Showing papers in "Fungal Diversity in 2013"

Families of Dothideomycetes

Abstract: Dothideomycetes comprise a highly diverse range of fungi characterized mainly by asci with two wall layers (bitunicate asci) and often with fissitunicate dehiscence. Many species are saprobes, with many asexual states comprising important plant pathogens. They are also endophytes, epiphytes, fungicolous, lichenized, or lichenicolous fungi. They occur in terrestrial, freshwater and marine habitats in almost every part of the world. We accept 105 families in Dothideomycetes with the new families Anteagloniaceae, Bambusicolaceae, Biatriosporaceae, Lichenoconiaceae, Muyocopronaceae, Paranectriellaceae, Roussoellaceae, Salsugineaceae, Seynesiopeltidaceae and Thyridariaceae introduced in this paper. Each family is provided with a description and notes, including asexual and asexual states, and if more than one genus is included, the type genus is also characterized. Each family is provided with at least one figure-plate, usually illustrating the type genus, a list of accepted genera, including asexual genera, and a key to these genera. A phylogenetic tree based on four gene combined analysis add support for 64 of the families and 22 orders, including the novel orders, Dyfrolomycetales, Lichenoconiales, Lichenotheliales, Monoblastiales, Natipusillales, Phaeotrichales and Strigulales. The paper is expected to provide a working document on Dothideomycetes which can be modified as new data comes to light. It is hoped that by illustrating types we provide stimulation and interest so that more work is carried out in this remarkable group of fungi.

The exploitation of epichloae endophytes for agricultural benefit

Abstract: Epichloae endophytes of family Clavicipitaceae (comprising genera Epichloe and Neotyphodium) are fungal symbionts of Pooideae grasses. The associations formed, range from mutually beneficial to antagonistic and the nature of this relationship is dependent upon the importance of vertical (via host seeds) versus horizontal (ascospore mediated) transmission of the fungus. These endophytes can enhance their hosts’ survival through protection from abiotic and biotic stresses and can thus be utilized in an agricultural context. Animal-safe grass-endophyte associations that confer bio-protective properties for increased pasture persistence and productivity have been developed and commercialized. One of the crucial drivers underpinning the selection of epichloae strains for commercial development is endophyte derived bioactivity. The potential of next generation endophytes is determined by testing a number of attributes such as agronomic fitness, animal and food safety as well as compatibility with host plants of interest. Strategic research supports these activities by focusing on elucidating mechanisms of compatibility between host and fungal symbiont, as well as investigating other molecular drivers of symbiosis such as siderophore mediated iron-uptake, fungal signalling, fungal growth in host plants and fungal secondary metabolism. This review weaves together the different strands of multidisciplinary research aimed at ultimately exploiting epichloae endophytes for increased pasture performance.

Bioactive metabolites from macrofungi: ethnopharmacology, biological activities and chemistry

Abstract: Exploration of natural sources for novel bioactive compounds has been an emerging field of medicine over the past decades, providing drugs or lead compounds of considerable therapeutic potential. This research has provided exciting evidence on the isolation of microbe-derived metabolites having prospective biological activities. Mushrooms have been valued as traditional sources of natural bioactive compounds for many centuries and have been targeted as promising therapeutic agents. Many novel biologically active compounds have been reported as a result of research on medicinal mushrooms. In this review, we compile the information on bioactive structure-elucidated metabolites from macrofungi discovered over the last decade and highlight their unique chemical diversity and potential benefits to novel drug discovery. The main emphasis is on their anti-Alzheimer, anti-diabetic, anti-malarial, anti-microbial, anti-oxidant, anti-tumor, anti-viral and hypocholesterolemic activities which are important medicinal targets in terms of drug discovery today. Moreover, the reader’s attention is brought to focus on mushroom products and food supplements available in the market with claimed biological activities and potential human health benefits.

