Author
Gitta Langer
Other affiliations: University of Tübingen
Bio: Gitta Langer is an academic researcher from University of Kassel. The author has contributed to research in topics: Biology & Mycovirus. The author has an hindex of 6, co-authored 13 publications receiving 2711 citations. Previous affiliations of Gitta Langer include University of Tübingen.
Papers
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Duke University1, Oregon State University2, Clark University3, Natural History Museum4, University of Minnesota5, Field Museum of Natural History6, Kaiserslautern University of Technology7, University of Arizona8, New York Botanical Garden9, University of Iowa10, Technische Universität Darmstadt11, University of Maine12, United States Department of Agriculture13, University of Georgia14, University of Alabama15, University of California, Berkeley16, University of Kansas17, Aberystwyth University18, West Virginia University19, Washington State University20, Harvard University21, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill22, Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures23, University of Tennessee24, Okayama University25, University of Kassel26, Brandon University27, Pennsylvania State University28, Leibniz Association29, University of Hamburg30, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh31
TL;DR: It is indicated that there may have been at least four independent losses of the flagellum in the kingdom Fungi, and the enigmatic microsporidia seem to be derived from an endoparasitic chytrid ancestor similar to Rozella allomycis, on the earliest diverging branch of the fungal phylogenetic tree.
Abstract: The ancestors of fungi are believed to be simple aquatic forms with flagellated spores, similar to members of the extant phylum Chytridiomycota (chytrids). Current classifications assume that chytrids form an early-diverging clade within the kingdom Fungi and imply a single loss of the spore flagellum, leading to the diversification of terrestrial fungi. Here we develop phylogenetic hypotheses for Fungi using data from six gene regions and nearly 200 species. Our results indicate that there may have been at least four independent losses of the flagellum in the kingdom Fungi. These losses of swimming spores coincided with the evolution of new mechanisms of spore dispersal, such as aerial dispersal in mycelial groups and polar tube eversion in the microsporidia (unicellular forms that lack mitochondria). The enigmatic microsporidia seem to be derived from an endoparasitic chytrid ancestor similar to Rozella allomycis, on the earliest diverging branch of the fungal phylogenetic tree.
1,682 citations
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TL;DR: Phylogenetic relationships of resupinate Homobasidiomycetes (Corticiaceae s. lat. and others) were studied using ribosomal DNA sequences from a broad sample of res upinate and nonresupinate taxa to support monophyly of the eight major clades of Homob as well as independent lineages corresponding to the Gloeophyllum clade, corticioid clade and Jaapia argillacea.
Abstract: Phylogenetic relationships of resupinate Homobasidiomycetes (Corticiaceae s. lat. and others) were studied using ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequences from a broad sample of resupinate and nonresupinate taxa. Two datasets were analysed using parsimony, a 'core' dataset of 142 species, each of which is represented by four rDNA regions (mitochondrial and nuclear large and small subunits), and a 'full' dataset of 656 species, most of which were represented only by nuclear large subunit rDNA sequences. Both datasets were analysed using traditional heuristic methods with bootstrapping, and the full dataset was also analysed with the Parsimony Ratchet, using equal character weights and six-parameter weighted parsimony. Analyses of both datasets supported monophyly of the eight major clades of Homobasidiomycetes recognised by Hibbett and Thorn, as well as independent lineages corresponding to the Gloeophyllum clade, corticioid clade and Jaapia argillacea. Analyses of the full dataset resolved two additional groups, the athelioid clade and trechisporoid clade (the latter may be nested in the polyporoid clade). Thus, there are at least 12 independent clades of Homobasidiomycetes. Higher- level relationships among the major clades are not resolved with confidence. Nevertheless, the euagarics clade, bolete clade, athelioid clade and Jaapia argillacea are consistently resolved as a monophyletic group, whereas the cantharelloid clade, gomphoid-phalloid clade and hymenochaetoid clade are placed at the base of the Homobasidiomycetes, which is consistent with the preponderance of imperforate parenthesomes in those groups. Resupinate forms occur in each of the
372 citations
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Clark University1, University of British Columbia2, University of Gothenburg3, University of Tennessee4, Duke University5, University of Washington6, Oregon State University7, University of Kassel8, University of Minnesota9, University of Copenhagen10, Chinese Academy of Sciences11, State University of New York at Cortland12, Okayama University13, University of Turku14
TL;DR: Strong boostrap support and significant posterior probabilities for the first time for the following monophyletic groups are produced, particularly for deep internodes of Basidiomycota, which have been difficult to resolve with confidence using nrDNA data alone.
351 citations
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TL;DR: A comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of homobasidiomycetes, using sequences from nuclear and mitochondrial ribosomal DNA, with an emphasis on understanding evolutionary relationships of gilled mushrooms and puffballs, suggested that strikingly similar gilled mushroom evolved at least six times, from morphologically diverse precursors.
