The basidiomycete genus Botryobasidium is a resupinate saprotrophic with a global distribution range from coniferous to broad-leaved forest ecosystems. Though numerous species have been reported from Eurasia and North America, few have been described from China. In the current work, phylogenetic analyses of Botryobasidium in China were conducted based on the dataset of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions and the large subunit (LSU) of nuclear ribosomal RNA gene. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses were used to reconstruct the phylogenetic tree, and three new species, namely Botryobasidium acanthosporum, B. leptocystidiatum and B. subovalibasidium, were described from subtropical forests of Yunnan Province, Southwestern China. Botryobasidium acanthosporum is characterized by having yellowish white to dark yellow basidiome, clavate to tubular cystidia, and subglobose to globose basidiospores with obtuse spines. Botryobasidium leptocystidiatum is characterized by having fluffy to arachnoid, greyish white to ivory basidiome, generative hyphae with clamped, tubular cystidia, and subnavicular to navicular basidiospores. While, B. subovalibasidium is characterized by having yellowish to ivory basidiome, subovoid basidia, navicular to suburniform basidiospores, and thick-walled chlamydospores. These three new species are described and illustrated, and the discriminating characters between the new species and their closely related species are discussed. A key to known species of Botryobasidium in China is provided.

Sanghuangporus sanghuang is a large wood-decaying mushroom highly valued in traditional Chinese medicine due to its medicinal properties, including hypoglycemic, antioxidant, antitumor, and antibacterial properties effects. Its key bioactive compounds include flavonoids and triterpenoids. Specific fungal genes can be selectively induced by fungal elicitors. To investigate the effect of fungal polysaccharides derived from Perenniporia tenuis mycelia on the metabolites of S. sanghuang, we conducted metabolic and transcriptional profiling with and without elicitor treatment (ET and WET, respectively). Correlation analysis showed significant differences in triterpenoid biosynthesis between the ET and WET groups. In addition, the structural genes associated with triterpenoids and their metabolites in both groups were verified using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS/MS). Through metabolite screening, three triterpenoids were identified: betulinol, betulinic acid, and 2-hydroxyoleanolic acid. Excitation treatment increased the level of betulinic acid by 2.62-fold and 2-hydroxyoleanolic acid by 114.67-fold compared to WET. The qRT-PCR results of the four genes expressed in secondary metabolic pathways, defense gene activation, and signal transduction showed significant variation between the ET and WET groups. Overall, our study suggests that the fungal elicitor induced the aggregation of pentacyclic triterpenoid secondary metabolites in S. sanghuang.

Perenniporia subrhizomorpha is introduced as a new species from North China on the basis of morphological and molecular evidence. Phylogenetically, based on ITS and nLSU regions, P. subrhizomorpha nested with two species belong to Perenniporia s.s. as a distinct lineage. Perenniporia subrhizomorpha is characterized by having an annual habit, resupinate and papery basidiomes, a dimitic hyphal system with crystal-covered generative hyphae in context, ellipsoid, truncated, dextrinoid basidiospores (5.7–6.5 × 4.3–5.5 μm), and absence of cystidia and cystidioles. Morphologically similar and phylogenetically related species to the new species are discussed.

Stipitate stereoid fungi are saprotrophic basidiomycetes characterized by a leathery basidiome, a central-to-lateral stipe and infundibuliform pilei. Although numerous species of stipitate stereoid fungi have been recorded worldwide, understanding of their phylogenetic relationships remains extremely limited, and research on this group of fungi in China is insufficient. In this study, specimens of the three stipitate stereoid genera, namely Podoscypha s. l., Cymatoderma s. l. and Stereopsis s. l., from southern China were investigated. Phylogenetic analyses of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions and the large subunit of the nuclear ribosomal RNA gene (LSU) using maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI) methods revealed that all three genera are polyphyletic. Consequently, Podoscypha s. s. and Cymatoderma s. s. were delimited, and Cladoderris—previously synonymized with Cymatoderma—was resurrected. Cladoderris is characterized by an imbricate basidiome, tomentose pilei and basidiospores typically shorter than 4 μm in length. Three new species, Podoscypha casiae, Stereopsis buccinata and Cladoderris perennis, were described and illustrated. The morphological distinctions and affinities between the new species and closely related taxa were discussed, the thresholds for the intraspecific and interspecific demarcation within the three genera in this study were provided, and identification keys for the species of each genus were presented.

Background: Sanghuangporus sanghuang (S. sanghuang) is a large wood-decaying mushroom that is considered a traditional Chinese herbal medicine because of its high medicinal value. The fundamental bioactive substances produced mainly include flavonoids, triterpenoids, and others. The expression of some specific genes in fungi can be effectively and selectively induced by fungal elicitors. Methods: To investigate the mechanism of fungal elicitors on the metabolites of S. sanghuang, we performed the metabolic and transcriptional profiling with elicitor treatment (ET) and without elicitor treatment (WET). A correlation analysis showed significant differences in triterpenoid biosynthetic pathways in the ET and WET groups. In addition, the structural genes associated with triterpenoids and metabolites of different triterpenoids in both groups were verified using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). Results: The results displayed that three triterpenoids betulinol, betulinic acid, and 2-hydroxyoleanolic acid were detected. After the excitation treatment, the level of betulinic acid reached 2.62 times that in the WET and that of 2-hydroxyoleanolic acid increased 114.67 times that in the WET. The qRT-PCR results of the expressions of the four genes related to secondary metabolic pathways, defense gene activation, and signal transduction showed significant variations between the ET and WET groups. Conclusions: the fungal elicitors have great potential to aggregate pentacyclic triterpenoid secondary metabolites in S. sanghuang.

Macrofungal resources are abundant in Northeast China, but those from Shenyang and its surrounding areas remain insufficiently investigated. In this study, morphological and phylogenetic analyses were carried out on specimens collected from the vicinity of Shenyang, Liaoning Province. Phylogenetic trees were inferred using maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference methods based on sequence data from the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and the nuclear ribosomal large subunit (LSU). Three new species, Descolea laevis (Bolbitiaceae), Leucocoprinus shenyangensis (Agaricaceae), and Tephrocybe umbonata (Lyophyllaceae), are described herein. Descolea laevis is characterized by pale yellow to light yellow basidiomata, a nearly smooth pileus surface, clavate to narrowly clavate cheilocystidia, fusiform to clavate pleurocystidia, and amygdaliform to limoniform, verrucose basidiospores. Leucocoprinus shenyangensis is distinguished by white to yellowish-white basidiomata, a pileus covered with light grey squamules, narrowly clavate to subcylindrical cheilocystidia, a hymenidermal pileipellis, and amygdaliform to limoniform basidiospores. Tephrocybe umbonata is characterized by orange-white to greyish-orange basidiomata, a pileus with a blunt umbo, a smooth or slightly finely fibrillose pileus surface, lageniform pleurocystidia with slightly acute apices, and amygdaliform to limoniform basidiospores. Detailed morphological descriptions, illustrations of microscopic structures, and phylogenetic evidence for the three new species are provided. The diagnostic characteristics separating the new taxa from their closely related species are also discussed.