Mycoliths (fungal-phytoliths) from some hymenomycetous macrofungi

Biomineralization has recently been discovered in fungi. Mushrooms form mineral microstructures similar to plant phytoliths, called mycoliths. In current study, dry oxidation carried out for mycolith extraction from four mushrooms, viz., Inonotus hispidus, Neolentinus pandorosus, Pluteus cervinus and Agaricus augustus, revealed the presence of different mycolith morphotypes; wherein some morphotypes were found non-redundant across species. XRD analysis revealed the mycolith composition as crystalline silica (SiO₂); muscovite-2M1 (K0.84 Na0.13 Ba0.01 (Al 1.87); albite (ordered) (NaAlSi₃O₈) and 1-(3,5-Dichlorophenyl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazol-5-yl 2-chlorobenzoate. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that A. augustus and P. cervinus are positively correlated based on mycolith morphotypes; whereas A. augustus and N. ponderosus showed a strong negative correlation. Likewise, P. cervinus and I. hispidus exhibited similar negative correlation in the context of their mycolith morphotype display. This study could pave the way for utilizing mycoliths in devising elaborate taxonomic keys for taxonomic delimitation of mushrooms.