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Coniferiporia, belonging to Hymenochaetaceae and now segregated from Phellinidium, is a wood-inhabiting fungal genus with three species, each having a specific geographic distribution and a strong host specificity as a forest pathogen of coniferous trees. In this study, the species diversity of Coniferiporia is further clarified with the aid of a wider sampling and multilocus-based phylogenetic analysis, which reveals a new species Coniferiporia uzbekistanensis. The molecular clock and ancestral geographic origin analyses indicate that the ancestor of Coniferiporia emerged in one of the Pinaceae and Cupressaceae, then jumped to the other plant family originated in eastern Eurasia 17.01 million years ago (Mya; 95% highest posterior density: 9.46 to 25.86 Mya), and later extended its distribution to western North America, Central Asia, and eastern Europe. Coniferiporia sulphurascens speciated on Pinaceae in eastern Eurasia 8.78 Mya (9.46 to 25.86 Mya) and then extended its distribution to western North America and eastern Europe. Coniferiporia qilianensis and C. uzbekistanensis speciated on Juniperus przewalskii in eastern Eurasia 3.67 Mya (0.36 to 8.02 Mya) and on Juniperus polycarpos in Central Asia 4.35 Mya (0.94 to 8.37 Mya), respectively. The speciation event of Coniferiporia weirii occurred 4.45 Mya (0.77 to 9.33 Mya) right after the emergence of its host, the endemic Cupressaceae species Thuja plicata, and soon after, this fungus evolved to also inhabit another endemic Cupressaceae species Calocedrus decurrens. In summary, this study for the first time unambiguously clarified and timed the adaptive evolutionary event of Coniferiporia in association with its biogeography and host plants.

Phylloporia, a wood-inhabiting fungal genus, has been used as an anti-inflammatory food taken in the form of tea in Shandong Province, China. The species used in folklore have been clarified as Phy...

Basidiocarps of Phylloporia are used as a source of natural medicine in China mainly in Shandong Province. Although the species diversity of Phylloporia has been well-studied worldwide, especially in China, the species identities of the medicinal basidiocarps are still unconfirmed. In this study, we sampled basidiocarps of Phylloporia from Shandong Province, China. On the basis of morphological and phylogenetic evidence as well as host-tree information, it is clarified that Phylloporia lonicerae on Lonicera japonica is the most widely used medicinal species of this genus, P. fontanesiae on Fontanesia fortunei is rarely used, and P. pulla on Pyrus is potentially used. The taxonomical status of these three species is briefly discussed, and P. lonicerae and P. pulla originally described from outside of China are described with illustrations based on specimens from Shandong Province, China. This clarification is crucial for medicinal studies and potential industry development of Phylloporia species.

Sanghuangporus sanghuang, the generic type of Sanghuangporus belonging to Hymenochaetaceae, is a precious medicinal wood-inhabiting macrofungus with high commercial potential. To facilitate the medicinal utilization of this fungal resource, transcriptome sequences are newly generated from S. sanghuang strain MS2. In association with the previously generated genome sequences from the same strain by our lab and all available fungal homologous protein sequences in the UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot Protein Sequence Database, a new methodology was employed for genome assembly and annotation. A total of 13,531 protein-coding genes were identified from the new version of the genome of S. sanghuang strain MS2 with a complete BUSCOs of 92.8%, which indicates a remarkable improvement in the accuracy and completeness of the genome assembly. In general, more genes involved in medicinal functions were annotated compared with the original version of the genome annotation, and most of these genes were also found in the transcriptome data of the currently sampled growth period. Given the above, the current genomic and transcriptomic data provides valuable insights into the evolution and metabolites analysis of S. sanghuang.

“Sanghuang” is a kind of important medicinal mushrooms and taxonomically represented by members in the fungal genus Sanghuangporus. Species of Sanghuangporus referred to medicinal studies and industry are discriminated mainly by BLAST search of GenBank with ITS barcoding region as a query. However, the inappropriately labeled ITS sequences related to “Sanghuang” in GenBank restrict accurate species identification and, to some extent, the utilization of these medicinal resources. Here, we examined all available 271 ITS sequences related to “Sanghuang” from GenBank including 31 newly submitted sequences for this study. Of these sequences, more than half were mislabeled and the corresponding species names are corrected. The mislabeled sequences mainly came from strains by non-taxonomists. Based on the analyses of ITS sequences submitted by taxonomists, we treat Sanghuangporus toxicodendri as a later synonym of S. quercicola, and the intraspecific and interspecific differences are below 1.50% (but S. weirianus) and above 1.50%, respectively. Moreover, ten potential diagnostic sequences are provided for hyperbranched rolling circle amplification to rapidly detect three common commercial species, viz. S. baumii, S. sanghuang and S. vaninii. Generally, the current results provide a practical method for ITS barcoding-based species identification of Sanghuangporus, and will promote medicinal studies and industrial development from the taxonomic perspective.

Sanghuangporus is a medicinal macrofungal genus typified by S. sanghuang, the very species utilized in traditional Chinese medicines by Chinese ancient people. To facilitate the medicinal application of S. sanghuang, we, for the first time, perform its genome sequencing and analyses from a monokaryon strain. A 33.34 Mb genome sequence was assembled to 26 contigs, which lead to the prediction of 8278 protein-coding genes. From these genes, the potential biosynthesis pathway of sesquiterpenoids was, for the first time, identified from Sanghuangporus, besides that of triterpenoids. While polysaccharides are the main medicinal metabolites in S. sanghuang, flavonoids are especially abundant medicinal metabolites comparing with other medicinal macrofungal groups. From the genomic perspective, S. sanghuang has a tetrapolar heterothallic mating system, and has its special nutritional strategy and advantageous medicinal properties compared with S. baumii and S. vaninii. A phylogenomics analysis indicates that Sanghuangporus emerged 15.39 million years ago and S. sanghuang has a closer phylogenetic relationship with S. baumii than S. vaninii. However, S. sanghuang shares a higher region of synteny and more orthologous genes, including carbohydrate-active enzymes with S. vaninii than S. baumii. A comparative genomics analysis with S. baumii and S. vaninii indicates that species diversification within Sanghuangporus may be driven by the translocation and translocation plus inversion of genome sequences, while the expansion and contraction of gene families may contribute to the host specificity of Sanghuangporus species. In general, the genome sequence of S. sanghuang provides insights into its medicinal application and evolution.

Basidioradulum was morphologically considered to be a synonym of Xylodon. Here, its independence within Hymenochaetales is confirmed from a phylogenetic perspective. Basidioradulum radula, the generic type, is widely distributed in Northern Hemisphere. Two Southern Hemisphere species close to B. radula are newly described as B. mayi and B. tasmanicum, respectively, from Victoria and Tasmania, Australia. Basidioradulum mayi differs from B. radula by lack of cystidia. Moreover, the hymenial surface of B. radula is normally much more strongly hydnoid than that of B. mayi. Basidioradulum tasmanicum is distinct from B. radula and B. mayi by having capitate cystidia, ellipsoid to subglobose basidiospores, and crystal-covered hyphae. Although morphologically distinct, the two new species isolated by Bass Strait have an almost identical ITS region, and could not be differentiated by nLSU- and ITS-based phylogenetic analyses. This case reminds us that basing phylogeny simply on the ITS as a barcode region may underestimate fungal species diversity.