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Do Differences in Chemical Composition of Stem and Cap of Amanita muscaria Fruiting Bodies Correlate with Topsoil Type?

Summary

This research examined how soil type affects the chemical composition of different parts of the fly agaric mushroom (Amanita muscaria). The study found that the cap and stem of the mushroom contain different concentrations of various compounds, and that the soil type significantly influences these chemical profiles, especially in the stem. This helps us understand how mushrooms adapt to their environment and process nutrients from the soil. Impacts on everyday life: – Helps understand how soil conditions affect mushroom growth and development – Provides insights into mushroom cultivation and optimal growing conditions – Contributes to understanding environmental factors affecting wild mushroom populations – Aids in assessing how soil pollution might affect mushroom safety – Advances knowledge of natural product discovery from mushrooms

Background

Amanita muscaria, commonly known as fly agaric, is an inedible neurotropic mushroom native to temperate and boreal regions of the Northern Hemisphere. While the functional importance of fungi in ecosystems and industries is regularly emphasized, there has been comparatively little focus on fungal metabolic properties in various wild habitats. Soil conditions have a profound influence on the distribution of terrestrial macrofungi, but relatively little is known about the distribution of low molecular weight metabolites within these organisms and their relationship with the edaphic physical and chemical properties of the topsoil.

Objective

The study aimed to examine whether the levels of metabolites in A. muscaria vary with the structure (cap or stem) of the mature fruiting body, and whether the soil at the collection site influences the metabolic fingerprint of the A. muscaria fruiting body due to microhabitat factors like chemical element content, acidity, humus and total carbon content.

Results

Clear metabolic differences were found between caps and stems. Caps showed higher concentrations of amino acids, lipids, choline, glycerophosphocholine and other metabolites, while stems had higher levels of carbohydrates like glucose and trehalose. The metabolic composition was also influenced by topsoil type (mineral vs organic-mineral), with stems showing stronger dependence on soil properties than caps. Strong correlations were observed between mushroom metabolites and inorganic topsoil elements.

Conclusion

The study revealed distinct metabolite distributions between caps and stems reflecting their different functions. Stems were found to be more sensitive to topsoil composition than caps. The results demonstrate that topsoil properties significantly influence A. muscaria’s metabolic pathways and should be considered when studying mushroom natural products or metabolic pathways. Further regional studies are recommended to examine metal ion content in soil and mushrooms using comprehensive metabolomics approaches.
  • Published in:PLOS One,
  • Study Type:Metabolomics Research Study,
  • Source: 10.1371/journal.pone.0104084
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