, ellenae, R, flavofibrillosus, R. occidentalism R. rubescens, R. smithii, R. subcaerulescens, R. truncatus and R. vulgaris) formed ectomycorrhizas on Pinus ponderosa whereas three Rhizopogon species (R. parksv, R. vimcolor and R. subcaerulescens) formed ectomycorrhizas on Pseudotsuga menziesii. Truncocolumella citrina associated with Pseudotsuga menziesii and Alpova diplophloeus with Alnus rubra. Melanogaster euryspermus and Z. gilkeyae did not form ectomycorrhizas with any hosts. None of the fungi tested developed ectomycorrhizas on Abies grandis, Tsuga heterophylla or Picea sitchensis in monoculture. In dual culture, the same nine Rhisopogun species that formed abundant ectomycorrhizas on Prints pcmderosa formed some ectomycorrhizas on secondary hosts such as Abies grandis, Tsuga heterophylla, Pseudotsuga meitsiesii and Picea sitchensis. Similarly, Truncocolumella citrina formed abundant ectomycorrhizas on Pseudotsuga menziesii and low levels on the secondary hosts Abies grandis, Tsuga heterophytla and Picea sitchensis. Rhizopogon parksii and R. vinicolor only formed ectomycorrhizas on Pseudotsuga menziesii, and Alpova diplophloeus only formed ectomycorrhizas on Alnus rubra. The specificity pattern obtained by using this dual‐culture approach is contrasted with previous pure‐culture synthesis data and is discussed in terms of potential interplant linkages and community dynamics.
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The morphology and anatomy of ectomycorrhizas of Rhizopogon arctostaphyli, R. ellenae, R. flavofibrillosus, R. occidentalis, R. rubescens, R. smithii, R. subcaerulescens and R. truncatus synthesized on Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) in... more
The morphology and anatomy of ectomycorrhizas of Rhizopogon arctostaphyli, R. ellenae, R. flavofibrillosus, R. occidentalis, R. rubescens, R. smithii, R. subcaerulescens and R. truncatus synthesized on Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) in glasshouse conditions using spore slurries, are described and compared. All species produced a well‐developed Hartig net, and a well‐developed fungal mantle. The mantles of R. arctostaphyli, R. smithii and R. subcaerulescens ectomycorrhizas were two‐layered with outer mantle hyphae of wider diameter than inner mantle hyphae. The mantle of R. subcaerulescens ectomycorrhizas also had distinctive peg‐like structures (cystidia) along peripheral hyphae. Rhizopogon truncatus ectomycorrhizas were tuberculate in morphology and had a rind‐like mantle enclosing adjacent roots. In addition, several species exhibited crystal inclusions in the outer mantle, presumably at the interface between mantle and soil.
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Genera in the tribe Pyroleae (subfamily Monotropoideae, family Ericaceae) occur as understory plants in northern temperate zones where some form major components of ecosystems. Most have been poorly studied in terms of their association... more
Genera in the tribe Pyroleae (subfamily Monotropoideae, family Ericaceae) occur as understory plants in northern temperate zones where some form major components of ecosystems. Most have been poorly studied in terms of their association with symbiotic fungi. In this study, colonization patterns of mycorrhizal roots of five members of the Pyroleae ( Pyrola asarifolia Michx., Pyrola chlorantha Sw., Orthilia secunda (L.) House, Chimaphila umbellata (L.) W. Bart., Moneses uniflora (L.) Gray) were explored. Root samples were processed for light, fluorescence, and laser scanning confocal, scanning electron, and transmission electron microscopy, as well as for immunocytochemistry. Roots of all species had enlarged epidermal cells containing hyphal complexes, Hartig nets confined to the epidermis, and mantles. Epidermal cells were penetrated by hyphae originating from the Hartig net at more than one site either along the inner tangential wall or radial walls. The outer tangential wall of epidermal cells of all species, except M. uniflora, was thicker than radial and inner tangential walls and consisted of two layers, the outer containing nonesterified pectins that were labeled with JIM 5 antibodies. Radial walls and inner tangential walls did not label, but cortical cell walls did. Intracellular hyphal complexes developed initially around centrally positioned, enlarged epidermal cell nuclei and, through branching, occupied most of the cell volume. Senescence and degradation of the complexes followed. The fungal species in these symbiotic associations may be important functionally in nutrient exchange, as well as in contributing to broader linkages with other hosts in these plant communities.
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Research Interests: Agronomy, Plant Biology, Biology, BIOCHAR, Fertilizer, and 4 moreSoil sciences, Seedling, Black Carbon, and Soil Water
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Research Interests: Botany, Microbiology, Forestry, Medical Microbiology, Biology, and 15 moreMedicine, Gram Positive, Bacteria, Gas Chromatography, British Columbia, Plant Roots, Fires, Gram Positive Bacteria, Bacterial Diversity, Ecosystem, Fatty Acid Methyl Ester, Ectomycorrhizae, Base Sequence, Ectomycorrhiza, and Abies
... Ectomycorrhizas and climate change. Brian J. Pickles Corresponding Author Contact Information , E-mail The Corresponding Author , Keith N. Egger, Hugues B. Massicotte, D. Scott Green. Ecosystem Science and Management ...
