Mycelial growth and fruit body formation of Paecilomyces nipponica on various media were investigated. Basal medium contained 40g of polished rice grain (40g), corn steep liquor (0.2%), KH_2PO_4 (0.2%) and MgSO_4・7H_2O (0.05%). Among various test media, the substitution of 5g of rice grain with pupa powder, wheat bran, millet or corn powder from the basal medium was good for fruit body cultivation, but the addition soybean residue tended to restrict for growth. The substitution of 10g of polished rice with egg yolk at 10g wet base from the basal medium was the most suitable for fruit body cultivation. Addition of yeast extract or polypepton into the basal medium also promoted both the mycelial growth and fruit body formation of the test fungus.

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Pholiota nameko is one of the popular and economically important edible mushrooms. The identification of a P. nameko cultivar is important for the protection of its producer's rights. To identify P. nameko cultivars, we have developed 7 STS (Sequence Tagged Site) markers based on RAPD (Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA) and ISSR (Inter-Simple Sequence Repeat) analysis. We were able to identify seven P. nameko cultivars in this study using these STS markers. We also showed that the method using these markers is applicable to the discrimination of the wild isolates of P. nameko.

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Young and mature fruit-bodies of Leucopaxillus giganteus were divided into pileus and stipe. Then the chemical components of both parts were analyzed. There were more crude protein and crude fat contents in the young fruit-body than in the mature fruit-body, and there were more crude ash and carbohydrate contents in the mature fruit-body than the young fruit-body. There was more carbohydrate content in the stipe than in the pileus, and there were more moisture, crude protein, crude fat and crude ash contents in the pileus than the stipe. There was more mineral content in the mature fruit-body than there was in the young. The K content was the highest, followed by P and Mg. Six kinds of low molecular weight carbohydrates were identified in the fruit-body, trehalose being the major among them. Ten kinds of organic acids were identified in the fruit-body, malic being the major among them. There was a higher free amino acid content in the young fruit-body than in the mature fruit-body.

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Acid-extracted polyandries from 489 species of wild and cultivated mushrooms were analyzed by HPLC and GC. Polyamine distribution patterns in 21 species belonging to 11 genera of the phylum Ascomycota and 309 species belonging to 135 genera of the phylum Basidiomycota were examined. Diaminopropane, putrescine, cadaverine, spermidine and spermine were widespread among the mushroom species. Homospermidine and canavalmine were found selectively in some genera. Agmatine was detected in many genera as a major polyamine. Norspermidine, norspermine and thermospermine were detected in Nigaguri-take and some other species. Two tertiary-branched tetra-amines were found in Amigasa-take. In the same species, the major polyamine components did not differ either between autogenous wild mushrooms and cultivated mushrooms or between young and old fruit bodies. Many unusual polyamines were detected and a variety of polyamine distribution patterns were observed within the 330 mushroom species. The cellular polyamine profiles seem to be genus- and/or species- specific and correlate to phylogenetic mushroom taxonomy.

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