Ophiocordyceps sinensis

About: Ophiocordyceps sinensis is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 230 publications have been published within this topic receiving 2844 citations. The topic is also known as: Cordyceps sinensis.

Yartsa Gunbu ( Cordyceps sinensis ) and the Fungal Commodification of Tibet’s Rural Economy

Abstract: Yartsa Gunbu (Cordyceps sinensis) and the Fungal Commodification of Tibet’s Rural Economy. Cordyceps sinensis is a mushroom that parasitizes larvae of Thitarodes (Hepialus) moths, which inhabit the alpine grasslands of the Tibetan Plateau. Tibetans have used the mushroom, which they call yartsa gunbu (“summer-grass, winter-worm”) for many centuries, if not millennia. A 350% increase in the price paid to pickers between 1997 and 2004 has turned this tiny mushroom into the single most important source of cash for rural households in contemporary Tibet. On average, 40% of the rural cash income in the Tibet Autonomous Region is derived from its collection, which government statistics figured at 50,000 kg in 2004, contributing at least CNY (Chinese yuan) 1.8 billion (USD 225 million) to the Tibet Autonomous Region’s GDP. A dramatic fungal commodification of the rural Tibetan economy is occurring, as the income from sale of Cordyceps often accounts for 70%–90% of a family’s annual cash income in areas where it grows. The ever-increasing harvesting pressure raises the question of sustainability. The fact that Cordyceps has been collected for centuries and is still common argues for its resilience, but the lack of harvest studies for C. sinensis precludes a definite answer as to whether the harvest can be sustained at its current level.

Genome survey uncovers the secrets of sex and lifestyle in caterpillar fungus

Abstract: The caterpillar fungus Ophiocordyceps sinensis (best known as Cordyceps sinensis ) mummifies ghost moth larvae exclusively in Tibetan Plateau alpine ecosystems. Touted as “Himalayan Viagra”, the fungus is highly prized due to its medical benefits and dwindling supplies. Attempts to culture the sexual fruiting-body have failed and the huge market demand has led to severe devastation of local ecosystems and to the fungus heading towards extinction. By genome sequencing, we establish that unlike related insect pathogens O. sinensis contains two compatible mating-type genes in its genome and is self-fertile, i.e. homothallic. However, sexual processes are only initiated under native environmental conditions. O. sinensis resembles biotrophic plant pathogens in having a genome shaped by retrotransposon-driven expansions. The resulting changes in gene content suggest that O. sinensis has a biphasic pathogenic mechanism beginning with stealth pathogenesis in early host instars. O. sinensis is the first psychrophilic fungus sequenced and is adapted to extreme cold with putative antifreeze proteins and mechanisms for increasing lipid accumulation and fatty acid unsaturation. We hypothesize that for the inbreeding O. sinensis the massive proliferation of retrotransposons provides a tradeoff between the advantages of increased genetic variation independent of sexual recombination and deletion of genes dispensable for its specialized pathogenic lifestyle.

Caterpillar Fungus (Ophiocordyceps sinensis) Production and Sustainability on the Tibetan Plateau and in the Himalayas

Abstract: Caterpillar fungus ( Ophiocordyceps = Cordyceps sinensis ) is an entomophagous fungus endemic to the Tibetan Plateau and the Himalayas. It has become the most important source of cash income in wide areas of the Tibetan Plateau, where it is known as yartsa gunbu , ‘summer grass winter worm’. The market is driven by Chinese consumers, who refer to it as dongchong xiacao . The value of this myco-medicinal has increased by 900% between 1997 and 2008, creating a globally-unique rural fungal economy. However, actual annual production data is still not available for many areas of the Tibetan Plateau in China as well as the Himalayan production areas of India, Nepal and Bhutan. This paper analyses available production data and estimates the total annual production in the range of 85 to 185 tons for all production areas. Current availability of multi-annual production figures is limited and allows only for provisional estimates regarding the sustainability of current harvesting quantities. Centuries of collection indicate that caterpillar fungus is a resilient resource. Still, unprecedented collection intensity, climate change and the recent economic dependence of local economies on caterpillar fungus calls for sustainable resource management. Absence of long-term field studies indicating best management practices—at best in their infancy in some production areas—necessitate a degree of improvisation in designing resource management strategies. The development of easily implementable approaches that can rely on community support will be crucial for successful management. Most promising from a socio-economic, administrative and also mycological perspective is the establishment of an end date of the collection season, which might allow for sufficient spore dispersal to guarantee sustainability.

Host insect species of Ophiocordyceps sinensis: a review

Abstract: Ophiocordyceps sinensis (≡ Cordyceps sinensis) is one of the most valued medicinal fungi in China, used for its invigorating effects in strengthening the body and restoring energy. The fungus parasitizes larvae of moths and converts them into sclerotia from which the fungus fruiting body grows. Since the late 1950s, considerable effort has been devoted to the study of host insects related to the fungus. In the present paper, the research history of insect species associated with Ophiocordyceps sinensis is briefly reviewed and an extensive literature survey is presented. Ninety-one insect names, spanning 13 genera, related to host insects of Ophiocordyceps sinensis are investigated. The relationships between the reported insect species and Ophiocordyceps sinensis are analyzed. Fifty-seven of these are considered as recognizable potential host species of the fungus distributed throughout the Tibetan Plateau, whilst eight are considered as indeterminate hosts and 26 as non-hosts. Among the names of recognizable potential host insects, three are invalid (nomen nudum) and require further study. This work provides basic information for management of the insect resources and for the conservation and sustainable use of Ophiocordyceps sinensis.