Abstract: Homobasidiomycete fungi display many complex fruiting body morphologies, including mushrooms and puffballs, but their anatomical simplicity has confounded efforts to understand the evolution of these forms. We per- formed a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of homobasi- diomycetes, using sequences from nuclear and mitochondrial ribosomal DNA, with an emphasis on understanding evolu- tionary relationships of gilled mushrooms and puffballs. Parsimony-based optimization of character states on our phylogenetic trees suggested that strikingly similar gilled mushrooms evolved at least six times, from morphologically diverse precursors. Approximately 87% of gilled mushrooms are in a single lineage, which we call the ''euagarics.'' Recently discovered 90 million-year-old fossil mushrooms are probably euagarics, suggesting that (i) the origin of this clade must have occurred no later than the mid-Cretaceous and (ii) the gilled mushroom morphology has been maintained in certain lin- eages for tens of millions of years. Puffballs and other forms with enclosed spore-bearing structures (Gasteromycetes) evolved at least four times. Derivation of Gasteromycetes from forms with exposed spore-bearing structures (Hymenomyce- tes) is correlated with repeated loss of forcible spore discharge (ballistospory). Diverse fruiting body forms and spore dis- persal mechanisms have evolved among Gasteromycetes. Nev- ertheless, it appears that Hymenomycetes have never been secondarily derived from Gasteromycetes, which suggests that the loss of ballistospory has constrained evolution in these lineages.
317 citations
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TL;DR: The circumscription of the cantharelloid clade was reassessed and monophyletic groups were identified by using nLSU, nSSU, mtSSU and RPB2 sequence data, and analyses of nuc-rDNA sequences strongly placed Tulasnella close to CanthareLLus-Craterellus.
Abstract: We reassessed the circumscription of the cantharelloid clade and identified monophyletic groups by using nLSU, nSSU, mtSSU and RPB2 sequence data. Results agreed with earlier studies that placed the genera Cantharellus, Craterellus, Hydnum, Clavulina, Membranomyces, Multiclavula, Sistotrema, Botryobasidium and the family Ceratobasidiaceae in that clade. Phylogenetic analyses support monophyly of all genera except Sistotrema, which was highly polyphyletic. Strongly supported monophyletic groups were: (i) Cantharellus-Craterellus, Hydnum, and the Sistotrema confluens group; (ii) Clavulina-Membranomyces and the S. brinkmannii-oblongisporum group, with Multiclavula being possibly sister of that clade; (iii) the Sistotrema eximum-octosporum group; (iv) Sistotrema adnatum and S. coronilla. Positions of Sistotrema raduloides and S. athelioides were unresolved, as were basal relationships. Botryobasidium was well supported as the sister taxon of all the above taxa, while Ceratobasidiaceae was the most basal lineage. The relationship between Tulasnella and members of the cantharelloid clade will require further scrutiny, although there is cumulative evidence that they are probably sister groups. The rates of molecular evolution of both the large and small nuclear ribosomal RNA genes (nuc-rDNA) are much higher in Cantharellus, Craterellus and Tulasnella than in the other cantharelloid taxa, and analyses of nuc-rDNA sequences strongly placed Tulasnella close to Cantharellus-Craterellus. In contrast analyses with RPB2 and mtSSU sequences placed Tulasnella at the base of the cantharelloid clade. Our attempt to reconstruct a "supertree" from tree topologies resulting from separate analyses that avoided phylogenetic reconstruction problems associated with missing data and/or unalignable sequences proved unsuccessful.
159 citations
Cited by
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Conrad L. Schoch1, Keith A. Seifert, Sabine M. Huhndorf2, Vincent Robert3 +157 more•Institutions (59)
TL;DR: Among the regions of the ribosomal cistron, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region has the highest probability of successful identification for the broadest range of fungi, with the most clearly defined barcode gap between inter- and intraspecific variation.
Abstract: Six DNA regions were evaluated as potential DNA barcodes for Fungi, the second largest kingdom of eukaryotic life, by a multinational, multilaboratory consortium. The region of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 used as the animal barcode was excluded as a potential marker, because it is difficult to amplify in fungi, often includes large introns, and can be insufficiently variable. Three subunits from the nuclear ribosomal RNA cistron were compared together with regions of three representative protein-coding genes (largest subunit of RNA polymerase II, second largest subunit of RNA polymerase II, and minichromosome maintenance protein). Although the protein-coding gene regions often had a higher percent of correct identification compared with ribosomal markers, low PCR amplification and sequencing success eliminated them as candidates for a universal fungal barcode. Among the regions of the ribosomal cistron, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region has the highest probability of successful identification for the broadest range of fungi, with the most clearly defined barcode gap between inter- and intraspecific variation. The nuclear ribosomal large subunit, a popular phylogenetic marker in certain groups, had superior species resolution in some taxonomic groups, such as the early diverging lineages and the ascomycete yeasts, but was otherwise slightly inferior to the ITS. The nuclear ribosomal small subunit has poor species-level resolution in fungi. ITS will be formally proposed for adoption as the primary fungal barcode marker to the Consortium for the Barcode of Life, with the possibility that supplementary barcodes may be developed for particular narrowly circumscribed taxonomic groups.
