Fungi have been used for medicinal purposes for many centuries. This study, based on 35 historical written sources and 581 in-depth semi-structured interviews from eight countries in the western borderlands of the former Soviet Union, investigates the medicinal use of fungi by local communities. We compared the taxa and uses obtained from fieldwork and historical sources with works that advocated fungi use within Soviet herbals, representing the centralised medical system. During fieldwork, we identified eight locally used fungi and one lichen. The highest numbers of medicinal uses were documented in Russia, Estonia and Ukraine. Studies published before the Soviet era listed 21 fungal taxa and one lichen species used in the study region. However, only six of these taxa were mentioned as used by people in our field studies (Amanita muscaria, Boletus edulis, Lycoperdon, Morchella, Phallus impudicus and Cetraria islandica). Notably, these same six taxa were consistently endorsed in Soviet herbals. Of the remaining three taxa recorded in the fieldwork, none were mentioned in historical written sources. However, they were promoted either in Soviet herbals (Inonotus obliquus, Kombucha) or later popular publications (Cantharellus cibarius). This highlights the significant influence of written sources on the use of fungi for medicinal purposes within the studied local communities.

Lichens are symbiotic organisms that effectively survive in harsh environments, including arid regions. Maintaining viability with an almost complete loss of water and the rapid restoration of metabolism during rehydration distinguishes lichens from most eukaryotic organisms. The lichen Xanthoria parietina is known to have high stress tolerance, possessing diverse defense mechanisms, including the presence of the bright-orange pigment parietin. While several studies have demonstrated the photoprotective and antioxidant properties of this anthraquinone, the role of parietin in the tolerance of lichens to desiccation is not clear yet. Thalli, which are exposed to solar radiation and become bright orange, may require enhanced desiccation tolerance. Here, we showed differences in the anatomy of naturally pale and bright-orange thalli of X. parietina and visualized parietin crystals on the surface of the upper cortex. Parietin was extracted from bright-orange thalli by acetone rinsing and quantified using HPLC. Although acetone rinsing did not affect PSII activity, thalli without parietin had higher levels of lipid peroxidation and a lower membrane stability index in response to desiccation. Furthermore, highly pigmented thalli possess thicker cell walls and, according to thermogravimetric analysis, higher water-holding capacities than pale thalli. Thus, parietin may play a role in desiccation tolerance by stabilizing mycobiont membranes, providing an antioxidative defense, and changing the morphology of the upper cortex of X. parietina.

BACKGROUND: Lichens, traditionally considered as a simple partnership primarily between mycobiont and photobiont, are, in reality, complex holobionts comprised of a multitude of microorganisms. Lichen mycobiome represents fungal community residing within lichen thalli. While it is acknowledged that factors like the host lichen species and environmental conditions influence the structure of the lichen mycobiome, the existing research remains insufficient. To investigate which factor, host genus or location, has a greater impact on the lichen mycobiome, we conducted a comparative analysis of mycobiomes within Parmelia and Peltigera collected from both Turkey and South Korea, using high-throughput sequencing based on internal transcribed spacer region amplification.
RESULTS: Overall, the lichen mycobiome was dominated by Capnodiales (Dothideomycetes), regardless of host or location. At the order level, the taxonomic composition was not significantly different according to lichen genus host or geographical distance. Hierarchical clustering of the top 100 abundant ASVs did not clearly indicate whether the lichen mycobiome was more influenced by host genus or location. Analyses of community similarity and partitioning variables revealed that the structure of the lichen mycobiome is more significantly influenced by location than by host genus. When analyzing the core mycobiome by host genus, the Peltigera mycobiome contained more ASV members than the Parmelia mycobiome. These two core mycobiomes also share common fungal strains, including basidiomycete yeast. Additionally, we used chi-squared tests to identify host genus-specialists and location-specialists.
CONCLUSIONS: By comparing lichen mycobiomes of the same genera across different countries, our study advances our comprehension of these microbial communities. Our study elucidates that, although host species play a contributory role, geographic distance exerts a more pronounced impact on the structure of lichen mycobiome. We have made foundational contributions to understanding the lichen mycobiome occupying ecologically crucial niches. We anticipate that broader global-scale investigations into the fungal community structures will provide more detailed insights into fungal residents within lichens.

