Russula sp. KIS8 TL2919
Russula is a large genus of fungi containing both mushroom and truffle-like species, most of which form ectomycorrhizal associations with trees. Russula sp. KIS8 TL2919 is an undescribed species, sister to Russula danksii, that forms this symbiotic link with Eucalyptus cladocalyx, a South Australian endemic, occurring in three distinct natural populations: on Kangaroo Island, Eyre peninsula, and the Flinders ranges. It is also widely planted for farm windbreaks and for timber. The fungus forms a sock-like mantle around roots and the fungal hyphae grow inbetween the plant cells forming a Hartig net where carbon from photosynthesis by the plant is exchanged for phosphorus, nitrogen and water from the fungus. The fine mycelial strands of the fungus are able to access supplies of water and minerals from parts of the soil structure denied to the thicker plant roots. Russula sp. KIS8 is a truffle-like fungus with a residual stalk and an enclosed spore mass. It fruits under leaf litter and is dependent on being eaten by small mammals for dispersal of its spores, a lifestyle that is adaptive in a dry climate as it reduces desiccation, a significant risk for fungi with emergent fruiting bodies that scatter spores by wind. The genome of Russula sp. KIS8 will help reveal how truffle-like species evolved from closely related mushroom-like Russula species by comparison of the genomes of species with different fruitbody forms.
We request that researchers wishing to publish analyses of this genome prior to its publication by the consortium to please email [email protected] and JGI for permission.
