See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: http://www.researchgate.net/publication/51895713 A survey of the geographic distribution of Ophiocordyceps sinensis ARTICLE in THE JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY · DECEMBER 2011 Impact Factor: 1.44 · DOI: 10.1007/s12275-011-1193-z · Source: PubMed CITATIONS READS 22 75 11 AUTHORS, INCLUDING: Xiao-Liang Wang C.-H. Dong Chinese Academy of Sciences Chinese Academy of Sciences 13 PUBLICATIONS 119 CITATIONS 19 PUBLICATIONS 256 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE Yu Zhan Yi-Jian Yao Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Chinese Academy of Sciences 9 PUBLICATIONS 138 CITATIONS 92 PUBLICATIONS 1,644 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE All in-text references underlined in blue are linked to publications on ResearchGate, Available from: Yu Zhan letting you access and read them immediately. Retrieved on: 18 November 2015 The Journal of Microbiology (2011) Vol. 49, No. 6, pp. 913-919 DOI 10.1007/s12275-011-1193-z Copyright ⓒ 2011, The Microbiological Society of Korea A Survey of the Geographic Distribution of Ophiocordyceps sinensis§ Yi Li1,2, Xiao-Liang Wang1,2, Lei Jiao1, Yi Jiang1, Hui Li3, Si-Ping Jiang3, Ngarong Lhosumtseiring4, Shen-Zhan Fu1, Cai-Hong Dong1, Yu Zhan1, and Yi-Jian Yao1* 1State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, P. R. China 2Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China 3Tibet Plateau Institute of Biology, Lhasa 850001, P. R. China 4The Bureau of Science and Technology, Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai 815000, P. R. China (Received April 14, 2011 / Accepted August 6, 2011) Ophiocordyceps sinensis is one of the best known fungi in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Many efforts have been devoted to locating the production areas of this species resulting in various reports; however, its geo- graphic distribution remains incompletely understood. Distribution of O. sinensis at the county level is clari- fied in this work based on both a literature search and fieldwork. More than 3600 publications related to O. sinensis were investigated, including scientific papers, books, and online information. Herbarium speci- mens of O. sinensis and field collections made by this research group during the years 2000-2010 were examined to verify the distribution sites. A total of 203 localities for O. sinensis have been found, of which 106 are considered as confirmed distribution sites, 65 as possible distribution sites, 29 as excluded distribution sites and three as suspicious distribution sites. The results show that O. sinensis is confined to the Tibetan Plateau and its surrounding regions, including Tibet, Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan, and Yunnan provinces in China and in certain areas of the southern flank of the Himalayas, in the countries of Bhutan, India and Nepal, with 3,000 m as the lowest altitude for the distribution. The fungus is distributed from the southern- most site in Yulong Naxi Autonomous County in northwestern Yunnan Province to the northernmost site in the Qilian Mountains in Qilian County, Qinghai Province, and from the east edge of the Tibetan Plateau in Wudu County, Gansu Province to the westernmost site in Uttarakhand, India. The clarification of the geographic distribution of O. sinensis will lay the foundation for conservation and sustainable use of the species. Keywords: distribution, Ophiocordyceps sinensis, Tibetan Plateau Ophiocordyceps sinensis (Berk.) G.H. Sung, J.M. Sung, Hywel- the mycelium, which is, finally converted into a sclerotium, Jones & Spatafora [≡ Cordyceps sinensis (Berk.) Sacc.] has leaving the exoskeleton intact. When the stroma of the fungus long been recorded as one of the most valued Traditional grows from the sclerotium and emerges above the ground, Chinese Medicines in a number of ancient codices (Wang, it is collected with the sclerotium as a whole for medicinal 1694; Wu, 1757; Zhao, 1765). Recent studies have also dem- use. The larvae of the host insect live underground for their onstrated that the fungus can be used to treat a wide range entire larval stage of three to four years or longer, feeding of conditions (Wang, 1995; Zhu et al., 1998a, 1998b; Holliday on roots and caudexes of alpine plants. If infected by the and Cleaver, 2008). It has been officially classified as a drug fungus, they usually die in the winter. The fungal stroma in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia since 1964 (Committee of comes out in the spring or summer of the following year (Yao, Pharmacopoeia, Chinese Ministry of Health, 1964, 2005). The 2004). Hyphae of O. sinensis can grow at about 2°C with the price of natural products of O. sinensis has increased sharply optimum temperature of 15-18°C, but the hyphal growth is in recent years and is now sold at the price of gold or higher. restrained