Biologia Serbica, 2018, 40(2): 26-33 DOI 10.5281/zenodo.2452495 Original paper Schizophyllum commune – the dominant cause of trees decay in alleys and parks in the City of Novi Sad (Serbia) Jelena N. VULINOVić1, Svjetlana B. Lolić2, Slobodanka B. Vujčić3, Milan N. MATAVULJ4 1Faculty of Technology, Zvornik, Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina; 2Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Banja Luka, Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina; 3University of Business Studies, Banja Luka, Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina; 4Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Serbia Received: 14 December 2018 / Accepted: 21 December 2018 / Published online: 27 December 2018 Summar y. As part of a study of the main causes of dying trees in alleys and parks in the City of Novi Sad, an inves- tigation of the presence and diversity of macrofungi was undertaken over the period 2012-2014. The relatively poor genetic diversity of lignicolous (pathogenic or potentially pathogenic and saprotrophic) macrofungi with only 24 species representing this group (19 basidiomycets and 5 ascomycets) has been recorded. The poor qualitative compo- sition of this important ecological group of fungi could be explained by the small number of plant species present in arbored walks and alleys, but also to the reduced number of fungi resistant to heavy air pollution caused by the close proximity of (1-5 m) fuel combustion engines. Although preliminary, these results point to the necessity of conserva- tion and protection of the most beautiful features of the Novi Sad city - its alleys, avenues and parks - by undertaking measures of curing damaged trees and treating with fungicides in order to wipe out the epiphytia caused in more than 95% of cases by split-gill (Schizophyllum commune), found to be present on dead wood as well as damaged trees of: Tilia cordata, T. platyphyllos T. argentea, Acer negundo, A. platanoides, Aesculus hyppocastaneum, Platanus aceri- folia, Fraxinus ornus, Betula pendula, Robinia pseudoacacia, Celtis australis, C. occidentalis, Catalpa speciosa, Corylus avelana, Ficus carica, Pinus silvestris, Prunus spp., Salix alba, Carpinus betulus pyramidalis, etc. Altogether, over the last decade, around 200 trees have collapsed or have been sanitary felled in alleys and parks of Novi Sad due to dam- age caused primarily by split-gill fungus. Thus, restoration of avenues along streets characterized by very polluted air generated by combustion engine fuel, accompanied by extreme temperatures, (from -30 °C to +45 °C), prolonged drought and heavy insolation of young plants is becoming an almost impossible mission. Analysis of trees along the streets of Novi Sad revealed that, in addition to visible suffocation of plants from heavy air pollution and wide asphalt surfaces located next to tree-trunks, illnesses caused by fungi are the dominant cause of tree decay. Because it has adapted to arid climates, and is resistant to air pollution, Schizophyllum commune turned out to be the most aggres- sive and successful ubiquitous fungal invader of trees in old alleys. This fungus is also an important factor threaten- ing immune-compromised persons: there are recorded cases in the region of allergies, abscesses and inflammatory conditions caused by this basidiomycetous fungus among individuals of the human population. Keywords: alleys, lignicolous fungi, Novi Sad, parks, Schizophyllum commune, split-gill. INTRODUCTION This sap-rot fungus is also recognized as a plant patho- gen that causes wood rot on living trees; while many plant Schizophyllum commune Fries, is probably the most species, including fruit and ornamental trees, even Opuntia widespread macroscopic fungus, and is found on every con- sp. have also been recorded as hosts (Takemoto et al. 2010; tinent except Antarctica. According to Raper and Hoffman Vázquez-Mendoza 2013). Wood-rot disease caused by this (1974), it is not closely related to other species without la- fungus is promoted in temperate climate zones by drought, mellas, and most investigators categorized this species in the freezing temperatures and other weather conditions unfa- order of Shizophyllales, but according to the contemporary vorable for plants, since the fungus is well adapted to such Index Fungorum (2018c), it belongs to the order Agaricales adverse environmental conditions. It is expected that, de- (family Schizophyllaceae, Agaricomycetidae, Agaricomyce- pending on the plant species and locality, ongoing global tes, Agaricomycotina, phylum Basidiomycota). warming is enhancing plant damage, which may predispose E-mail: [email protected] Schizophyllum commune – the dominant cause of trees decay in alleys and parks in the City of Novi Sad (Serbia) plants to fungal infection (Matavulj et al. 2005, 2013; Cviya- tion Sch. commune using pathological patterns or smears is novicy et al. 2009). difficult. This mushroom appears in the longitudinal form Schyzophyllum commune is popular as an edible fungus of aggregated hypha in swabs, and it is difficult to differen- in Nigeria, in some regions of Mexico and the