Functional systematic and phylogeny of pharmaceutically and biotechnologically important groups of Basidiomycetes in China, with a special emphasis on the Ganodermataceae and Perenniporiaceae ‘Bio-pharma’

Description :

Context and objectives

Mushrooms are empirically used in traditional Oriental medicine since more than 3000 years, for the prevention and treatment of a wide range of disease. Many eastern peoples are familiar with Ganoderma lucidum, known as “Lingzhi” in China or “Reishi” in Japan, and has been the subject of many myths of medicinal application. The first record of the use of Ganodermataceae in traditional medicine dates back from 220 A.D. Interest in medicinal mushrooms is also now spreading worldwide. Both groups are also important wood decomposers, producing very efficient enzymes, which have a high biotechnological potential in many applied fields (bioremediation, paper industry, etc.). However, the development of the pharmaceutical or biotechnological industry, somehow, and this is especially true in occidental countries, is hampered by the lack of standardization and scientifically sound validation of, on a first hand, the organisms dealt with, and on the second hand its specific actions.
The research project clues for comprehensive understanding of the biological (including phylogeny), and functional diversity of pharmaceutically and biotechnologically important groups of fungi in China: Ganodermataceae and the Perenniporiaceae, Poroid Hymenochaetaceae.


Methodology

• Field survey in different ecosystems, from temperate (Liaoning, Beijing) to subtropical and tropical (Jiangsu, Fujian, Yunan, Hainan);

• Culturing in the field and preliminary morphological characterization; ecosystem characterization

• Morphological studies in laboratory;

• Molecular characterization in the laboratory by sequencing of genomic markers, data-basing of DNA sequences, comparison of sequences and phylogenetic inferences;

• Building up a molecular database for further identification of important medicinal or biotechnological species

• Building up a database with additional and combined morphological, biogeographical and ecological data of the Ganodermataceae worldwide

Documentation :

• Project Fiche