''Pycnoporus'' is a genus of fungi in the family

Polyporaceae The Polyporaceae are a family of poroid fungi belonging to the Basidiomycota. The flesh of their fruit bodies varies from soft (as in the case of the dryad's saddle illustrated) to very tough. Most members of this family have their hymeniu ...

. This genus is distinguished from most other polypores because of its brilliant red-orange color. Modern mycology recognizes five distinct species of ''Pycnoporus'': the

type Type may refer to: Science and technology Computing * Typing, producing text via a keyboard, typewriter, etc. * Data type, collection of values used for computations. * File type * TYPE (DOS command), a command to display contents of a file. * Ty ...

'' P. cinnabarinus'', '' P. coccineus'', '' P. palibini'', '' P. puniceus'', and '' P. sanguineus''. These species are divided somewhat by morphology,

biogeography Biogeography is the study of the distribution of species and ecosystems in geographic space and through geological time. Organisms and biological communities often vary in a regular fashion along geographic gradients of latitude, elevation, ...

, and

DNA sequence DNA sequencing is the process of determining the nucleic acid sequence – the order of nucleotides in DNA. It includes any method or technology that is used to determine the order of the four bases: adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine. Th ...

Biogeography

''Pycnoporus cinnabarinus'' occurs in cooler, temperate regions within Europe and North America. ''Pycnoporus sanguineus'' occurs in warmer, tropical regions within South America, North America, and Asia. ''Pycnoporus coccineus'' occurs in temperate areas of Australia and New Zealand. ''Pycnoporus puniceus'' is a rare species found in Southeastern Asia and Malaysia.

Description

Fruiting bodies are typically sessile, corky, slightly tomentose to glaborose. on fallen hardwood logs, but can be on coniferous trees as well. These fungi live in diverse habitats, but are typically located near a source of water. Pileus length x width x height (thickness) can range from 1–9 cm (l) x 1–7 cm (w) x 0.2–2 cm (h). Colors range on the scale of paprika red to flame orange but almost always are vibrant. Spores are white, oblong, somewhat pointed, 2-3 x 4-6 um. KOH reactions yield a dark brown to black color for most specimens but can bleach out (turn white) the pileus of a few specimens over longer time periods. Specimens typically retain their strong red-orange color for long periods of time, especially when dried and stored properly. Yet some turn dingy brown or gray and fade in color over time. The red colour of ''Pycnoporus'' species comes from pigments that are chemically related to phenoxazinone, including cinnabarin, tramesanguin and cinnabarinic acid.

Identification

In order to identify the species of ''Pycnoporus'' a few characteristics must be carefully observed. To distinguish between ''P. cinnabarinus'' and ''P. sanguineus'' one must note the thickness of the pileus. ''P. cinnabarinus'' has a fruiting body ranging from 5 to 15 mm in thickness while ''P. sanguineus'' ranges from 1–5 mm thick. Additionally ''P. sanguineus'' typically contains darker red pigments that do not easily fade. Several collected specimens of ''P. cinnabarinus'' show pale orange pigmentation in areas with direct sunlight. Lastly, ''P. cinnabarinus'' contains larger pores per mm (2-4) than ''P. sanguineus'' with 4-6 pores per mm.

Uses

''Pycnoporus'' fungi are used heavily for industry because of their ability to produce powerful lignolytic enzymes that break down

lignin Lignin is a class of complex organic polymers that form key structural materials in the support tissues of most plants. Lignins are particularly important in the formation of cell walls, especially in wood and bark, because they lend rigidity ...

and tough polysaccharides in wood and paper. The major enzyme that differentiates this fungus from other white rotters is

laccase Laccases () are multicopper oxidases found in plants, fungi, and bacteria. Laccases oxidize a variety of phenolic substrates, performing one-electron oxidations, leading to crosslinking. For example, laccases play a role in the formation of lign ...

and under the correct conditions ''Pycnoporus'' can produce large concentrations of this enzyme. ''Pycnoporus'' fungi also produce copper and iron metalloenzymes that are involved in the chemical transformation of aromatic compounds found in plant cell walls. Other uses have been reported in Australia. Aboriginal peoples have used it for curing mouth sores, ulcers, and teething of infants.

References

Eggert, C, Temp, U, & Eriksson, K-EL. (1996). "Lignolytic system of the white rot fungus ''Pycnoporus cinnabarinus'': Purification and characterization of the laccase". ''Applied and Environmental Microbiology.'' 62.4, 1151-58. Eggert, C., LaFayette, P.R., Temp, U., Eriksson, K.E., Dean, J.F. (1998) "Molecular analysis of a laccase gene from the white rot fungus Pycnoporus cinnabarinus". ''Appl. Environ. Microbiol.'' 64, 1766–72. Gilbertson, RL & Ryvarden, L. (1986). "North American polypores". ''Fungiflora'': 2, 687-91. Hibbett, Lowe, JL. (1953). ''The polyporaceae of the United States, Alaska, and Canada''. Ann Arbor: Univ. of Michigan Press. {{Taxonbar, from=Q2710003 Polyporaceae Polyporales genera Taxa named by Petter Adolf Karsten Taxa described in 1881