Germination of Suillus bovinus spores in vitro

Abstract

To develop a reliable method for obtaining monokaryotic strains of an ectomycorrhizal fungus Suillus bovinus, germination rates of basidiospores were compared among combinations of treatments that have been reported to be effective for germination of basidiospores of ectomycorrhizal fungi. Spores of S. bovinus germinated only by the combination of activated charcoal treatment of media and co-culture with seedlings of Pinus densiflora. Abietic acid, which has been reported to be a genus-specific activator of germination for Suillus species, showed no effect, suggesting some other substances contained in root exudates induced germination of spores of S. bovinus.