with iodine. The flesh is white, with a taste reminiscent of radishes, and turns bright yellow with sodium hydroxide. This fungus highlights the danger of picking immature fungi as it resembles the edible mushrooms Agaricus arvensis and A. campestris, and the puffballs (Lycoperdon spp.) before the caps have opened and the gills have become visible. The ability to be peeled has been taken as a sign of edibility in mushrooming, which is a potentially lethal mistake in this species. It is unclear why this fungus, which more closely resembles edible species, has been implicated in fewer deaths than the death cap, though its rarity may contribute to this. Distribution and habitat Amanita virosa is found in mixed woodland, especially in association with beech, on mossy ground in summer and autumn. Most Amanita species form ectomycorrhizal relationships with the roots of certain trees. Toxicity Amanita virosa is highly toxic, and has been responsible for severe mushroom poisonings. Like the closely related death cap (A. phalloides), it contains the highly toxic amatoxins, as well as phallotoxins. Some authorities strongly advise against putting these fungi in the same basket with those collected for the table and to avoid touching them. Amatoxins consist of at least eight compounds with a similar structure, that of eight amino-acid rings; they were isolated in 1941 by Heinrich O. Wieland and Rudolf Hallermayer of the University of Munich. Of the amatoxins, α-Amanitin is the chief component and along with β-Amanitin is likely responsible for the toxic effects. Their major toxic mechanism is the inhibition of RNA polymerase II, a vital enzyme in the synthesis of messenger RNA (mRNA), microRNA, and small nuclear RNA (snRNA). Without mRNA essential protein synthesis and hence cell metabolism grind to a halt and the cell dies. The liver is the principal organ affected, as it is the organ which is first encountered after absorption in the gastrointestinal tract, though other organs, especially the kidneys, are susceptible. The phallotoxins consist of at least seven compounds, all of which have seven similar peptide rings. Phalloidin was isolated in 1937 by Feodor Lynen, Heinrich Wieland's student and son-in-law, and Ulrich Wieland of the University of Munich. Though phallotoxins are highly toxic to liver cells, they have since been found to have little input into the destroying angel's toxicity as they are not absorbed through the gut. Furthermore, phalloidin is also found in the edible (and sought-after)