Home • Serpula himantioides (S.lacrymans var shastensis) MUCL38935 v1.0
Serpula himantioides image
Photo credit: Teppo Helo

Serpula himantioides is a brown rot fungus that selectively depolymerises the cellulose component of wood lignocellulose. Residues from fungal brown rot of wood compose most of the carbon sequestered in boreal forest soil. Serpula himantioides is a species complex of at least five phylogenetic species (PS) in the family Serpulaceae. The genome sequenced strain belongs to the widespread PS5. Serpula himantioides has, as its sister species Serpula lacrymans, the potential for the biological conversion of lignocellulose feedstocks (e.g. raw woodchips, straw and other wastes) by releasing soluble oligosaccharides for bioethanol fermentation. Lignin residues can be used for pyrolysis/gasification for bioenergy, or other uses e.g. organic syntheses. S. himantioides specialised metabolites include many natural products (e.g. the himanimides), however many are yet to be explored.

 

Genome Reference(s)

Watkinson and Eastwood DC. (2012). Serpula lacrymans, wood and buildings. in Advances in Applied Microbiology, 78: 121-149

Kauserud H, Knudsen H, Högberg N, Skrede I. (2012). Evolutionary origin, worldwide dispersal, and population genetics of the dry rot fungus Serpula lacrymans. Fungal Biology Reviews 26: 84-93

Carlsen T, Engh IB, Decock C, Rajchenberg M, Kauserud H. (2011). Multiple cryptic species with divergenet substrate affinities in the Serpula himantioides species complex. Fungal Biology, 115: 54-61.

Skrede I, Engh IB, Binder M, Carlsen T, Kauserud H, Bendiksby M. (2011). Evolutionary history of Serpulaceae (Basidiomycota): molecular phylogeny, historical biogeography and evidence for a single transition of nutritional mode. BMC Evolutionary Biology, 11: e230.

Kauserud H, Stensrud Ø, Decock C, Shalchian-Tabrizi K, Schumacher T, (2006). Multiple gene genealogies and AFLPs suggest cryptic speciation and long-distance dispersal in the basidiomycete Serpula himantioides (Boletales). Molecular Ecology 15: 421-431.

Kauserud H, Högberg N, Knudsen H, Elborne SA, Schumacher T. (2004). Molecular phylogenetics suggest a North American link between the anthropogenic dry rot fungus Serpula lacrymans and its wild relative S. himantioides. Molecular Ecology, 13: 3137-3146.

Aqueveque P, Anke T, Sterner O. (2002). The himanimides, new bioactive compounds from Serpula himantioides (Fr.) Karst.  Zeitchrift für Naturforschung C, 57: 257-262.