LIFEPHARMS'
Fungal Collection

1. Ascomycota
2. Basidiomycota
3. Chytridiomycota
4. Zygomycota

Taxonomically, fungi represent a separate kingdom with equal taxomonic status as Plantea and Animalia.

Fungi are usually classified in four divisions: the Chytridiomycota (chytrids, water fungi), Zygomycota (Rhizopus and other bread molds), Ascomycota (yeast, most lichen-associated fungi and some “mushrooms), and the Basidiomycota (most mushrooms). The major divisions are based on their method of producing sexual spores. The above groups produce oospores, zygospores, ascospores and basidiospores, respectively. The shape and internal structure of the sporangia, which produce the spores, are the most useful character for identifying these various major groups.

Previous drug discovery efforts with fungi have focused on easily cultured species loosely classified as molds. These are fungal organisms that grow as long interwoven hyphae filaments. The sexual spores are produced on the tips of the growth filaments. Molds originate from Zygomycota and to a lesser extent from Ascomycota and Basidiomycota.

NATURAL
Product Collection

Why fungus?

LifePharms’ collection of over 16,000 field collected basidiomycetes and ascomycetes (mushrooms) is both unique and highly valuable. Our collection has never previously been systemically collected nor biologically assayed for drug discovery purposes. Our collection includes almost the entire North American range of basidiomycetes and ascomycetes.

Previous drug discovery efforts with fungi have focused on easily cultured species loosely classified as molds. Molds originate from two of the four divisions of the fungal kingdom (Zygomycota) and to a lesser extent from primitive Ascoymcota. Most of the culture collections and screening have been carried out on a small sampling of Zygomycetes and primitive Ascomycota species. On the other hand, basidiomycetes and ascomycetes represent two distinct branches of the fungal kingdom that have been largely overlooked in drug discovery programs.

All of our samples were collected in the wild. As a result, they have been subjected to environmental stresses and insults, including those brought on by bacteria, nematodes, and other fungi. Since the basidiomycetes’ survival is critical, it puts significant metabolic resources in making sophisticated chemical defenses.

There are many reasons for the superiority of field-collected fungus over cultures. They are:

Once the organism is cultured in sterile medium, the stimulus for synthesis of defensive chemicals is absent and the organism ceases their production after a few passages. Certain basidiomycetes, including Russula, Amanita, Boletus, Suillus, and Cortinarius are rarely cultured. Each of these genera contain between 500 to 1000 species. Of the estimated 1.5 million species of fungi, only about 10,000 species have been successfully cultured. Many interesting fungal secondary metabolites are only produced after the fungus has completed its initial growth phase and its beginning sporulation. Therefore, fruiting bodies (mushrooms) would offer the optimum source of chemical diversity. Basidomycetes have uncharacterized growth requirements and can be symbiotic or saprophytic with very specific host organisms. These conditions are unlikely to be created in cultures.

There are roughly 7,000 to 10,000 fungal species in culture collections throughout the world. The total number of characterized secondary metabolites from fungi is 3,000 to 4,000. Since the estimated number of fungal species is over one million, large potential areas of small molecule discovery remain untapped.

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