Journal of Fungi
March 18, 2024
Wen-Qiang Yang, Mao-Qiang He, Dorji Phurbu et al.
3 citations
A molecular phylogenetic and morphological study of the wood-decaying mushroom genus Gymnopilus examined seventy-eight specimens collected from ten provinces in China. Using gene sequences from ITS, nrLSU, nrSSU, rpb1, rpb2, and tef1-α, researchers identified eleven species, including five new to science: Gy. gyirongensis, Gy. variisporus, Gy. tomentosiceps, Gy. tenuibasidialis, and Gy. aurantipileatus. Four of the five new species are native to the Xizang Autonomous Region, indicating specialization to that distinctive habitat. The work advances understanding of Gymnopilus diversity and provides a foundation for conservation and sustainable use of these fungi.
Mycosphere
December 25, 2025
Fei Liu, Jiaxin Li, Wen-Qiang Yang et al.
1 citation
Psilocybin, the psychoactive compound in magic mushrooms, is made by a biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC) once thought unique to Psilocybe species but now found across multiple genera. Sequencing genomes of 30 psilocybin-producing species and comparing them with over 20,000 bacterial, plant, and fungal genomes suggests the BGC originated from endogenous fungal genes through duplication and rearrangement, not from horizontal gene transfer from nonfungal sources. Four independent horizontal transfer events and three BGC configurations were identified. Transcriptomic analysis showed high expression of the PsiK gene in mycelium, while PsiH and PsiM were inactive, matching the absence of psilocybin in mycelial tissue. The BGC's evolution, along with a coprophilous (dung-inhabiting) habit, points to a post-Cretaceous-Tertiary radiation linked to the rise of mammals and grasslands.