Mycologia最新文献

The genus Nucleophaga comprises poorly studied intranuclear parasites that infect amoebae. Currently classified within the phylum Rozellomycota, this genus belongs among numerous lineages with unresolved taxonomic positions, primarily identified through metagenomic studies. Three species of Nucleophaga were described at the morphological and molecular levels-N. amoebae, N. terricolae, and N. striatae, all isolated in Europe. Here, we report the discovery of a fourth species of the genus, isolated from the Far East of Russia, infecting nuclei of Thecamoeba sp. A detailed light microscopic study revealed several remarkable morphological features of this organism. For the first time, the division of Nucleophaga plasmodium was illustrated. Experimental infections demonstrated that Thecamoeba quadrilineata and T. foliovenanda can support the development of the parasite, whereas Nucleophaga showed abnormal development in T. onigiri and was unable to survive in T. vumurta. Phylogenetic analysis, based on the nuc 18S rRNA gene sequences, placed the new isolate as a distinct lineage within the genus Nucleophaga. Based on its molecular characteristics, the studied isolate was described as a new species, Nucleophaga amutiana.

We investigated the extent of recombination among isolates of Beauveria bassiana s.l. to assess whether gene flow occurs among them in nature and infer whether non-outcrossing populations may represent cryptic species. We sequenced and assembled genomes of 14 isolates collected from soil in Queensland, Australia, and each was genotyped at their mating type locus. We reconstructed a phylogeny from sequences of B. bassiana available on the National Center for Biotechnology Information Sequence Read Archive (NCBI SRA) database and those generated in this study. The isolates from Queensland sequenced in this study form a distinct clade relative to the isolates from other countries on NCBI, and they separated into four genetic groups with high pairwise F_ST values between them. One of these groups had both MAT1-1 and MAT1-2 mating types, but the other three each had only a single mating type. We crossed isolates from the different genetic groups on Sabouraud dextrose agar yeast extract (SDAY) solid medium and used vegetative compatibility and the production of sexual structures as measures of whether sexual or parasexual recombination is likely to occur in nature. Vegetative compatibility was found within genetic groups when opposite mating types were crossed, with the production of synnemata and perithecia-like structures. However, sexual structures (perithecia, asci, or ascospores) did not develop. Isolates from the different genetic groups were not vegetatively compatible when crossed. We used analyses of linkage disequilibrium to test for evidence of past recombination among the Queensland genetic groups. Two of them had low indices of association and were reticulate in network analyses, which supports recombination (and therefore sexual or parasexual reproduction) within these two genetic groups, but we found no evidence for recombination among the four genetic groups. Our results indicate that B. bassiana is a diverse complex of multiple cryptic species.

Diaporthe species are frequently reported as endophytes on mangroves. These species are also known pathogens affecting several important hosts worldwide, but have yet to be explored as pathogens in mangrove environments. In this study, symptomatic leaves and stems of several mangrove species were collected from mangrove forests and estuaries in Thailand. Forty-five Diaporthe strains were isolated from symptomatic leaves and stems of various mangrove species, associated with leaf spots and stem cankers, respectively. A polyphasic identification approach, comprising morphological, multilocus phylogenetic analyses (ITS, TEF1-α, TUB2, CAL, and HIS3), and pairwise homoplasy index tests, identified two new species complexes, 10 Diaporthe species belonging to three sections (Eres, Foeniculina, and Sojae). This included D. mayteni species complex, D. tanakae species complex, three novel species: Diaporthe mangroviorum, D. narathiwatensis, and D. rhizophoracearum, as well as 19 new host-pathogen associations for D. arecae, D. azadirachtae, D. biconispora, D. charlesworthii, D. siamensis, D. ueckeri, and D. vitimegaspora, and two new geographic records for D. azadirachtae and D. charlesworthii. Pathogenicity was confirmed on their original mangrove hosts using detached leaf assays, showing varying levels of pathogenicity. We also present evidence supporting synonymizing of D. eleutharrhenae, D. pseudobauhiniae, D. xishuangbannaensis, and D. yunnanensis with D. vitimegaspora. Furthermore, the taxonomic placement and identity of previously reported mangrove endophytic Diaporthe species have been updated. Based on this and previous studies, a total of 93 strains belonging to 16 Diaporthe species are associated with mangrove species. The findings of this study gave us a more holistic understanding of the Diaporthe species associated with mangroves, their lifestyles, etiology, and host range.