peninsula of tiate morphologically from filamentous mushrooms such Malaysia (Adejoye et al. 2006; Takemoto et al. 2010). How- as Aspergillus sp. (Ishiguro et al. 2007). Human infections ever, in our climate it is inedible due to its small size and caused by Sch. commune in Serbia were reported recently by the leathery consistency of the basidiocarps, and has since Bulajic et al. (2006), Arsic Arsenijevic et al. (2010), Pekic et proven to be super accumulator of Fe and Zn (Karaman and al. (2010), and Perić et al. (2011). Matavuly 2005; Javid et al. 2010; Milovac et al. 2017). Mush- Lithuanian scientists identified an environmental issue room basidiocarps can often be found on the bark of dead with Sch. commune at the beginning of the 21st century, trees, or even on dead branches or living trees soon after that appeared on the trunks of trees alongside streets. This their vitality has been reduced. Some scholars consider Sch. fungus, however, like other saprotrophs, can also lead to a commune as a wound parasite or even as a saprobic (sapro- parasitic lifestyle (Snieškiene and Juronis 2001). Trimming troph), while others recognize it as a plant pathogen, causing branches contributed to an increased percentage of diseased “Schizophyllum rot” in living trees. The mushroom produced trees of the species Tilia cordata and T. platyphyllos, as well white rot on test substrates in vitro, which is similar to the as the species Quercus rubra (Snieškiene et al. 2007). In ad- decline observed in earlier stages in the corneal part of the dition to parasitization of these species, similar changes were lignocellulosic material (Takemoto et al. 2010). observed in the species Aesculus hyppocastaneum (Snieskiene Although Sch. commune hydro-distilled extracts may be et al. 2011). Also, results were published suggesting an im- considered as promising sources of phenolic and antibiotic pact on the health status of species of the genera Acer, Jug- (antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, antitumor) natural lans, Fagus, Quercus, Phellodendron, Populus, Robinia (Žiogas products (Karaman et al. 2012; Arun et al. 2015; Glumac et et al. 2007). al. 2015, 2017; Yao et al. 2016), this fungus is also the most The simmilar problem was recorded during the last famous cause of human infections among the macroscop- decade in Novi Sad, especially in alleys and parks with con- ic Basidomycota. In the world, there are cases where this ditions inadequate for plants but favorable for the fungus fungus has been shown to be a cause of allergic sinusitis, which seems to be well adapted to such adverse environmen- pulmonary disease, ulcerative palate lesions, meningitis and tal conditions. The aim of this research was to investigate the abscesses (Premamalini et al. 2011). In northern Sudan, in recent status of planted trees in different environmental con- the southwestern parts of the USA and in northern India, ditions of parks and high-frequency traffic alleys and streets fungal infections of the paranasal sinuses have been reported in Novi Sad city and eventually anticipate further develop- (Swain et al. 2011). It was reported to cause allergic broncho- ment of the phenomenon of survival of horticultural plants pulmonary mycosis (Kamei et al. 1994) in a healthy female in worsened environmental conditions in the future. and was repeatedly isolated from the sputum of a patient with chronic lung disease (Ciferri et al. 1956). Other re- MATERIAL AND METHODS ports of Sch. commune infection include cases of meningitis (Chavez-Batista et al. 1955), sinusitis (Kern and Uecker 1986; Streets with the most frequent traffic of the Novi Sad Rosenthal 1992; Buzina et al. 2002), ulcerative lesions of the city were analyzed over the spring and summer seasons hard palate (Restrepo 1973), and possible onychomycosis from 2012 to 2014, from the Boulevard of Liberation (Bu- (Kligman 1950) in both immuno-competent and immuno- levar oslobodjenja) to the Danube River (1 - Mihailo Pupin suppressed hosts. Although it is sometimes difficult to evalu- Boulevard, 2 - Maksim Gorki street, 3 - Radnička street, ate the significance of isolation of Sch. commune from clinical and 4 - Tsar Lazar Boulevard). In addition to these streets, specimens (Kligman 1950; Greer 1977), there have been a the health conditions of trees in the Danube park (DP) and number of well-documented reports, especially involving the University campus park (UP) was monitored, with the the nasal mucosa, hard palate, and lung (Catalano et al. 1990; intention to determine the species of trees affected by Sch. Rosenthal 1992; Buzina et al. 2003). To date, all confirmed commune (Figure 1). cases of Sch. commune infection have been based on isolates Individual visual inspection of the trees was used to which form characteristic fruiting bodies in culture. Addi- determine their health condition. The presence of pests and tional features which enable identification of an isolate as overall health status was assessed, ranging from healthy Sch. commune include narrow hyphal pegs or spicules (Cata- young trees, at-risk trees with partially damaged trunks and lano et al.