Various studies have shown that Hypogymnia physodes are a source of many biologically active compounds, including lichen acids. These lichen-specific compounds are characterized by antioxidant, antiproliferative, and antimicrobial properties, and they can be used in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. The main aim of this study was to optimize the composition of natural deep eutectic solvents based on proline or betaine and lactic acid for the extraction of metabolites from H. physodes. The design of the experimental method and the response surface approach allowed the optimization of the extraction process of specific lichen metabolites. Based on preliminary research, a multivariate model of the experiment was developed. For optimization, the following parameters were employed in the experiment to confirm the model: a proline/lactic acid/water molar ratio of 1:2:2. Such a mixture allowed the efficient extraction of three depsidones (i.e., physodic acid, physodalic acid, 3-hydroyphysodic acid) and one depside (i.e., atranorin). The developed composition of the solvent mixtures ensured good efficiency when extracting the metabolites from the thallus of H. physodes with high antioxidant properties.

A ubiquitous and pink-pigmented facultatively methylotrophic bacterium, designated LRY1-08 (=JCM 33120), was isolated from a lichen in Thailand. Strain LRY1-08 and Methylobacterium durans NBRC 112876T shared 99.92 % similarity based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence. The draft genome of LRY1-08 was 5.26 Mbp with 4,952 protein-coding sequences and an average G + C content of 70.0 mol%. Comparing strain LRY1-08 to M. durans NBRC 112876T, the ANIb, ANIm, AAI, and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values were 96.29 %, 97.10 %, 96.7 %, and 82.29 %, respectively. Based on the phenotypic characteristics and genome analysis, it was identified as M. durans. Its genomic sequence data revealed the PHB and CoQ10 biosynthesis genes. Therefore, the results offer suggestions for further investigation into possible applications of this bacterium in biotechnology. The draft genome was deposited at DDBJ/EMBL/GenBank (DNA Databank of Japan/European Molecular Biology Laboratory/Genbank) (JAYEEX000000000).

Lichen planus pigmentosus is an uncommon subtype of lichen planus and lichen planus pigmentosus inversus is a rare variant of lichen planus pigmentosus. Lichen planus pigmentosus inversus typically presents as hyperpigmented patches or plaques, particularly in the intertriginous areas such as the axillae, the groin and inguinal folds, and in the submammary region. In some patients with lichen planus pigmentosus inversus, the condition can present as a pigmented lichenoid axillary inverse dermatosis (PLAID) when the lesions are in the axillae. A 49-year-old Hispanic man who had hyperlipidemia and diabetes mellitus developed lichen planus pigmentosus inversus and presented with a PLAID. Skin biopsies established the diagnosis of lichen planus pigmentosus inversus. The clinical differential diagnosis of lichen planus pigmentosus inversus includes inherited disorders, primary cutaneous dermatoses, acquired dyschromias, and reactions to topical or systemic medications. Friction in intertriginous areas has been related to the development of lichen planus pigmentosus inversus. Factors that can precipitate lichen planus pigmentosus inversus include not only topical exposure to almond oil, amala oil, cold and cosmetic creams, henna, and paraphenyldiamine but also either topical contact or consumption of mustard oil and nickel. Lichen planus pigmentosus inversus can be associated with autoimmune conditions (hypothyroidism), endocrinopathies (diabetes mellitus), and hyperlipidemia. The dyschromia found in patients with lichen planus pigmentosus inversus is frequently refractory to treatment. Initial management includes removal of potential disease triggers such as eliminating tight clothing to stop friction with the adjacent skin. Topical corticosteroids do not result in improvement; however, topical calcineurin inhibitors such as tacrolimus have been reported to be efficacious. In conclusion, inverse lichen planus and lichen planus pigmentosus inversus can present with a PLAID; whereas topical corticosteroids may be helpful to resolve inverse lichen planus lesions, topical tacrolimus may be useful to improve the dyschromia in lichen planus pigmentosus inversus.

Arthopyreniaparolinii Beltr. is one of the few species of the lichen genus Arthopyrenia A. Massal. described by Italian authors of the XIX century, lacking type formal association. In this regard, the name Arthopyreniaparolinii is hereby lectotypified using a specimen stored in the lichen herbarium of A.B. Massalongo at VER. Additional original material was found only at M, while another specimen at MSNVE, labelled as Spermatodiumparolinii, although referable to this species, should not be considered as original material. Arthopyreniaparolinii is among the least well-known species in the genus. Given the genus Arthopyrenia is still very poorly known, it is important to clarify the original material of the species and propose the lectotyping. The selected lectotype is the only sample among the analyzed ones reporting complete data on the locus classicus; it conforms to the characters described in the protologue and comes from the Herbarium Beltramini.