Lasius fuliginosus, a fungus-growing ant species distributed across Europe, hosts various fungi inside its carton nests in trees, including the nest fungus SP1 of the order Chaetothyriales, as well as the nest fungi SP5 and SP4 of the order Venturiales. The goal of this study was to gain a better understanding of the fungal interactions inside the L. fuliginosus nests as well as of potential interactions around the nests, including the effects of Armillaria mellea-a root-rot fungus infecting potential host trees. We performed two types of confrontation experiments on Petri dishes between the isolated nest fungi and A. mellea. Firstly, using de Wit experiments, we tested the fungal species in pairwise combinations at three different initial confrontation concentrations. Secondly, a linear confrontation setup focused on differences in directional growth of the fungal species in pairwise combinations as well as on the development of A. mellea rhizomorphs. For the fungi SP1, SP5, and SP4, we found positive influences on each other (SP1 on SP5, SP4 on SP1 and SP5, and SP5 on SP1) alongside no influence (SP1 on SP4, SP5 on SP4). SP1 had a significantly negative impact on the surface growth and directional growth of A. mellea, and SP5 triggered the strongest rhizomorph development of A. mellea, possibly a stress reaction of the root-rot fungus. Armillaria mellea did not negatively impact any of the nest fungi and even promoted the surface growth of SP1. The de Wit setup and the linear setup turned out to be complementary and together facilitated first insights into potential roles of the nest fungi in this association of ants and fungi in trees. Follow-up studies will need to assess how these findings under Petri dish conditions transfer to conditions in natural habitat, in the presence of both the ant and the tree host.

Coltricia (Hymenochaetales, Hymenochaetaceae) is a cosmopolitan group of wood-inhabiting fungi known for its ecological role in nutrient cycling and ectomycorrhizal associations, particularly in tropical ecosystems. Species diversity of Coltricia in tropical West Africa is poorly explored, with only four species previously documented from the region. Recent field surveys were conducted in Benin, Guinea, and Togo, leading to the collection of six Coltricia specimens. Through a combination of morphological and molecular analyses, two new species, Coltricia langeri and Coltricia mosseboi, were identified and described. Phylogenetic analyses based on sequence data of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), large subunit ribosomal DNA (28S), and translation elongation factor 1-alpha (EF1α) regions confirmed the placement of these new species within Coltricia. Our results also revealed the polyphyletic nature of Coltricia and its close relationship with Coltriciella, challenging current generic boundaries. A dichotomous key to the six Coltricia species now known from tropical Africa is provided. This study expands the known diversity of Coltricia in Africa to six, contributing to the understanding of fungal diversity in tropical forests. The discovery of these new species highlights the need for further exploration and conservation of fungal species in West African ecosystems.

The eighth part of a series devoted to the phylogeny and taxonomy of powdery mildews is presented. In this part, the general phylogeny and taxonomy of the genus Podosphaera are treated, including a new division of this genus into sections: Podosphaera sect. Podosphaera, Podosphaera sect. Magnicellulatae, comb. nov. and the reintroduced Podosphaera sect. Tridactyla. Sect. Podosphaera consists of two morphologically deviating subsections (Podosphaera and Sphaerotheca). Subsect. Podosphaera consists of species that have apically dichotomously branched chasmothecial appendages, whereas subsect. Sphaerotheca consists of species with unbranched, mycelioid chasmothecial appendages. These subsections are not monophyletic and thus are based solely on morphology. The phylogeny and taxonomy of species of sect. Tridactyla are treated based on ITS+28S data. New primers for the protein-coding genes glutamine synthetase (GS), RNA polymerase II subunit B (RPB2), and β-tubulin (TUB2) are generated for the genus Podosphaera and provided as a resource for future research. A representative multilocus tree for the entire genus, including all sections, is presented. Additionally, the new combination Podosphaera brayana is introduced. This name has priority over Po. ampla. Erysiphe brayana is lecto- and epitypified, and a lectotype is designated for Sphaerotheca phytoptophila. The present analyses aim to provide resources for future research evaluating powdery mildews of the genus Podosphaera and, in particular, Podosphaera sect. Tridactyla.

