Matvey Abramovich Litvinov - leading mycologist of the Former Soviet Union. He was born in Baku (Azerbaijan) on 1 March 1908 in the family of office worker.
In 1924-1929 studied at the First Leningrad Medical Institute. After graduating from the Institute he worked as a physician of Moscow-Belorussia Railway in Rzhev. The year later M.A. Litvinov started his postgraduate study at the Institute of Microbiology of the USSR Academy of Sciences and worked under supervision of outstanding soviet microbiologist and mycologist G.A. Nadson.
In 1936 M.A. Litvinov finished postgraduate study and in 1937 defended his PhD thesis "The influence of drying on Saccharomyces cerevisiae". Then he continued to work at the Institute of Microbiology of the USSR Academy of Sciences as a scientist.
In 1938 M.A. Litvinov, because of reorganization of the Institute of Microbiology, was moved to the Botanical Institute as a senior scientist of the Department of Cryptogamic Plants and worked there under direction of the leading uredinologist V.G. Tranzschel. In 1939 M.A. Litvinov got do locum an appointment of deputy director of the Institute. Moreover, since 1938 till 1941 he fulfilled the duties of executive secretary of the journal "Soviet Botany".
From the first days of the Great Patriotic war M.A. Litvinov went to the front as a physician. M.A. Litvinov finished his service in the Army in July 1946 as a major of medicine service. For his services at the front he was awarded the Order of Red Star and medals. After returning to Leningrad in July 1946, M.A. Litvinov began to work as a senior scientist at the Botanical Institute and continued to work at this Institute till the end of his life.
These years were the most fruitful for M.A. Litvinov from the scientific point of view. M.A. Litvinov worked on problems of fungal systematics and their practical use. In August 1963 he was designated as a head of Mycological Laboratory of the Department of Lower Plants of BIN and held this post for his last days.
His scientific career M.A. Litvinov started with investigation of variability of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The special attention he paid to forming of races under the influence of drying. In a course of these investigations M.A. Litvinov isolated two new yeast forms, which were able to develop on synthetic substrates with xylose. He also isolated high-yielding yeast, able to grow on straw hydrolysates. They were recommended as valuable forage for domestic animals.
After moving to the Botanical Institute, M.A. Litvinov began to study rust fungi under guidance of V.G. Tranzschel. Together with V.G. Tranzschel he revised taxonomy of genus Trachyspora, Triphragmium and Tranzschelia. Simultaneously M.A. Litvinov investigated the influence of emanation of radium on morphological and biological characteristics of fungus Puccinia triticina. Thus, M.A. Litvinov right after his teacher G.A. Nadson became one of the first mycologists, who studied the influence of radioactive emanation on genetic features of fungus.
After the Great Patriotic war M.A. Litvinov began to study lower fungi, including soil micromycetes. The special attention he paid to taxonomy of Phycomycetae. The results of these investigations were presented in such scientific works: "Materials to investigation of Archimycetes of freshwater reservoirs of Latvia" (1953) and "To taxonomy of genus Olpidium (Braun.) Rabenhorst" (1959). M.A. Litvinov was also interested in theoretical questions of fungi taxonomy and published on the basis of his investigations the work "About species criterium in Chytridiales" (1958).
At the same time M.A. Litvinov commenced on methodical research of soil micromycetes. This ecological group attracted his attention as far back as at pre-war times. So, in 1936 he published the article "Microbiological characteristic of rhizosphere of cultivated plants". His observations on soil fungi M.A. Litvinov carried out mainly in deserts of Central Asia, especially in Turkmenia, where he worked as a member of complex expedition of the Botanical Institute.
M.A. Litvinov was one of the first mycologists, who showed interest in problems of new branch of biological science - biocoenology, which in the 1950s was developing by leading soviet botanists - Academicians V.N. Sukachev and E.M. Lavrenko. During this period he wrote such articles: "On ways of generating and dispersion of microscopic fungi on takyrs" (1954), "Biocoenoses of soil microscopic fungion takyrs of different developmental stages" (1956) and others. Investigation of fungi as components of phyto- and biocoenoses has become the favourite scientific subject of M.A. Litvinov for all his life.