Lichens are combinations of two symbiotic organisms, a green alga or cyanobacterium and a fungus. They grow in nearly all terrestrial ecosystems and survive in habitats, which are very dry or cold, or too poor in nutrients to maintain vegetation growth. Because lichens grow on visible surfaces and exhibit spectral properties, which are clearly different from, for example, vegetation, it is possible to distinguish them in remote sensing data. In this first systematic review article on remote sensing of lichens, we analyze and summarize which lichen species or genera, and in which habitats and geographical regions, have been remotely sensed, and which remote sensing or spectroscopic technologies have been used. We found that laboratory or in situ measured spectra of over 70 lichen species have been reported to date. We show that studies on remote sensing of lichens fall under seven broad themes: (1) collection of lichen spectra for quantification of lichen species or characteristics, (2) pollution monitoring with lichens as ecological indicators, (3) geological and lithological mapping, (4) desert and dryland monitoring, (5) animal habitat monitoring, (6) land cover or vegetation mapping, and (7) surface energy budget modeling.

OBJECTIVE: There is growing interest in the functional ecology of poikilohydric non-vascular photoautotrophs (NVPs), including \'cryptogamic\' bryophytes and lichens. These organisms are structurally important in many ecosystems, contributing substantially to ecosystem function and services, while also being sensitive to climate change. Previous research has quantified the climate change response of poikilohydric NVPs using predictive bioclimatic models with standard climate variables including precipitation totals and temperature averages. This study aimed for an improved functional understanding of their climate change response based on their growth rate sensitivity to moisture and light.
METHODS: We conducted a 24-month experiment to monitor lichen hydration and growth. We accounted for two well-known features in the ecology of poikilohydric NVPs, and exemplified here for a structurally dominant lichen epiphyte, Lobaria pulmonaria: (1) sensitivity to multiple sources of atmospheric moisture including rain, condensed dew-formation and water vapour; and (2) growth determined by the amount of time hydrated in the light, driving photosynthesis, referred to as the Iwet hypothesis.
RESULTS: First, we found that even within an oceanic high-rainfall environment, lichen hydration was better explained by vapour pressure deficit than precipitation totals. Second, growth at a monthly resolution was positively related to the amount of time spent hydrated in the light, and negatively related to the amount of time spent hydrated in the dark.
CONCLUSIONS: Using multimodel averaging to project growth models for an ensemble of future climate change scenarios, we demonstrated reduced net growth for L. pulmonaria by the late 21st century, explained by extended climate dryness and lichen desiccation for periods when there is otherwise sufficient light to drive photosynthesis. The results further emphasize a key issue of photoperiodism when constructing functionally relevant models to understand the risk of climate change, especially for poikilohydric NVPs.

Vegetation in East Antarctica, such as moss and lichen, vulnerable to the effects of climate change and ozone depletion, requires robust non-invasive methods to monitor its health condition. Despite the increasing use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to acquire high-resolution data for vegetation analysis in Antarctic regions through artificial intelligence (AI) techniques, the use of multispectral imagery and deep learning (DL) is quite limited. This study addresses this gap with two pivotal contributions: (1) it underscores the potential of deep learning (DL) in a field with notably limited implementations for these datasets; and (2) it introduces an innovative workflow that compares the performance between two supervised machine learning (ML) classifiers: Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) and U-Net. The proposed workflow is validated by detecting and mapping moss and lichen using data collected in the highly biodiverse Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA) 135, situated near Casey Station, between January and February 2023. The implemented ML models were trained against five classes: Healthy Moss, Stressed Moss, Moribund Moss, Lichen, and Non-vegetated. In the development of the U-Net model, two methods were applied: Method (1) which utilised the original labelled data as those used for XGBoost; and Method (2) which incorporated XGBoost predictions as additional input to that version of U-Net. Results indicate that XGBoost demonstrated robust performance, exceeding 85% in key metrics such as precision, recall, and F1-score. The workflow suggested enhanced accuracy in the classification outputs for U-Net, as Method 2 demonstrated a substantial increase in precision, recall and F1-score compared to Method 1, with notable improvements such as precision for Healthy Moss (Method 2: 94% vs. Method 1: 74%) and recall for Stressed Moss (Method 2: 86% vs. Method 1: 69%). These findings contribute to advancing non-invasive monitoring techniques for the delicate Antarctic ecosystems, showcasing the potential of UAVs, high-resolution multispectral imagery, and ML models in remote sensing applications.