when the temperature reaches 25°C, and stopped However, the natural resource of this fungus is limited due below 0°C (Liu et al., 1989; Dong and Yao, 2010). to its strict host-specificity on moth insects, confined geo- There is a great volume of accounts on O. sinensis in the graphical distribution, and over exploitation by humans in re- literature (primarily in Chinese), whilst there are not many cent decades. It has, therefore, been listed as an endangered reports based on fieldwork in the production areas to deter- species under the second class of state protection since 1999 mine the distribution range of the species. Shen et al. (1980) (State Forestry Administration and Ministry of Agriculture, reported the distribution of O. sinensis in Yushu Tibetan 1999). Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province, China, at an alti- O. sinensis parasitizes underground dwelling larvae of moths tude from 4,200-5,000 m on both sides of the watershed. (Lepidoptera), especially species of Thitarodes. The body of Based on two field trips to Kangding County, Sichuan the insect host is used by the fungus as substrate to form Province, Xiao et al. (1983) reported that O. sinensis was dis- tributed from 3,000 m up to the snow line. The vertical dis- ✽ For correspondence. E-mail: [email protected]; Tel.: +86-10-64807496; tribution of the species was then reported in Sichuan Province Fax: +86-10-64807518 from 3,700-4,700 m in Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture § Supplemental material for this article may be found at http://www.springer.com/content/120956 (Yin et al., 1990), variable in different locations with the low 914 Li et al. range of 3,450 m in Kangding County and of 4,200 m in Sêrxü al., 1995), with a report of distribution sites and estimation County (Li and Cao, 1990), and growing well above 4,500 of yield of O. sinensis in 29 counties of eight prefectures. In m and up to about 5,000 m in Baiyü County (Li and Cao, Yushu and Guoluo prefectures of Qinghai Province, the dis- 1990). After investigating the natural distribution and eco- tribution and yield of O. sinensis have been well investigated. logical environment of O. sinensis in the seven prefectures All the 47 villages and towns of Yushu Prefecture, except of Ngari, Qamdo, Lhasa, Nyingch, Nagqu, Xigazê, and eight, were reported to harvest the fungus by Lei (1995) and Shannan in Tibet, Jiang (1989) reported that the species was the amount of harvest in 33 villages was also reported recently distributed in all the prefectures from the altitude of 3,000 by Tseiga et al. (2005). A report on five of the six counties to 4,700 m. The distribution range of the fungus was shown in Guoluo Prefecture, except Madoi County, was made by as almost the same as the distribution of host insects in Nagqu Zhang (2003) with estimations of annual yield. The distribu- Prefecture, Tibet, where the host insects were distributed from tion of O. sinensis in Gansu Province was first reported from 4,100-5,000 m altitude, but sparsely between 4,100-4,400 m Wudu and Wenxian counties (Liu et al., 1986), and then fol- and above 4,900 m (Chen et al., 1999). The vertical distribu- lowed by Luqu and Maqu counties (Dong and Luo, 1996; tion of O. sinensis along the altitude was also reported to Fang and Zhang, 2005). For Sichuan Province, Yin et al. (1990) be accordant with that of its host insect in Baima Mountain, reported the distribution in almost every county of Garzê Yunnan, from 3,850-5,000 m (Shen et al., 1988). According Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. In addition to the distribution to Yang et al. (1993), O. sinensis was distributed only in the of O. sinensis in the seven prefectures of Tibet Autonomous northwest of Yunnan with an altitude above 4,000 m, but not Region reported by Jiang (1989), its distribution at the county in the center and northeast of the province even if at the same level were given by Jin (2003) including 43 counties in eastern altitude. Balfour-Browne (1955) described some Himalayan and central Tibet. For the distribution of O. sinensis in fungi, including O. sinensis from the southeast of Tibet, Bhutan Yunnan Province, Dêqên, Zhongdian (= Xamgyi′nyilha) and and Nepal from 4,200-4,650 m altitude. Kobayasi (1980) re- Lijiang counties were mentioned by Xu (1991), whereas most ported that the species was collected on the south side of the counties in northwestern Yunnan were reported by Yang Himalayas in Bhutan, India and Nepal, with altitudes recorded (1997a and 1997b). In addition, the distribution of O. sinensis as 3,500 m in the Annapurna Snow Mountain of Nepal and has been spread widely online since the year 2000. Most of 4,000 m in Kharka, India. Recently, O. sinensis was reported the materials online are short articles with a list of localities, from India on high hills along the border lines with Nepal often at county level or above, without any analysis (e.g.