Lack of a correlation between the vitamin requirement and the ecological position of wood‐decay fungi

Abstract

Forty-eight species of wood-destroying basidiomycetous fungi which are represented by 74 strains were examined for their dependence on exogenous vitamin sources such as thiamine and biotin. In a series of up to 1 1 consecutive transfers to vitamin-free glucose-salt medium batches in a 4-week rhythm it was shown that (i) the level of vitamin heterotrophy did not depend on whether the fungus was a parasite or a saprophyte, (ii) among both parasites and saprophytes vitamin-independent and highly vitamin-dependent isolates could be detected, (iii) almost 700< of the brown-fungi, but only 300,; of the white-rot fungi dependend comparatively little on exogenous vitamin sources, (iv) the degree of vitamin heterotrophy varied in part dramatically among several strains of a given fungal species, (v) under permanent vitamin starvation none of the 74 fungal strains completely ceased growing, but several strains suffered an irreversible physiological collapse whose nature is still unknown. It is concluded that on natural timber resources both vitamin-dependent and vitamin-independent fungal strains can probably develop their normal pathovirulence and kratovirulence properties. Under conditions of vitamin starvation the equilibrium between the vitamin-dependent decay fungus and the vitamin-independent competitor may nevertheless become disturbed.

Phycomyces blakesleeanus BURGEFF and several wood‐decay fungi in a bioassay for growth factor resources in fresh and microbially precolonized timber

“…First, the destruction of thiamine by alkaline treatment (HIGHLEY 1970, AMBURCEY andJOHNSON 1978) to render timber materials more decay resistant is a little promising business. It was shown that the wood-decay fungus to be deterred is represented by individual strains that are highly dependent as well as highly independent of exogenous vitamin supply (GRAMSS 1990), and that in addition, the absolute Iack of thiamine on solid media such as fertilized builder's sand did not impair the growth of wood-decay fungi, quite in contrast to their growth on liquid media. Second, water-soluble vitamins in timber of any degree of freshness or pre-degradation have, on their permanent excessive presence, no ecological significance.…”

“…Second, water-soluble vitamins in timber of any degree of freshness or pre-degradation have, on their permanent excessive presence, no ecological significance. Moreover, the need for exogenous vitamins is not a common feature of a particular physiological or pathological group of WBF (GRAMSS 1990). This means in consequence that the rapid dieback of decidedly pathogenic WBF in trees after felling (RYPACEK 1966) is not correlated with the exhaustion of vitamins.…”

Factors Influencing Fruiting Body Initation of Agaricomycetes

“…However, there are some thiamin-auxotrophic yeasts among the Saccharomycetes that lack THI5p (Wightman and Meacock 2003) and various species in other lines of Ascomycetes show also deficiencies in thiamin production (Fries 1943;Bereston 1953). As early as in the first half of the last century it had been established that many lines of Basidiomycota and also of the Mucoromycotina are auxotrophic for thiamin and do not grow or grow only very reluctantly without addition of thiamin (Burgeff 1934;Schopfer 1937Schopfer , 1943Bonner and Erickson 1938;Fries 1938;Melin 1939;Melin and Nyman 1940;Schopfer and Blumer 1940;Kühlwein and Zoberst 1953;Lyr 1954;Madelin 1956;Sommer and Halbsguth 1957;Rawald 1962;Volz and Beneke 1969;Volz 1972;Eul and Schwantes 1985;Gramss 1990;Beguin 2010). In Agaricomycetes, also fruiting body development can negatively be affected by lack of sufficient thiamin in a culture medium .…”