Research Interests: Climate Change, Symbiosis, Biology, Ecology, Biodiversity, and 15 moreForest Ecology, Land Use Change, Biological Sciences, Global change, Environmental Sciences, Fungal ecology, Global Carbon Cycle, Complex Adaptive System, Species Invasion, Plant Community, Biome, Boreal, Ectomycorrhiza, Temperate Climate, and Tree Species
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Wild mushrooms, especially from North America, have not been systematically explored for their medicinal properties. Here we report screening for the growth-inhibitory and immunomodulatory activities of 12 species collected from multiple... more
Wild mushrooms, especially from North America, have not been systematically explored for their medicinal properties. Here we report screening for the growth-inhibitory and immunomodulatory activities of 12 species collected from multiple locations in north-central British Columbia, Canada. Mushrooms were characterized using morphology and DNA sequencing, followed by chemical extraction into 4 fractions using 80% ethanol, 50% methanol, water, and 5% sodium hydroxide. Growth-inhibitory, immunostimulatory, and anti-inflammatory activities of 5 mushrooms (Leucocybe connata, Trichaptum abietinum, Hydnellum sp., Gyromitra esculenta, and Hericium coralloides) are reported here, to our knowledge for the first time. Growth-inhibitory effects were assessed using the cytotoxic MTT assay. Immunostimulatory activity was assessed by tumor necrosis factor-α production in Raw 264.7 macrophages, whereas anti-inflammatory activity was assessed based on the inhibition of lipopolysaccharide-induced tumor necrosis factor-α production. The ethanol and aqueous extracts of Hydnellum sp. were potent growth inhibitors, with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration of 0.6 mg/mL. All 5 fungi displayed strong immunostimulatory activity, whereas only L. connata and T. abietinum showed strong anti-inflammatory activity. For the 7 other fungi investigated, which included well-known medicinal species such as Inonotus obliquus, Phellinus igniarius, and Ganoderma applanatum, the remarkable similarities in the biological activities reported here, and by others for specimens collected elsewhere, suggest that mushrooms can produce similar metabolites regardless of their habitat or ecosystem. This is to our knowledge the first study to explore wild mushrooms from British Columbia for biological activities that are relevant to cancer, and the results provide an initial framework for the selection of mushroom species with the potential for discovery of novel anticancer compounds.
Research Interests: Biology, Medicine, Humans, Mice, Mushroom, and 14 moreAnimals, Medicinal mushrooms, Immunomodulation, Ganoderma, British Columbia, Anti-inflammatory agents, Lipopolysaccharides, HeLa cells, Medicinal Fungi, Ascomycota, Cell Survival, Inonotus obliquus, BASIDIOMYCOTA, and Pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences
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Research Interests: Botany, Mycology, Biology, Colonization, Fungus, and 4 moreRhizome, Mycorrhizae, Mycoheterotrophy, and Springer Ebooks
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Ectomycorrhiza formation between Dryas integrifolia and Hebeloma cylindrosporum is initiated by changes in the growth pattern of hyphae when they first contact root epidermal cells in the mycorrhizal infection zone. Fungal hyphae then... more
Ectomycorrhiza formation between Dryas integrifolia and Hebeloma cylindrosporum is initiated by changes in the growth pattern of hyphae when they first contact root epidermal cells in the mycorrhizal infection zone. Fungal hyphae then grow within the middle lamella of the plant root. Fungal growth is modified and branching patterns similar to those found in the Hartig net of most ectomycorrhizal systems result. Inter-cellular hyphal growth is impeded by the deposition of wall material around plasmodesmata, the latter maintaining symplastic continuity between root cells. The middle lamella in these regions is, however, eventually occupied by growing hyphae that disrupt plasmodesmata. Transfer cell-like wall ingrowths occur in cortical cells in the Hartig net region. Ultrastructural changes occur in Hartig net hyphae and contiguous root cells during the ontogeny of the ectomycorrhiza.
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Laminated-root rot, caused by Phellinus weirii (Murr.) Gilb., is a serious disease affecting Douglas-fir and other commercially important species of conifers in northwestern North America. Recent work has shown that this fungus is... more
Laminated-root rot, caused by Phellinus weirii (Murr.) Gilb., is a serious disease affecting Douglas-fir and other commercially important species of conifers in northwestern North America. Recent work has shown that this fungus is successfully reduced or eliminated by the fumigant chloropicrin. However, the effect of this biocide on nontarget organisms, including ectomycorrhizae, is uncertain. Following an initial assessment of organisms
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Background: Serpentine ecosystems support different, often unique, plant communities; however, we know little about the soil organisms that associate with these ecosystems. Mycorrhizas, mutualistic symbioses between fungi and roots, are... more
Background: Serpentine ecosystems support different, often unique, plant communities; however, we know little about the soil organisms that associate with these ecosystems. Mycorrhizas, mutualistic symbioses between fungi and roots, are critical to nutrient cycling and energy exchange below ground. Aims: We address three hypotheses: H1, diversity of mycorrhizal fungi in serpentine soils mirrors above-ground plant diversity; H2, the morphology of mycorrhizas and fungi on serpentine soils differs from that on non-serpentine; and H3, mycorrhizal fungal communities of the same or closely related hosts differ between serpentine and non-serpentine soils. Methods: This review focuses on whether plant diversity on serpentine soils correlates with the below ground diversity of mycorrhizal fungi. Results: Studies show that plants and fungi formed abundant ectomycorrhizal and arbuscular mycorrhizal symbioses on and off serpentine soils. No serpentine-endemic fungi were identified. Molecular analyses indicate distinct serpentine isolates for Cenococcum geophilum and for Acaulospora, suggesting adaptation to serpentine soils. While fungal sporocarp assemblages on serpentine sites resembled those off serpentine, fruiting of hypogeous fungi was greatly reduced. Conclusions: Ectomycorrhizal fungal communities did not differ between soil types; however, arbuscular mycorrhizal communities differed in some cases but not others. The additive response to multiple factors, described as the serpentine syndrome, may explain part of the response by fungi.