1985 - Mycological Society of America

character with morphological or anatomical
characters. A reevaluation of the list of brownrot
agaric qenera resu1.ted in the removal of
Coprinus as suspect, and the exclusion of Lentinus
sensu stricto and Paxillus sensu stricto. Two
new genera, Neolentinus and Heliocybe, are proposed
for :,rown-rot species formerly treated in Lentinus,
and a third new genus, Ussicaulis, for one
previously considered to be a Pleurotus. The
brown-rot genus Tapinella is resurrected as a
link between the hrown-rot family Coni~phoraceae
and the mycorrhizal genus Paxillus, both in
the order Roletales. Recognition of the white-rot
genus Lentinula for the Shiitake and allies is
sl~pported I))( decay studies. Six genera of
agaricoid hyrnenomycetes in at least two orders
now arc consider~d to be brown-rot taxa. Among
agaric genera the formation of a brown-rot is a
qerler I c rea t :re.
DON R. REYNOLDS. Natural History Museum,
n o Exposition Boulevard, Los Angeles,
California 90007.
A phylogenetic view of the Capnodiaceae
sensu lato.
The Capnodiaceae sensu lato is analyzed
with cladistic technique. The hypothesis
being tested is that the sexual states
and the asexual states of monophyletic
pleoholomorphs will have similar trees.
ROBERT H. RIEHL* AND DAVID 0. TOFT. Department of
Cell Biology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55950. The
Antheridiol Receptor of Achlya ambisexualis E87.
We have detected a high affinity bindinz protein
in the cytosol of A. ambisexualis male cells ;hat is
specific for antheridiol and a tritium-labeled
analog. Studies have revealed that, in the presence
of sodium molybdate, this macromolecule has a
sedimentat ion coefficient of 8.3s in sucrose
gradieqts of low ionic strength, a Stokes radius of
56.6 A (Sephacryl 5-300 columns), a molecular
weight of approximately 192,000, a frictional ratio
of 1.5, and an axial ratio of 8.9. The binding
protein can be eluted with 0.24 M KC1 as a single
peak from DEAE-Sephadex A-25 columns. When sucrose
gradients are prepared containing 1 M KC1 without
molybdate, a shift in sedimentation c.oefficient from
8.3s to 3.6s occurs. Recently, we have produced a
monoclonal antibody to one component of ,the
antheridiol receptor that cross-reacts with a similar
component of the steroid receptors of birds and
mammals. These results indicate that this steroid
binding protein from Achlya has in vitro biochemical
properties that are similar to those of the steroid
receptors in other organisms and that these
properties may have been evolutionarily conserved.
ROBERT W. ROBERSON, E. S. LUTTRELL, Department of
Plant Pathology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA
30602, and NORMA L. CASHION, formerly CIMMYT. Londres
40, Apdo. Postal 6-641, 06600 Mexico. D.F. Formation
of exogenous terminal teliospores in Neovossia indica
(Tilletiaceae).
Teliospores of the karnal bunt fungus, Neovossia
indica, develop in extensive shallow cavities
resulting from dissolution of the middle layers of
the pericarp of the wheat grain. The cavity is
bounded on the outside by the epidermal and hypodermal
layers of the pericarp and on the inside by
the layer of cross cells and tube cells. The intercellular
hyphae of the fungus line the cavity with a
hymenium-like stroma of compacted cells. Short hyphal
37
branches arising from generative cells ir~ the stromal
layer project into the cavity. The tips of these
sporogenous branches swell into pyriform teliospore
initials. The primary wall of the spore is continuous
with the wall of the sporogenous hypha. As the protoplasm
of the sporogenous hyphae moves toward its tip
a series of empty cells is cut off by septa, and a
final septum delimits the binucleate spore initial.
The two nuclei Fuse and the initial expands enormously
into the globose spiny teliospore. This type
of development contrasts with the endogenous formation
of teliospores in intercalary hyphal cells with
swollen gelatinous walls reported in Ustilaginaceae..
R.G. ROBERTS. Field and Horticultural Crops Research
Unit, USDA:ARS, R. B. Russell Agricultural Research
Center, P. 0. Box 5677, Athens, GA 30613.
The anamorph of Microascus intermedius Emmons & Dodge
During mycofloral studies of sunflower seeds, an
ascomycete morphologically indistinguishable from
Microascus intermedius was frequently isolated from
low quality seeds. Von Arx erected the genus
Pithoascus for g. nidicola, g. intermedius and other
species lacking anamorphs, with no ascospore germ
pores and with papillate ascomata. The sunflower
isolates of M. intermedius were consistently associated
with an undescribed Scopulariopsis anamorph,
especially when grown on sunflower seeds. Conidia
were globose to subglobose, hyaline and measured
4-6(8) X 4-5.5(7.5) micrometers. Annelides measured
4-13 X 2-2.5 micrometers. Fungus-free sunflower
seeds inoculated with ascospores of g. intermedius
consistently produced both the anamorphic and teleomorphic
states. Conidial isolates consistently produced
cultures with fertile ascomata of g.
intermedius. Both papillate and rostrate ascomata of
- M. intermedius and g. intermedius were observed in
culture. The identity of 8. intermedius was confirmed
by comparison with the type culture of g.
intermedius, which is derived from Emmons and Dodge's
original isolate. In light of this study, the
acceptance of the genus Pithoascus and the family
Pithoascaceae should be re-examined .
Rogers, J. D., see Glawe, D. 4.
Romaine, C. P., see Wach, M. P., et. al.
Romano, M. A., see Gessner, R. V., et. al.
Ross, I. K., see Kerrigan, R. W.
I. K. Ross, H. T. Choi, and R. L. Wilks. Dept. of
Biological Sciences, University of California, Santa
Barbara, CA 93106. sclerotia and phenoloxidase production
in liquid cultures of Coprinus congregatus.
The lack of uniformity of mycelial balls (pellets)
growing in liquid shake culture is well known, but
usually consists of physiological differences among
populations of relatively similar cells of different
ages and environmental conditions. Such cultures of
higher fungi are not normally known to undergo differentiation
to form structures composed of cells of
different type and function. On agar cultures, 5.
congregatus may form either mushrooms or sclerotia.
The initial development of the early stages of both
mushrooms and sclerotia are virtually identical aggregations
of hyphae and are probably governed by the
same genetic and biochemical pathways. Phenoloxidases
have been implicated in the first light response of
- C. congregatus and are now known to be associated with
the very early stages of primordium formation. This
oaDer reports the development of well-defined scler-