Getting to the bottom of Taxol biosynthesis by fungi

Abstract: Taxol (paclitaxel) is a highly-oxygenated diterpenoid natural product first isolated from the pacific yew tree (Taxus brevifolia). It is one of the most widely used anticancer drugs. Soon after the discovery of its unique mode of action and the resulting high demand, an extensive search was initiated for alternative sources to replace the slow-growing and scarce pacific yew. Thus far, however, Taxol and related compounds have only been found in the genus Taxus, which comprises a small number of slow-growing plants with a broad but generally isolated geographical distribution. In 1993, Stierle and colleagues reported the independent biosynthesis of Taxol in an endophytic fungus isolated from Taxus brevifolia, which resulted in more than 160 subsequent publications and patents addressing the biosynthesis of Taxol and related taxanes by microorganisms. The literature on fungal taxane synthesis contains numerous inconsistencies, prompting us to thoroughly re-examine Taxol biosynthesis in endophytic fungi associated with Taxus spp. Using a combination of phytochemistry, molecular biology and genome sequencing, we were unable to find any evidence for independent taxane biosynthesis in any of the endophytes, including the isolate described in the original publication (Taxomyces andreanae) and several more recent isolates from Taxus trees. Our findings therefore resolve a long-standing mystery concerning the evolution of a complex terpenoid biosynthetic pathway in two distantly-related organisms.

Endophytes versus biotrophic and necrotrophic pathogens—are fungal lifestyles evolutionarily stable traits?

Abstract: Endophytes infect living plant tissues without causing symptoms of disease. Indeed, many of them contribute to the resistance phenotype of their host. However, fungal endophytes are generally closely related to plant pathogens, fungi that either develop within living host tissue (biotrophic fungi) or that kill the host cells and then live in the dead tissue (necrotrophic fungi). We adopted a phylogenetic approach to investigate whether these strategies represent evolutionarily stable lifestyles and to elucidate their general phylogenetic relationships. We analysed 163 fungal strains for which we found information on the sequence of the 5.8S rRNA gene and the flanking internal transcribed spacer regions, the identity of the host plant and the concrete phenotypic outcome of the infection. A Maximum-Likelihood analysis combined with ancestral character mapping by maximum parsimony revealed that some fungal lineages had switched multiple times between a necrotrophic and an endophytic lifestyle. Ancestral character mapping indicated a minimum of four changes from an endophytic to a necrotrophic lifestyle, four changes in the opposite direction and eight changes among these lifestyles for which the direction could not be determined unambiguously. By contrast, biotrophs formed five clusters that did not contain necrotrophs or endophytes. Once biotrophy evolves there is apparently no regression to one of the other two lifestyles. We conclude that biotrophy usually represents a derived and evolutionarily stable trait, whereas fungi easily can switch between an endophytic and necrotrophic lifestyle at the evolutionary and even the ecological timescale. Future experimental studies should focus on the environmental or genetic changes that cause the rapid switches between these two phenotypically different lifestyles.

Endophytic fungi harbored in Cannabis sativa L.: diversity and potential as biocontrol agents against host plant-specific phytopathogens

Abstract: The objective of the present work was isolation, phylogenetic characterization, and assessment of biocontrol potential of endophytic fungi harbored in various tissues (leaves, twigs, and apical and lateral buds) of the medicinal plant, Cannabis sativa L. A total of 30 different fungal endophytes were isolated from all the plant tissues which were authenticated by molecular identification based on rDNA ITS sequence analysis (ITS1, 5.8S and ITS2 regions). The Menhinick's index revealed that the buds were im- mensely rich in fungal species, and Camargo' si ndex showed the highest tissue-specific fungal dominance for the twigs. The most dominant species was Penicillium cop- ticola that could be isolated from the twigs, leaves, and apical and lateral buds. A detailed calculation of Fisher's log series index, Shannon diversity index, Simpson's index, Simpson's diversity index, and Margalef's richness revealed moderate overall biodiversity of C. sativa endophytes dis- tributed among its tissues. The fungal endophytes were challenged by two host phytopathogens, Botrytis cinerea and Trichothecium roseum, devising a dual culture antago- nistic assay on five different media. We observed 11 distinct types of pathogen inhibition encompassing a variable degree of antagonism (%) on changing the media. This revealed the potential chemodiversity of the isolated fungal endophytes not only as promising resources of biocontrol agents against

Five Colletotrichum species are responsible for mango anthracnose in northeastern Brazil

Abstract: Colletotrichum species are the most important and widespread form of decay affecting mango fruit worldwide. In this study, Colletotrichum species associated with fruit anthracnose isolated from mango in northeastern Brazil were subject to molecular and morphological analyses. The partial sequences of the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene of 143 Colletotrichum isolates was amplified, as an initial measure of genetic diversity. A subset of 47 isolates, selected to represent the range of genetic diversity and geographic origin, were further sequenced using the partial actin, β-tubulin, calmodulin, glutamine synthetase genes and rDNA-ITS region. The multilocus sequence analysis, together with a critical examination of the phenotypic characters, revealed four previously described species (Colletotrichum asianum, Colletotrichum fructicola, Colletotrichum tropicale and Colletotrichum karstii) and one new species. The new species is introduced as Colletotrichum dianesei and formally described, illustrated and compared with similar taxa. Only C. asianum and C. karstii have previously been reported from mango, while the other species represent the first report associated with the mango fruits worldwide. All species are reported for the first time associated with the mango fruits in Brazil.

