Jack o'lantern mushroom
Encyclopedia
Omphalotus olearius, commonly known as the jack-o'-lantern mushroom, is an orange- to yellow
-gill mushroom
that to an untrained eye appears similar to some chanterelle
s, and is most notable for its bioluminescent
properties. Unlike the chanterelle, the Jack o'Lantern mushroom is poison
ous. While not lethal, consuming this mushroom leads to very severe cramp
s, vomiting
, and diarrhea
. Complicating its toxicity is the fact that it smells and looks very appealing, to the extent that there are reports of repeat poisonings from individuals who were tempted to try them a second time.
becomes dark-adapted
. The whole mushroom doesn't glow — only the gills do so. This is due to an enzyme
, called luciferase
, acting upon a compound called luciferin
, leading to the emission of light much as fireflies
do when glowing.
The similarly poisonous mushroom Tsukiyotake (Omphalotus japonicus (Kawam.) Kirchm. & O.K. Mill., also known as Lampteromyces japonicus (Kawam.) Sing.), found in Japan
and eastern Asia
, emits light similar to that of the Jack o'Lantern mushroom and contains the same poison, illudin
. It was confirmed in 2003 that Tsukiyotake is a relative of the Jack o'Lantern mushroom. The poisonous Western Jack o'Lantern mushroom (Omphalotus olivascens
), abundant from southern to central California
, is also similar to the chanterelle, but can be distinguished, as its flesh is never white.
was isolated from Omphalotus illudens. Inside the cells of the body, it reacts with DNA and creates a type of DNA damage that blocks the transcription
process. This block can only be relieved by a repair system called nucleotide excision repair
. Damages in non-transcribed DNA areas are left unrepaired by the cell. This property was exploited by the company MGI Pharma to develop an illudin-derivative called Irofulven
for use as an anti-cancer medicine. Its application is still in the experimental phase.
Yellow
Yellow is the color evoked by light that stimulates both the L and M cone cells of the retina about equally, with no significant stimulation of the S cone cells. Light with a wavelength of 570–590 nm is yellow, as is light with a suitable mixture of red and green...
-gill mushroom
Mushroom
A mushroom is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or on its food source. The standard for the name "mushroom" is the cultivated white button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus; hence the word "mushroom" is most often applied to those fungi that...
that to an untrained eye appears similar to some chanterelle
Cantharellus
Cantharellus is a genus of popular edible mushrooms, commonly known as chanterelles . They are mycorrhizal fungi, meaning they form symbiotic associations with plants, making them very difficult to cultivate...
s, and is most notable for its bioluminescent
Bioluminescence
Bioluminescence is the production and emission of light by a living organism. Its name is a hybrid word, originating from the Greek bios for "living" and the Latin lumen "light". Bioluminescence is a naturally occurring form of chemiluminescence where energy is released by a chemical reaction in...
properties. Unlike the chanterelle, the Jack o'Lantern mushroom is poison
Poison
In the context of biology, poisons are substances that can cause disturbances to organisms, usually by chemical reaction or other activity on the molecular scale, when a sufficient quantity is absorbed by an organism....
ous. While not lethal, consuming this mushroom leads to very severe cramp
Cramp
Cramps are unpleasant, often painful sensations caused by muscle contraction or over shortening. Common causes of skeletal muscle cramps include muscle fatigue, low sodium, and low potassium...
s, vomiting
Vomiting
Vomiting is the forceful expulsion of the contents of one's stomach through the mouth and sometimes the nose...
, and diarrhea
Diarrhea
Diarrhea , also spelled diarrhoea, is the condition of having three or more loose or liquid bowel movements per day. It is a common cause of death in developing countries and the second most common cause of infant deaths worldwide. The loss of fluids through diarrhea can cause dehydration and...
. Complicating its toxicity is the fact that it smells and looks very appealing, to the extent that there are reports of repeat poisonings from individuals who were tempted to try them a second time.
Description
The Jack o'Lantern mushroom's fruiting body (its stem and cap) is an orange color. Its bioluminescence, a blue-green color, is only observable in low light conditions when the eyeHuman eye
The human eye is an organ which reacts to light for several purposes. As a conscious sense organ, the eye allows vision. Rod and cone cells in the retina allow conscious light perception and vision including color differentiation and the perception of depth...
becomes dark-adapted
Adaptation (eye)
In ocular physiology, adaptation is the ability of the eye to adjust to various levels of darkness and light.-Efficacy:The human eye can function from very dark to very bright levels of light; its sensing capabilities reach across nine orders of magnitude. This means that the brightest and the...
