Boletus edulis is the scientific name of the edible ectomycorrhizal mushroom or fungus, whose common names are boleto, porcini, porcino, pambazo mushroom, white mushroom, mushroom, pumpkin, pumpkin mushroom and pumpkin, among others.
B. edulis also lives in plantations of other trees such as oak (Quercus spp.), Chestnut (Castanea sativa), chinquapin or chinkapin (Castanea pumila), common beech (Fagus sylvatica) and trees of the Fagaceae family (such as Lithocarpus spp.). It lives in the form of a symbiotic association, forming ectomycorrhizae with living trees.
Heavy metal contamination
The fungus B. edulis can tolerate soils contaminated with toxic metals, such as soils near industrial smelting plants. This ability of the fungus is due to the fact that it has an oligopeptide chelating agent chemical compound. This chelating agent occurs when there are high concentrations of metal in the fungus' habitat.
Chelating chemical compounds have the ability to form various bonds with metals and trap them, generating chelates. In the chelated or trapped metal state, the metal cannot react with compounds or ions and its toxicity is inactivated.
Subsequently, the chelate is stored in the fungal tissue and the metal remains in an inactive form, which is not toxic to the fungus.
References
- Alexopoulus, CJ, Mims, CW and Blackwell, M. Editors. (nineteen ninety six). Introductory Mycology. 4th Edition. New York: John Wiley and Sons.
- Dighton, J. (2016). Fungi Ecosystem Processes. 2nd Edition. Boca Raton: CRC Press.
- Kavanah, K. Editor. (2017). Fungi: Biology and Applications. New York: John Wiley
- Parladéa J., Martínez-Peña, F. and Peraa, J. (2017), Effects of forest management and climatic variables on the mycelium dynamics and sporocarp production of the ectomycorrhizal fungus Boletus edulis. Forest Ecology and Management. 390: 73-79. doi: 10.1016 / j.foreco.2017.01.025
- Su, J., Zhang, J., Li, J., L, T, Liu, H. and Wang, Y. (2018). Determination of mineral contents of wild Boletus edulis mushroom and its edible safety assessment. Environmental Science and Health, Part B. 53 (7). doi: 10.1080 / 03601234.2018.1455361