Home • Coprinopsis sclerotiger v1.0
Mycelia and sclerotia produced by C. sclerotiger in culture. Photo by Nora Dunkirk
Mycelia and sclerotia produced by C. sclerotiger in culture. Photo by Nora Dunkirk

The genome of Coprinopsis sclerotiger was sequenced through JGI’s Community Sequencing Project as part of an effort to develop a tractable, but ecologically realistic, system integrating fungal genomics and carbon cycling. This specimen of Coprinopsis sclerotiger is a coprophilous (“dung loving”) fungus isolated from the dung of Tule Elk (Cervus canadensis nannodes) collected at Point Reyes National Seashore in Marin County, CA. The species epithet, “sclerotiger”, is derived from its capacity to form sclerotia, darkly pigmented, long-lived vegetative propagules, from which this specimen was cultured and are shown the picture of its culture. As a saprotroph, Coprinopsis sclerotiger obtains its nutrition by decomposing plant tissues that remain in dung after passage through the herbivore gut.

Coprophilous fungi have long been studied by mycologists due to their ease of cultivation and the strong community patterns exhibited in fungal fruiting during coprophilous decomposition.  Along with the genomes of other coprophilous fungi sequenced through this project, the genome of Coprinopsis sclerotiger will give insight into the key functional genes dictating patterns of fungal community assembly and decomposition of organic material.  In addition, comparison of the Coprinopsis sclerotiger genome with other sequenced relatives in the Psathyrellaceae, such as Coprinellus micaceus and Coprinopsis cinerea, will provide great insight into the evolution of fungal decomposition genes and the coprophilous lifestyle.