A survey of 1488 records of myxomycetes found within a mountain taiga-dry steppe vegetation gradient has identified 161 species and 41 genera from the southeastern Altay mountains and adjacent territories of the high Ob' river basin. Of these, 130 species were seen or collected in the field and 59 species were recorded from moist chamber cultures. Data analysis based on the species accumulation curve estimates that 75-83% of the total species richness has been recorded, among which 118 species are classified as rare (frequency < 0.5%) and 7 species as abundant (> 3% of all records). Among the 120 first species records for the Altay Mts. are 6 new records for Russia. The southeastern Altay taiga community assemblages appear highly similar to other taiga regions in Siberia but differ considerably from those documented from arid regions.

The article reviews of antiviral properties of two species of fungi from the Novosibirsk Region of the genus Pleurotus. Fruit bodies and cultivated mycelium of Pleurotus ostreatus and P. pulmonarius are a promising source of extracts with polysaccharides, possessing antiviral and anti-cancer properties.

A new Echinostelium novozhilovii species from Northern Asia is described and illustrated. The species was collected in the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug-Yugra, Russia. This new species clearly differs from the previously known species by several morphological characters. Its sporocarps have very large dimensions of 700–2500 µm tall, which exceed the dimensions of E. minutum (up to 500 µm tall). Its spores are the biggest among all known species of the Echinostelium genus with 20–25(30) µm in diameter. Its columella consists of several spore-like bodies. We present a scanning electron micrograph study of E. novozhilovii and an updated identification key for species of the Echinostelium genus worldwide, which currently includes 15 taxa. Holotype specimen of E. novozhilovii is deposited in NSK. It is the first new species for the Echinostelium genus since 1997.

The article reviews medicinal properties of Cantharellus cibarius. Fruiting bodies of this species are a promising source of extracts with vitamins, carbohydrates, proteins, polysaccharides, sterols, phenolic acids, which various biological properties.