Detecting bioluminescence conditions in fruit bodies of two species of Armillaria basidiomycetes

Mycelia of various Armillaria fungi are bioluminescent while the fruit bodies do not emit light. The presence in fruit bodies of Armillaria species of enzymes involved in the fungal bioluminescence was investigated by treating them with an exogenous analogue of the substrate for the light-emitting reaction. For this, hot extracts from nonluminous fungus Pholiota squarrosa were used. Upon spraying the pristine and transversely cut fruit bodies with the extracts, light emitting regions of different intensity were revealed. This suggests that the fruit bodies of the studied species are nonluminous due to lack of the substrate for light luminescent reaction. The prolonged incubation of the fruit bodies in water elevated the bioluminescence level. A possible mechanism which can explain this phenomenon is discussed.