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Bolbitius vitellinus by László Nagy.
Bolbitius vitellinus by László Nagy.

Bolbitius vitellinus

Bolbitius vitellinus has been sequenced under the auspices of the 1000 Fungal Genomes Project, which aims to strengthen our understanding of phylogenetic relationships and functional diversity among fungi. The genus Bolbitius is a member of the Agaricales, the largest order of mushroom-forming fungi with some 14000 described species. Bolbitius vitellinus is the first species of the diverse family Bolbitiaceae to be sequenced. This family includes inconspicuous brown mushrooms that are nevertheless of huge importance as recyclers of non-woody organic materials. They degrade dead stems and remnants of grasses, sedges, less frequently of trees and smaller branches. The genome of Bolbitius thus broadens our catalogue of litter-decomposer genomes where Agaricus bisporus and Coprinopsis cinerea also belong.

 

Bolbitius vitellinus produces small, lemon- to golden-yellow fruiting bodies with radially grooved, parasol-like caps in nutrient-rich places on roadsides, pastures, sometimes on animal excrements. Upon maturation, the cap collapses - similarly to autodigesting species of the Psathyrellaceae, such as Coprinopsis cinerea or Coprinellus micaceus. The genome sequence of Bolbitius will thus help understanding the evolutionary transitions between fruiting body types and refine our understanding of the genetic toolkit of litter-decomposer Basidiomycetes.