Mycology最新文献

During a survey of saprobic fungi on medicinal plants in Southwestern China, thirty-nine hyphomycetous collections belonging to Dictyosporiaceae, Melanommataceae, and Stachybotryaceae were identified, representing nineteen distinct species. These taxa were characterised and identified based on morphological and culture characteristics, coupled with phylogenetic analyses of combined sequences of calmodulin (cmdA), the internal transcribed spacer region of ribosomal DNA (ITS), nuclear large subunit ribosomal DNA (LSU), RNA polymerase second-largest subunit (rpb2), the translation elongation factor 1-alpha (tef1-α), and β-tubulin (tub2). Twelve novel species are described, including Camposporium alangii, C. polygoni, Dendryphiella verrucosispora, Jalapriya cheirospora, Memnoniella cnidiicola, M. guttulatispora, M. reniformis, M. reynoutriae, M. verrucosispora, Sirastachys aspidistrae, Sir. ellipsoidispora, and Striatibotrys biguttulatispora. Additionally, three new host records, M. alishanensis, Sir. castanedae, and Stachybotrys chartarum, and four new hosts and geographical records of M. ellipsoidea, M. pseudonilagirica, Str. rhabdospora, and Virgatospora echinofibrosa are reported. Memnoniella nilagirica is revised and synonymised under M. pseudonilagirica. Key morphological characteristics, hosts specificity, and distributional data of Memnoniella, Sirastachys, and Striatibotrys were summarised. This study provides comprehensive illustrations, descriptions, and notes for each new taxon and record, marking the first report of these species from medicinal plants.

During the course of our ongoing study of the diversity of Thai fungi and their secondary metabolites, numerous specimens within the Hypoxylaceae have been characterised by traditional morphology, chemotaxonomy using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to diode array detection and ion mobility tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-DAD-IM-MS/MS), and molecular phylogenetic analyses. MS/MS-based analysis of the major stromatal metabolites of a newly identified taxon, Hypoxylon luteogranulatum, indicated the production of distinct compounds compared to the azaphilone and binaphthalene pigments commonly found in the Hypoxylaceae, aside from the presence of the chemotaxonomic marker binaphthalene tetrol (BNT). Further analysis suggested that one of the major metabolites had the molecular formula C₁₃H₁₃NO₃, identical to hypoxyvermelhotin A, a yellow pigment so far exclusively found in Hypoxylon lechatii. Its identity was confirmed after purification by preparative high-performance liquid chromatography with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) data, and genome analysis of H. lechatii revealed the presence of different hybrid polyketide synthases-non-ribosomal peptide synthetases (PKS-NRPS) hybrid clusters. Despite chemotaxonomic similarities with H. lechatii, we propose a new species, which is morphologically distinct from H. lechatii. Our molecular phylogenetic study provides substantial evidence distinguishing H. luteogranulatum clearly from H. lechatii and allied members within the Hypoxylaceae. Additionally, future studies are needed to better understand the ecological behaviour of H. luteogranulatum and identify the ecological role of the vermelhotin-like molecules within this putative interaction.

Meruliaceae is one of the three major families of the phlebioid clade in the Polyporales that consists primarily of wood-decaying species. We undertook an in-depth survey on species diversity, generic delimitations, phylogeny, and divergence times within the Meruliaceae with an emphasis on specimens from East Asia. In total, 26 genera including two new genera, Meruliella and Porophlebia, are recognised; ten new species, viz. Crustodontia vietnamensis, Luteochaete odontoidea, Meruliella hainanensis, Merulius pinicola, Mycoacia beijingensis, Phlebiporia crystallifera, P. odontoidea, Pseudophlebia vesiculosa, Scopuloides ellipsoidea, and S. grandinioides are introduced; eleven new combinations, viz. Allophlebia formosana, Aurantiopileus albidus, A. semisupina, Meruliella lindtneri, Merulius croceum, M. leptospermi, M. serialis, Phlebicolorata austroasiana, Phlebiodontia caspica, P. fissurata and Porophlebia fimbriata, and one new name, Mycoacia neotuberculata, are proposed. Noblesia is placed as a synonymy of Merulius, whereas Ceriporiopsis and Lilaceophlebia are accepted as synonyms of Mycoacia. Descriptions and illustrations are provided for the new genera and species, and discussions are provided for all 26 genera and new taxa. The molecular clock analysis results show that the Meruliaceae emerged with a mean stem age of 186.71 Mya of the early Jurassic, and the genera diverged with a mean stem age between 44.29 to 169.46 Mya.

