Fungal Bioluminescence: Past, Present, and Future

The complex and diverse phenomenon of fungal bioluminescence has captured human curiosity. Nevertheless, in the field of studies, there are not many attempts made particularly to reveal the new species of these interesting fungi. This study comprehensively reviews the diversity, distribution, evolut...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inDiversity (Basel) Vol. 16; no. 9; p. 539
Main Authors Lu, Wenhua, Priyashantha, Alviti Kankanamalage Hasith, Galappaththi, Mahesh C. A, Tibpromma, Saowaluck, Dai, Dong-Qin, Patabendige, Nimesha M, Premarathne, Bhagya M, Kulasuriya, Dinesh M, Ediriweera, Aseni N, Nimalrathna, Thilina S, Suwannarach, Nakarin, Lumyong, Saisamorn, Tang, Alvin, Shao, Shi-Cheng, Karunarathna, Samantha C
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Basel MDPI AG 01.09.2024
Subjects
biodiversity
Bioluminescence
distribution
Fungi
Geographical distribution
luciferin-luciferase
Mushrooms
New species
Renaissance period
Taxonomy
Brazil
Japan
China
India
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Summary:The complex and diverse phenomenon of fungal bioluminescence has captured human curiosity. Nevertheless, in the field of studies, there are not many attempts made particularly to reveal the new species of these interesting fungi. This study comprehensively reviews the diversity, distribution, evolution, bioluminescence mechanisms, ecological roles, and potential applications of these fungi. Most importantly, we also present an updated list of the reported bioluminescent fungi (122) so far identified from five distinct evolutionary lineages worldwide—Armillaria, Eoscyphella, Lucentipes, Mycenoid, and Omphalotus—mainly in tropical and subtropical areas. Bioluminescent fungi are descended from the last common ancestor of the Mycenoid and the Marasmioid clades of Agaricales, which have been maintained for at least 160 million years of evolution. We underscore the potential for future research to understand the ecological role of bioluminescent fungi, inspiring hope and optimism for the future of this field.
ISSN:1424-2818
1424-2818
DOI:10.3390/d16090539