title: Morphological and Molecular Analysis Identifies the Associated Fungus ("Xianghui") of the Medicinal White Jelly Mushroom, Tremella fuciformis, as Annulohypoxylon stygium.
abstract: White jelly mushroom, Tremella fuciformis, is a popular edible mushroom with interesting medicinal properties (e.g., immunostimulating, antidiabetic). The formation of T. fuciformis basidiomes is highly dependent on the presence of a specific host fungus, both in nature and for industrial production. This host has traditionally been indicated as "Xianghui" in China, yet which or how many fungal species Xianghui comprises is unclear, with various authorities claiming different species. At present, Annulohypoxilon archeri is generally assumed to be the main Xianghui species, but this has not yet been confirmed experimentally. The implementation of older, premolecular-based research data (i.e., morphological) with present, sequence-based data to solve the identity remains confusing and studies addressing both identification methods in combination are lacking. The unclear identity of Xianghui is a major obstacle for further understanding of the important relationship between the host(s) and T. fuciformis. In this study, we collected a wild specimen of T. fuciformis together with several nearby stroma of Xianghui, cocultivated T. fuciformis with the Xianghui isolates, and observed basidiome formation. Internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence analysis showed that all Xianghui spore isolates belonged to the same species and both morphological analysis of sexual stages and ITS β-tubulin and actin gene sequences of the Xianghui specified it as Annulohypoxylon stygium. The ITS sequences of the newly identified Xianghui further closely matched those of the Xianghui strains used in the mushroom industry, showing that wild and culture spawn Xianghui in China consist of A. stygium. In contrast with previous conclusions, A. stygium, and not A. archeris, seems to be the preferred host of T. fuciformis.
authors.affiliation: Mycological Research Center, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Youjin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.affiliation: Mycological Research Center, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Arend Frans
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: van Peer
authors.affiliation: Mycological Research Center, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Fu-Sheng
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Lan
authors.affiliation: Mycological Research Center, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Qing-Fu
authors.initials: QF
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: College of Food Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Mycological Research Center, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ling-Dan
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Lian
authors.affiliation: Mycological Research Center, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Dong-Min
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Mycological Research Center, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Baogui
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Xie
mesh_terms: D001487:Basidiomycota / Q000145:classification* / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics; D048690:Fruiting Bodies, Fungal; D010802:Phylogeny; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013098:Xylariales / Q000145:classification* / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics