This genome was sequenced as part of the JGI CSP "1KFG - Deep Sequencing of Ecologically-relevant Dikarya" and more specifically as a part of the Russulaceae Sequencing Project, which seeks to densely sample members of a diverse lineage of ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi to examine functional diversity of ECM fungi with a shared evolutionary history.
Russula rugulosa Peck - The Rugulose Russula
Russula rugulosa is a widespread and variable species occurring in hardwood forests throughout the Appalachian Mountains. It is characterized by a variable cap color ranging from orangish red to dark purplish red, rugulose ridges on the cap surface when mature, a white to cream colored spore print, and a belatedly acrid taste. This species is part of the Crown clade of Russula, a clade that includes the highest species diversity including many south temperate and tropical clades (Looney et al. 2016). This species is rarely reported, probably due to the extreme variability in size, cap color, and acrid taste, yet it is one of the most common Russula species fruiting in the fall in the Appalachian Mountains. In its original description, this species is reported as edible as "[i]ts slightly acrid flavor is destroyed in cooking and it affords a harmless, tender and agreeable food" (Peck 1902). The sporocarps for this genome were collected on June 27, 2015 under a large Fagus grandifolia tree in a mixed forest with mainly Tsuga canadensis, Carpinus caroliniana, and multiple species of Quercus in the Greenbrier area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This species is a representative of an important and diverse group of species and will be important for understanding the evolution of functional diversity of Russulaceae.
Researchers who wish to publish analyses using data from unpublished CSP genomes are respectfully required to contact the PI and JGI to avoid potential conflicts on data use and coordinate other publications with the CSP master paper(s).
References
Looney, B.P., Ryberg, M., Hampe, F., Sánchez-García, M. and Matheny, P.B., 2016. Into and out of the tropics: global diversification patterns in a hyper-diverse clade of ectomycorrhizal fungi. Molecular ecology, 25, pp.630-647.
Peck, C.H., 1902. Report of the State Botanist (1900). Annual Report on the New York State Museum of Natural History, 54, pp.131-199.
Genome Reference(s)
Looney B, Miyauchi S, Morin E, Drula E, Courty PE, Kohler A, Kuo A, LaButti K, Pangilinan J, Lipzen A, Riley R, Andreopoulos W, He G, Johnson J, Nolan M, Tritt A, Barry KW, Grigoriev IV, Nagy LG, Hibbett D, Henrissat B, Matheny PB, Labbé J, Martin FM
Evolutionary transition to the ectomycorrhizal habit in the genomes of a hyperdiverse lineage of mushroom-forming fungi.
New Phytol. 2022 Mar;233(5):2294-2309. doi: 10.1111/nph.17892