At the same time M.A. Litvinov showed a large interest also in flora and taxonomy of soil fungi. The results of investigations in this field were summarized in the book "Guide for identification of soil microscopic fungi " (1967), which was defended as a Doctor's thesis. This book was highly appreciated by leading Soviet mycologists and played the important role in development of soil mycology. This book was also of interest for foreign colleagues (see dictionary: Ainsworth, 1971). It contains materials, which greatly amplify those, presented in monograph of Gilman (1957). During all his life M.A. Litvinov paid special attention to fungi of rhizosphere of autotrophic plants. In 1967 he published an article "To the problem of specific flora of rhizospheric and near-root fungi". He demonstrated, that fungi dwelling in root sphere, form peculiar microecological groups, which play a great role in the life both single plants and phytocoenoses in a whole. Basing on obtained data, M.A. Litvinov developed the theory dealing with role of rhizosphere-root micromycetes in plant resistance against infection.
Last period of his scientific activity M.A. Litvinov devoted to investigation of aquatic and, first of all oceanic fungi. In this connexion he twice worked at the Station North Pole and also took part in two transatlantic expeditions. In his publications, M.A. Litvinov proved the division of oceanic fungi into really aquatic ones and organisms brought in this environment from coastal soils by river and air currents.
A number of works of M.A. Litvinov dealt with methods of mycological investigations. The most famous and fundamental are "Methods of investigation of soil microscopic fungi" (1969) and "Methods of investigation of microscopic fungi of freshwater and salt (sea) reservoirs" (co-author: I.A. Dudka, 1975).
Along with merely academic investigations M.A. Litvinov carried on studies, which were of practical value for national economy. So, at pre-war time he worked with high-yield strains of yeast to receive the most nutritive forage for domestic animals. After the war he took a great interest in antibiotics, extracted from the higher fungi and especially from lichens. The last investigations of M.A. Litvinov (in co-authorship with V.P. Sapovich, V.F. Kuprevich and E. N. Moiseeva) were particularly fruitful: they got excellent antibiotic preparation "BINAN", which became customary in medicine practice in the 1960s. Other works of M.A. Litvinov on antibiotics were also appreciated and applied to practice - he had numerous inventor certificates proving it.
Since 1963 M. A. Litvinov with colleagues of Mycological Laboratory studied agents of Verticillium wilt of cotton and other plants of Central Asia. The main attention he paid to specification of systematic position of these pests. Simultaneously he studied their cytology, variation, and relationships with soil fungi and actinomycetes.
In 1972 at BIN were initiated investigations of fungi, which caused the destroying of industrial materials. M.A. Litvinov headed the group of scientists dealt with this problem. Special attention was paid to fungi, damaging metals and plastic. The importance of these investigations both for science and economy was doubtless.
M.A. Litvinov was one of the founders of journal Mycology & Phytopathology, and since 1966 till the end of his life he was deputy editor-in-chief of this organ. Due to tireless activity of M.A. Litvinov the journal became far-famed not only in the USSR but also abroad. Actively participating in the work of Scientific Council on problem "Biological fundamentals of rational use, transformation and conservation of plant world", M.A. Litvinov organized mycological investigations all over the USSR.
He also made a great contribution to the development of the Mycological Laboratory of BIN. Suffice it to mention that during the period of his direction, its staff increased from 8 to 25 persons. The research area of the Laboratory has also been widening.
M.A. Litvinov died during a session of the Academic Council of Komarov Botanical Institute on 30 March 1977.
This page is a brief synoposis of an article about M.A. Litvinov written by B.A. Tomilina and I.N. Babushkina. In commemoration of Matvey Abramovich Litvinov (1908-1977) Mycology & Phytopathology 12 (1): 86-93, 1978.
Lists. Publications. Kirk & Ansell form of name: M.A. Litv.