Acquired resistance in Candida albicans brings about a serious challenge to the clinical application of azoles, so it is urgent to elucidate the mechanisms of azole resistance to improve the therapeutic efficiency. In the aim of searching for the potential targets mediating fluconazole resistance, we screened a mutant library of 48 transcription factor deletion Candida albicans strains. The screening results showed that hap2Δ/Δ mutants were significantly more susceptible to azoles, especially to miconazole (MCZ). Under MCZ treatment, the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) were significantly higher in hap2Δ/Δ mutants compared to the control strain SN250. The addition of antioxidants reversed the MCZ-sensitive phenotype caused by the deletion of HAP2. Consistently, the expression of antioxidases responsible for scavenging ROS was shown to decrease in hap2Δ/Δ mutants, suggesting that the transcription factor Hap2p is involved in the regulation of oxidative stress responses in C. albicans. In addition, HAP2 deficiency also resulted in impaired mitochondrial function and affected cellular energy supply, which may be related to the iron deficiency regulated by HAP complex. HAP2 disruption also decreased efflux-mediated resistance of C. albicans, as demonstrated by a significant decrease in Cdr1p expression and a slight decrease in Mdr1p expression in hap2Δ/Δ strains under the action of MCZ. The above results indicate that the transcription factor Hap2p was required for the resistance of C. albicans to azoles, which could provide a new strategy to solve the clinical azoles resistance.

Chromatin remodellers utilise energy generated from ATP hydrolysis to remodel nucleosomes and modulate histones, which are crucial for eukaryotic gene expression and chromatin architecture. The SWI/SNF (switching defective/sucrose non-fermenting) class of ATP-dependent chromatin modifiers in eukaryotes includes two complexes, SWI/SNF and RSC (remodeling the structure of chromatin). In the past 10 years, SWI/SNF and RSC chromatin remodellers have been a focus of research in various organisms, including animals, plants and fungi. In fungi, these two complexes have multiple functions, including roles in regulating hyphal differentiation, sporulation, stress responses, and pathogenicity. In addition to describing conserved structural properties and mechanisms of action, we highlight evidence for sequence and functional divergence in fungal evolution. This review provides a basis for further comparative analyses of the roles and regulatory mechanisms of the SWI/SNF and RSC complexes in taxonomically diverse fungi, laying a good foundation for potential applications in controlling pathogenic fungi.

Cortinarius species are widely distributed in the world and constitute a diverse group of ectomycorrhizal fungi that are associated with a broad range of plant hosts. The species diversity of this genus has been investigated in China, but it remains poorly understood, especially in the subtropical region. In this study, one new section, six novel species, one new combination, one new name, and one new record of Cortinarius are reported from subtropical China based on the morphological and molecular evidences. Cortinarius lilacinicarpus, C. sinocalaisopus, C. sinosalor, C. vividus spp. nov., C. orientisalor nom. nov., and C. illibatus are typical species of the section Delibuti. Cortinarius macroflavicapus sp. nov. belongs to Macroflavicapi sect. nov., a new section in the subgenus Dermocybe. Cortinarius tianbaoyanensis sp. nov. and C. dryadicola comb. nov. belong to the section Spilomei. Detailed descriptions, basidiocarps, and microscopic photographs are provided for these species. In addition, C. leptospermorum comb. nov. in the section Pauperae and subgenus Dermocybe is proposed.

