Elsevier

Mycological Research

Volume 106, Issue 8, August 2002, Pages 930-937
Mycological Research

Soil binding properties of mucilage produced by a basidiomycete fungus in a model system

https://doi.org/10.1017/S0953756202006330Get rights and content

A saprophytic, lignin-decomposing basidiomycete fungal isolate (BB1), identified as a member of the russuloid lineage closest to the genus Peniophora, plays a role in soil aggregation and stabilization. In liquid media this fungus secretes large amounts of extracellular materials or mucilage that act as soil binding agents. We investigated the nature of these materials using periodate treatment and lectin cytochemistry, and studied whether or not these materials are involved in soil aggregation. Water stability of artificial fungal amended soil aggregates was destroyed by periodate treatment suggesting that polysaccharides produced by the basidiomycete were involved in soil aggregation. Binding patterns of fluorescently labeled lectins were also investigated to determine specific carbohydrate moieties present in the fungal mucilage. Fluorescently conjugated lectins (Ulex europaeus Agglutinin I and Lotus tetragonolobus lectin) bound to extracellular mucilage indicating that this basidiomycete mucilage contains fucosyl sugar residues. We also demonstrated that water stability of artificial soil aggregates prepared with fungal mycelia pretreated with L(-)fucose lectins were significantly reduced. This study indicates that fungal-derived material containing fucosyl residues plays a role in soil adhesion.

References (61)

  • N. Arpin et al.

    The pigments of basidiomycetes: their chemotaxonomic interest

  • S. Bartnicki-Garcia

    Cell wall chemistry, morphology and taxonomy in fungi

    Annual Reviews of Microbiology

    (1968)
  • S. Bartnicki-Garcia et al.

    Polyuronides in the cell wall of Mucor rouxii

    Biochemistry Biophysics Acta

    (1968)
  • N. Benhamou

    Ultrastructural localization of carbohydrates in the cell walls of two pathogenic fungi: a comparative study

    Mycologia

    (1988)
  • V.D. Bhavanandan et al.

    Polysaccharides from Polyporus giganteus

    Acta Chemistry Scandinavica

    (1964)
  • H. Bjorndal et al.

    A heterogalactan elaborated by Polyporus squamosus (Huds.)

    Acta Chemistry Scandinavica

    (1969)
  • J.M. Bobbit

    Periodate oxidation of carbohydrates

    Advances in Carbohydrate Chemistry

    (1956)
  • J.H. Burnett
  • T.C. Caesar-TonThat et al.

    Soil aggregate stabilization by a saprophytic lignin decomposing basidiomycete fungus. I. Microbiological aspects

    Biology and Fertility of Soils

    (2000)
  • M.V. Cheshire
  • M.V. Cheshire et al.

    Effect of periodate treatment on carbohydrate constituents and soil aggregation

    Journal of Soil Science

    (1983)
  • M.V. Cheshire et al.

    Influence of soil type, crop and air drying on residual carbohydrate content and aggregate stability after treatment with periodate and tetraborate

    Plant and Soil

    (1984)
  • C.E. Clapp et al.

    The effect of periodate oxidation on the strength of soil crumbs: I. Quantitative studies

    Soil Science Society Proceedings

    (1965)
  • C.E. Clapp et al.

    The effect of periodate oxidation on the strength of soil crumbs: II. Quantitative studies

    Soil Science Society Proceedings

    (1965)
  • C.E. Clapp et al.

    The effect of rhizobial polysaccharides on aggregate stability

    Soil Science Society Proceedings

    (1962)
  • V.L. Cochran

    Decomposition of barley straw in a subarctic soil in the field

    Biology and Fertility of Soils

    (1991)
  • I.A. Critchley et al.

    Role of glycosides as epithelial cell receptors for Candida albicans

    Journal of General Microbiology

    (1987)
  • W.W. Emerson et al.

    Organo-mineral complexes in relation to soil aggregation and structure

  • G.W. Erdos

    Localization of carbohydrate-containing molecules

  • P. Finch et al.

    The biochemistry in soil polysaccharidés

  • Cited by (75)

    • Recent advances in microbial-aided phytostabilization of trace element contaminated soils

      2022, Advances in Microbe-assisted Phytoremediation of Polluted Sites
    • Identification of Cd-resistant microorganisms from heavy metal-contaminated soil and its potential in promoting the growth and Cd accumulation of bermudagrass

      2021, Environmental Research
      Citation Excerpt :

      Basidiomycota is known as filamentous fungus and has been applied to remove heavy metals (Chen et al., 2012). Besides, the polysaccharides produced by Basidiomycetes could be involved in soil aggregation and play an essential role in stabilizing soil structure (Caesar-Tonthat, 2002). Therefore, the increased abundance of Basidiomycetes could be related to their adaptation and function in the heavy metal polluted environments.

    View all citing articles on Scopus
    View full text