Laccaria Bicolor

October 29, 2018

In 2008, Laccaria bicolor (Maire) P.D. Orton was the first gilled mushroom to have its entire genome sequenced.

Figure 1. Dysmorphic Laccaria bicolor (should be nearly flat). It is possible that the specimens in this area were lacking nutrients or infected with a virus.

In 2008, Laccaria bicolor (Maire) P.D. Orton was the first gilled mushroom to have its entire genome sequenced. Sequencing showed that the fungus was releasing small effector-type proteins, likely prompting the reorganization of tree root cells (Martin et al. 2008).

It has since served as a model ectomycorrhizal species seen in association with pine, fir, birch, and poplar trees. To this day, it is commonly added to the soil in tree nurseries to boost seedling growth (Watkinson et al. 2015).

bicolor can be found in western North American and around the Great Lakes. The mushroom has a tan cap, convex to flat, measuring 1-7 cm in diameter, and a stem 3-10 centimeters long. The attached lilac gills and basal mycelium are characteristic of the species, but can sometimes fade to white and make older specimens difficult to identify (Kuo 2010).

Laccaria bicolor Figure 2 — Figure 2. Pine forest in which the specimen was collected.

The spores are white, broadly elliptical, and measure 7-9 by 6-8 micrometers. The spines can be difficult to see, measuring about 1 micrometer long (Kuo 2010).

Laccaria bicolor Figure 3 — Figure 3. Spore print of L. bicolor.

Laccaria bicolor Figure 4 — Figure 4. Spores of L. bicolor.

Taxonomy

Basidiomycota
Agaricomycotina
Agaricomycetes
Agaricales
Hydnangiaceae
Laccaria
bicolor

Literature

Kuo, M. (2010, December). Laccaria bicolor. Retrieved from the MushroomExpert.Com.
Martin, F., Aerts, A., Ahrén, D., Brun, A., Danchin, E. G. J., Duchaussoy, F., … & Salamov, A. (2008). The genome of Laccaria bicolor provides insights into mycorrhizal symbiosis. Nature, 452(7183), 88.
Watkinson, S. C., Boddy, L., & Money, N. (2015). The fungi. Academic Press.