A new fungal species, Penicillium psychrofluorescens sp. nov. is described as a member of section Torulomyces. The new species is sister to P. catalonicum, and was isolated from soil collected from Robinson Ridge, East Antarctica, following enrichment cultivation under oligotrophic conditions supplemented with excess hydrogen gas. Penicillium psychrofluorescens is named for its intense autofluorescence derived from a combination of compounds that may include NADPH, porphyrins, and secondary metabolites, such as polyketides. Comparative genomics with both Antarctic and mesophilic Penicillium spp. shows that Penicillium psychrofluorescens has a wide repertoire of glycoside hydrolases, but almost no polysaccharide lyases, has comparably large effector proteins, lacks the machinery to use nitrate as an N-source, but has the genes for the assimilation of phosphorus from phosphonates via oxidative pathway. The strain was found to have 30 biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs), the majority of which were unrelated to known compound BGCs. Given the remarkable diversity of natural products already characterised from Penicillium spp. and the presence of >30 BGCs with low similarity to known genes, there is biotechnological potential within this novel species that is yet to be explored.

Hypocrellins, a group of naturally occurring perylenequinone pigments produced by Shiraia bambusicola, are notable for their potential use in photodynamic therapy (PDT) for treating cancers and viruses. Traditionally, hypocrellins have been extracted from the fruiting bodies of S. bambusicola, a parasitic fungus on bamboo. However, the yield from wild Shiraia fruiting bodies is often insufficient, prompting a shift towards seeking other fungi with higher yields of hypocrellins as alternative sources. This review comprehensively examines the current research on the isolation, identification, and bioactivity of fungal perylenequinones from Shiraia isolates from ascostromata or fruiting bodies, Shiraia-like endophytes, and other endophytes from bamboos. Additionally, the review discusses the culture methods and conditions for solid-state and submerged fermentation of hypocrellin-producing fungi, including medium components, culture conditions, and optimisation of fermentation factors, as mycelium cultures have emerged as a promising alternative for the production of hypocrellins. Furthermore, novel elicitation strategies are presented to address the bottleneck of lower production of hypocrellins in mycelium cultures, focusing on the preparation, characterisation, and application of biotic and abiotic elicitors. This review aims to facilitate further exploration and utilisation of fungal resources and elicitation strategies for enhanced production of hypocrellins in mycelium cultures.

Micafungin is a semisynthetic echinocandin antifungal agent derived from fungal natural product FR901379 produced by Coleophoma empetri, facing challenges in biomanufacturing due to poor chassis performance and unclear high-yield mechanisms. In this study, the mutagenic effects of heavy-ion beam and how fungi repaired damage show that compared to the wild-type strain, nonhomologous end-joining pathway deficient mutants were more sensitive to heavy ion radiation, resulting in higher lethality rates and more mutations from the same radiation dose. Moreover, mutants obtained through two rounds of heavy-ion irradiation mutagenesis produced 1.1 g/L of FR901379, representing a remarkable increase of 253.7%. Compared to the parent strain, the mutants displayed noticeable differences in morphology and fermentation status. Comparative genomic analysis revealed mutations in several genes critical for morphological differentiation, which may have enhanced the production of FR901379 in the excellent mutants. This study has implications for the application of heavy-ion irradiation to filamentous fungi breeding. Additionally, the mutants with high FR901379 titre not only improve the production efficiency of micafungin but also provide a better chassis and theoretical guidance for subsequent metabolic engineering.

Polypore fungi are an important part of forest ecosystems. In the last decade, the taxonomic status and species number of polypore fungi have changed greatly, and many new taxa have been discovered. China is one of the countries with the most abundant and diverse polypore fungi in the world, and a total of 1,214 polypore fungal species were reported here. This study lists the polypore fungi with their diversity, taxonomic status, habitats, geographical distributions, and molecular data. All the polypore fungi in China belong to the phylum Basidiomycota, subphylum Agaricomycotina, and class Agaricomycetes, including 11 orders, 55 families, and 266 genera. The orders Polyporales and Hymenochaetales are dominant, and the families Polyporaceae and Hymenochaetaceae are dominant. The overall distribution trend of polypore fungi in China shows that more species are distributed in the south and fewer are distributed in the north. In addition, different nutritional modes of polypore fungi have different preferences for host species, with white-rot fungi preferring angiosperm trees and brown-rot fungi preferring gymnosperm trees.