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The Good, the Bad and the Tasty: The Many Roles of Mushrooms

Summary

This review explores the diverse and important roles that mushrooms and related fungi play in our world. These organisms are crucial for maintaining healthy ecosystems by recycling nutrients and forming beneficial partnerships with plants. They also directly benefit humans as food sources and producers of medicines. The research impacts everyday life in several ways: • Many common edible mushrooms like button mushrooms and oyster mushrooms are nutritious food sources that can be commercially cultivated • Some mushroom species produce compounds that can fight cancer and bacterial infections, leading to new medicines • Certain fungi can break down environmental pollutants and could be used to clean up contaminated sites • Understanding fungal plant pathogens helps protect important food crops from disease • Mushroom-producing fungi are being investigated for producing sustainable biofuels and biodegradable materials

Background

Fungi are often inconspicuous in nature and easily overlooked despite their importance. The phylum Basidiomycota, containing the most complex and evolutionarily advanced fungi, includes iconic species like gilled mushrooms, puffballs and bracket fungi. Basidiomycetes inhabit diverse ecological niches, performing vital ecosystem roles in carbon cycling and as symbiotic partners with other organisms.

Objective

This review aims to give a broad overview of the importance of basidiomycetes by exploring seven main categories or ‘roles’: as model species, edible species, toxic species, medicinal basidiomycetes, symbionts, decomposers and pathogens. Two representative species are examined for each category to demonstrate the various ways these organisms can benefit human society.

Results

The review revealed the tremendous diversity and importance of basidiomycetes across multiple roles: As model organisms (Coprinopsis cinerea, Schizophyllum commune), edible mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus, Pleurotus ostreatus), toxic species (Psilocybe semilanceata, Amanita muscaria), medicinal fungi (Ganoderma lucidum, Clitopilus passeckerianus), symbionts (Laccaria bicolor, Leucoagaricus gongylophorus), decomposers (Serpula lacrymans, Phanerochaete chrysosporium), and pathogens (Armillaria mellea, Moniliophthora perniciosa).

Conclusion

Basidiomycetes are a remarkably diverse group of organisms that play vital ecological roles and have significant potential for human applications. They are crucial for ecosystem functioning through nutrient recycling and symbiotic relationships. Their various traits can be harnessed for bioremediation, waste disposal, and biofuel production. While some cause diseases, even pathogenic species may have beneficial applications. As our understanding grows through continued research and technological advances, basidiomycetes represent a largely untapped resource with potential for providing next-generation antibiotics, reducing pollution, and producing sustainable fuels.
  • Published in:Studies in Mycology,
  • Study Type:Review,
  • Source: 10.1016/j.simyco.2016.11.002
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