Clonal evolution and genome stability in a 2,500-year-old fungal individual

Abstract

In the late 1980s, a genetic individual of the fungus Armillaria gallica that extended over at least 37 hectares of forest floor and encompassed hundreds of tree root systems was discovered on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Based on observed growth rates, the individual was estimated to be at least 1500 years old with a mass of more than 105 kg. Nearly three decades on, we returned to the site of individual for new sampling. We report here that the same genetic individual of A. gallica is still alive on its original site, but we estimated that it is older and larger than originally estimated, at least 2,500 years and 4 x 105 kg, respectively. We also show that mutation has occurred within the somatic cells of the individual, reflecting its historical pattern of growth from a single point. The overall rate of mutation, however, was extremely low. The large individual of A. gallica has been remarkably resistant to genomic change as it has persisted in place.