. The whole mushroom doesn't glow — only the gills do so. This is due to an enzyme
Enzyme
Enzymes are proteins that catalyze chemical reactions. In enzymatic reactions, the molecules at the beginning of the process, called substrates, are converted into different molecules, called products. Almost all chemical reactions in a biological cell need enzymes in order to occur at rates...
, called luciferase
Luciferase
Luciferase is a generic term for the class of oxidative enzymes used in bioluminescence and is distinct from a photoprotein. One famous example is the firefly luciferase from the firefly Photinus pyralis. "Firefly luciferase" as a laboratory reagent usually refers to P...
, acting upon a compound called luciferin
Luciferin
Luciferins are a class of light-emitting biological pigments found in organisms that cause bioluminescence...
, leading to the emission of light much as fireflies
Firefly
Lampyridae is a family of insects in the beetle order Coleoptera. They are winged beetles, and commonly called fireflies or lightning bugs for their conspicuous crepuscular use of bioluminescence to attract mates or prey. Fireflies produce a "cold light", with no infrared or ultraviolet frequencies...
do when glowing.
Similar species
Unlike the chanterelles, the Jack o'Lantern has true, sharp, non-forking gills; this is possibly the simplest trait for distinguishing between the two. Furthermore, if the Jack o'Lantern's stem is peeled, the inside is orange, while the chanterelle is a paler white on the inside stem.The similarly poisonous mushroom Tsukiyotake (Omphalotus japonicus (Kawam.) Kirchm. & O.K. Mill., also known as Lampteromyces japonicus (Kawam.) Sing.), found in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and eastern Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, emits light similar to that of the Jack o'Lantern mushroom and contains the same poison, illudin
Illudin
The illudins are a family of sesquiterpenes with antitumor antibiotic properties produced by some mushrooms. In their isolated form, illudins show selective toxicity for myelocytic leukemia and other carcinoma cells....
. It was confirmed in 2003 that Tsukiyotake is a relative of the Jack o'Lantern mushroom. The poisonous Western Jack o'Lantern mushroom (Omphalotus olivascens
Omphalotus olivascens
Omphalotus olivascens, commonly known as the western jack-o'-lantern mushroom, is an orange to brown-colored gilled mushroom native to California and Mexico. To an untrained eye, O. olivascens appears similar to some chanterelles, but unlike the chanterelle, the jack o'lantern mushroom is poisonous...
), abundant from southern to central California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, is also similar to the chanterelle, but can be distinguished, as its flesh is never white.
Research and medicine
The poisonous chemical compound illudinIlludin
The illudins are a family of sesquiterpenes with antitumor antibiotic properties produced by some mushrooms. In their isolated form, illudins show selective toxicity for myelocytic leukemia and other carcinoma cells....
was isolated from Omphalotus illudens. Inside the cells of the body, it reacts with DNA and creates a type of DNA damage that blocks the transcription
Transcription (genetics)
Transcription is the process of creating a complementary RNA copy of a sequence of DNA. Both RNA and DNA are nucleic acids, which use base pairs of nucleotides as a complementary language that can be converted back and forth from DNA to RNA by the action of the correct enzymes...
process. This block can only be relieved by a repair system called nucleotide excision repair
Nucleotide excision repair
Nucleotide excision repair is a DNA repair mechanism. DNA constantly requires repair due to damage that can occur to bases from a vast variety of sources including chemicals, radiation and other mutagens...
. Damages in non-transcribed DNA areas are left unrepaired by the cell. This property was exploited by the company MGI Pharma to develop an illudin-derivative called Irofulven
Irofulven
Irofulven or 6-hydroxymethylacylfulvene is an antitumor agent. It belongs to the family of drugs called alkylating agents.It inhibits the replication of DNA....
for use as an anti-cancer medicine. Its application is still in the experimental phase.
External links
- AmericanMushrooms.com: Jack O'Lantern Mushroom
- Tom Volk's Fungus of the Month October 1997
- commons:Category:Omphalotus olearius