Chanterelles (genus Cantharellus) are ectomycorrhizal fungi associated with a broad host range of trees. We explored Cantharellus diversity in mixed oak forests across 12 counties in Virginia and constructed a multilocus phylogeny including large ribosomal subunit (28S), transcription elongation factor 1-alpha (tef1), and RNA polymerase II (rpb2) sequences from all known temperate species of Cantharellus. Habitat and morphological attributes, including spore size, shape, and color, were compared with described species. In total, 104 sequences from 31 specimen vouchers were generated and 11 taxa identified, including one new species, C. sabuletorum from sandy Quercus-Pinus forests of Chesapeake Bay and north-central Florida. This study also provides evidence of genetic and color variation within C. cinnabarinus and expands the known distribution of C. altipes, C. appalachiensis, C. flavolateritius, C. lateritius, C. lewisii, C. minor, C. tenuithrix complex, C. vicinus, and C. velutinus in the eastern United States.

Metapochonia bulbillosa (Clavicipitaceae) was identified as the causative agent of a novel mycosis affecting Pelophylax porosus brevipodus, an endangered frog species in Japan. Analyses of spontaneous disease outbreaks and experimental infections confirmed that the fungus can cause lethal infections in both Pelophylax porosus brevipodus and Dryophytes japonicus. This study provides the first evidence that a member of the Clavicipitaceae, a family previously known primarily for plant and insect pathogens, can also cause disease in amphibians.

During a survey of fungi associated with Cyperaceae plants in northern and northwestern Iran, three previously undescribed species belonging to Alternaria section Nimbya were identified and characterized. These new species, namely, Alternaria azarbaijanica, A. caspica, and A. eleocharidis, spp. nov. were examined using a combination of morphological traits, cultural features, and molecular data. Remarkably, all three species produced both sexual and asexual morphs under laboratory conditions, providing rare insights into reproductive modes within Alternaria, where sexual morphs are rarely observed. Phylogenetic analyses based on five gene regions (ITS-rDNA, GAPDH, TEF1, RPB2, and Alt a 1) clarified their evolutionary relationships and supported species delimitation. Phylogenetic trees constructed using maximum likelihood, maximum parsimony, and Bayesian inference consistently resolved each species as a distinct monophyletic lineage within Alternaria section Nimbya. These findings reveal previously unrecognized Alternaria diversity on Cyperaceae hosts and underscore the value of combining morphological observations with multilocus phylogenetic approaches to resolve taxonomic complexities in Alternaria.

The taxonomy of chalara-like anamorphs in Leotiomycetes was recently thoroughly redefined. Due to the morphological simplicity of these species, emphasis was given on monophyletic generic concepts defined based on rDNA. In our follow-up study, we revised the taxonomic classification of selected chalara-like fungi in the families Hamatocanthoscyphaceae and Pezizellaceae. We examined our isolates of chalara-like anamorphs and collections of discomycete teleomorphs from coniferous litter in Europe, along with a revision of related fungarium collections. We performed phylogenetic analyses based on data sets consisting of the internal transcribed spacer region ITS1-5.8S-ITS2, partial 28S nuc rDNA, and fragments of genes encoding either translation elongation factor 1α or RNA polymerase II second largest subunit. Our phylogenetic analyses showed that the inclusion of teleomorphs is essential for proper naming of the holomorphic species. In Hamatocanthoscyphaceae, we propose to synonymize the monotypic genus Chalarodendron with the recently erected genus Stipitochalara. Further, we provide evidence of Infundichalara microchona being the anamorph of Ciliolarina ligniseda. The anamorph for Hamatocanthoscypha laricionis, the type species of Hamatocanthoscypha, is also documented. Several sequences obtained from collections identified as H. laricionis were distantly placed in the phylogeny, indicating that a thorough revision of the genus is needed and its relationship with Constrictochalara and Xenochalara should be explored. In Pezizellaceae, we reveal the anamorph-teleomorph connection between Calycina (=Chalara) fungorum and Calycina subtilis and propose to synonymize Nagrajchalara angustata with N. inflatipes. Calycina (=Chalara) brevispora should be excluded from Leotiomycetes; molecular data from a recently obtained isolate showed that this fungus should be placed in Chalarina (Chaetosphaericaceae, Chaetosphaeriales, Sordariomycetes).