4,116 citations
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TL;DR: An enhanced understanding of the skin microbiome is necessary to gain insight into microbial involvement in human skin disorders and to enable novel promicrobial and antimicrobial therapeutic approaches for their treatment.
Abstract: The skin is the human body's largest organ, colonized by a diverse milieu of microorganisms, most of which are harmless or even beneficial to their host. Colonization is driven by the ecology of the skin surface, which is highly variable depending on topographical location, endogenous host factors and exogenous environmental factors. The cutaneous innate and adaptive immune responses can modulate the skin microbiota, but the microbiota also functions in educating the immune system. The development of molecular methods to identify microorganisms has led to an emerging view of the resident skin bacteria as highly diverse and variable. An enhanced understanding of the skin microbiome is necessary to gain insight into microbial involvement in human skin disorders and to enable novel promicrobial and antimicrobial therapeutic approaches for their treatment.
2,279 citations
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TL;DR: It is shown that NC-endophytes represent three distinct functional groups based on host colonization and transmission, in planta biodiversity and fitness benefits conferred to hosts, and key questions for future work in endophyte biology are highlighted.
Abstract: Summary 1 Summary All plants in natural ecosystems appear to be symbiotic with fungal endophytes. This highly diverse group of fungi can have profound impacts on plant communities through increasing fitness by conferring abiotic and biotic stress tolerance, increasing biomass and decreasing water consumption, or decreasing fitness by altering resource allocation. Despite more than 100 yr of research resulting in thousands of journal articles, the ecological significance of these fungi remains poorly characterized. Historically, two endophytic groups (clavicipitaceous (C) and nonclavicipitaceous (NC)) have been discriminated based on phylogeny and life history traits. Here, we show that NC-endophytes represent three distinct functional groups based on host colonization and transmission, in planta biodiversity and fitness benefits conferred to hosts. Using this framework, we contrast the life histories, interactions with hosts and potential roles in plant ecophysiology of C- and NC-endophytes, and highlight several key questions for future work in endophyte biology.
2,278 citations
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Clark University1, National Institutes of Health2, Louisiana State University3, CABI4, Umeå University5, Field Museum of Natural History6, Duke University7, University of Minnesota8, University of Alabama9, Oregon State University10, Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures11, United States Department of Agriculture12, University of Tübingen13, Max Planck Society14, University of Florida15, Pennsylvania State University16, Aberystwyth University17, Complutense University of Madrid18, University of Oslo19, University of Hong Kong20, University of Tartu21, University of Gothenburg22, University of Kansas23, University of Maine24, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign25, Royal Ontario Museum26, Georgia State University27, Estonian University of Life Sciences28, Washington State University29, Nova Southeastern University30, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich31, University of Western Ontario32, Uppsala University33, Brandon University34, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh35, State University of New York at Purchase36, Boise State University37, Cornell University38
TL;DR: A comprehensive phylogenetic classification of the kingdom Fungi is proposed, with reference to recent molecular phylogenetic analyses, and with input from diverse members of the fungal taxonomic community.
2,096 citations
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Duke University1, Oregon State University2, Clark University3, Natural History Museum4, University of Minnesota5, Field Museum of Natural History6, Kaiserslautern University of Technology7, University of Arizona8, New York Botanical Garden9, University of Iowa10, Technische Universität Darmstadt11, University of Maine12, United States Department of Agriculture13, University of Georgia14, University of Alabama15, University of California, Berkeley16, University of Kansas17, Aberystwyth University18, West Virginia University19, Washington State University20, Harvard University21, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill22, Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures23, University of Tennessee24, Okayama University25, University of Kassel26, Brandon University27, Pennsylvania State University28, Leibniz Association29, University of Hamburg30, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh31
TL;DR: It is indicated that there may have been at least four independent losses of the flagellum in the kingdom Fungi, and the enigmatic microsporidia seem to be derived from an endoparasitic chytrid ancestor similar to Rozella allomycis, on the earliest diverging branch of the fungal phylogenetic tree.
Abstract: The ancestors of fungi are believed to be simple aquatic forms with flagellated spores, similar to members of the extant phylum Chytridiomycota (chytrids). Current classifications assume that chytrids form an early-diverging clade within the kingdom Fungi and imply a single loss of the spore flagellum, leading to the diversification of terrestrial fungi. Here we develop phylogenetic hypotheses for Fungi using data from six gene regions and nearly 200 species. Our results indicate that there may have been at least four independent losses of the flagellum in the kingdom Fungi. These losses of swimming spores coincided with the evolution of new mechanisms of spore dispersal, such as aerial dispersal in mycelial groups and polar tube eversion in the microsporidia (unicellular forms that lack mitochondria). The enigmatic microsporidia seem to be derived from an endoparasitic chytrid ancestor similar to Rozella allomycis, on the earliest diverging branch of the fungal phylogenetic tree.
1,682 citations