title: Tolerance of ectomycorrhizal fungus mycelium to low temperature and freezing-thawing.
abstract: Very little is known about the tolerance of ectomycorrhizal fungi to the freezing and repetitive freezing-thawing in northern coniferous forests. Isolates of Cortinarius multiformis , Russula densifolia , Suillus granulatus , and Lactarius deliciosus were exposed to a series of temperatures between +4 and -40 °C. The relative electrolyte leakage test indicated that the lethal temperature for 50% of samples was between -7.6 and -13.7 °C. Resume growth experiments showed that the 4 species of ectomycorrhizal fungi had a relatively high tolerance to the low temperatures, with L. deliciosus having the highest tolerance and C. multiformis the lowest. The repeated freezing-thawing delayed the growth of mycelium, which decreased with an increase in the number of freeze-thaw cycles.
authors.affiliation: College of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Dalong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Guoting
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Liqiang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mu
authors.forename: Chun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D003080:Cold Temperature; D004573:Electrolytes / Q000378:metabolism; D005615:Freezing; D025282:Mycelium / Q000254:growth & development; D038821:Mycorrhizae / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D004573:Electrolytes