Mangrove derived fungal endophytes – a chemical and biological perception

Abstract: The potential of mangrove-derived endophytic fungi as a promising source of diverse and structurally unprecedented bioactive natural products is unquestionable and continues to attract considerable attention. This review highlights new bioactive mangrove fungal metabolites and known compounds with hitherto unreported biological activities described during the last 10 years. The compounds are categorized according to their reported biological activities, including cytotoxic, anti-infective, in addition to a wide range of miscellaneous activities such as protein kinase, α-glucosidase, acetylcholinesterase and tyrosinase inhibitory activities, as well as antiangiogenic and neovascularisation effects, radical scavenging, DNA-binding affinity, and calcium and potassium channel blocking activity.

Colletotrichum species associated with cultivated citrus in China

Abstract: There have been considerable advances in the understanding of species concepts in the genus Colletotrichum. This has lead to the need to carry out fresh surveys of Colletotrichum species associated with important hosts. Colletotrichum species are associated with Citrus plants as saprobes, important pre-harvest and post-harvest pathogens, as well as endophytes. In this study, a total of 312 Colletotrichum strains were isolated from leaves, shoots and fruits of cultivated Citrus and Fortunella species with or without disease symptoms across the main citrus production areas in China. The morphology of all strains were studied and multilocus (ACT, TUB2, CAL, GAPDH, GS, ITS) phylogeny established. Strains were from four important species complexes of Colletotrichum, namely C. gloeosporioides species complex, C. boninense species complex, C. acutatum species complex and a final group including C. truncatum, which was rare on Citrus species. The species belonging to the C. gloeosporioides species complex comprised C. gloeosporioides and C. fructicola, the C. boninense complex comprised C. karstii and a new species C. citricola and the C. acutatum complex included a new species, C. citri. The ability of strains to cause anthracnose on citrus fruits was tested by inoculation and strains of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, C. fructicola and C. truncatum were pathogenic.

Global ITS diversity in the Sporothrix schenckii complex

Abstract: Molecular phylogeny has revealed that sporotrichosis is caused by several Sporothrix species which differ in clinical behavior. The complex is embedded within Ophiostoma, a genus mainly comprising fungi that live in association with bark beetles, but differs by a high virulence towards humans and other mammals. The different ecology is corroborated by phylogenetic separation. The aim of the present study was to determine the validity of the rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region as a marker for diagnostics of species in the clinical group, using beta-tubulin sequences to calibrate species delimitations. The topology of the two gene trees was concordant, and all clinically relevant Sporothrix species could easily be recognized by means of the ITS region. An increased geographic sampling did not affected delimitation success in the clinical clade of the S. schenckii complex.

Leaf-inhabiting endophytic fungi of European Beech ( Fagus sylvatica L.) co-occur in leaf litter but are rare on decaying wood of the same host

Abstract: Many microfungi are able to live in living plant tissues. In contrast to plant pathogens and parasites the so-called endophytic fungi do not cause obvious disease symptoms in their hosts. Nevertheless, they constitute an ubiquitous active component in direct and multitrophic interactions. The present study was conducted to assess the level of overlap of cultivable microfungi in living and decaying tissues of European Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) from a forest stand in North-Eastern Germany. The focus lay on the hypothesized fall-spring relationship of leaf-inhabiting forest endophytes, which means that endophytes from autumn leaves persist as saprobes in litter or dead wood, sporulate and re-invade living leaves in spring. Fungal cultures were isolated from living leaves, leaf litter and dead wood still attached to the tree by dilution-to-extinction cultivation in the years 2007–2010. Analyses of species identity, species richness and species composition were based on microscopic identification and of sequencing the fungal DNA ‘barcode’ ITS (internal transcribed spacer). Species richness of litter-inhabiting microfungi equaled that of wood-inhabiting fungi and exceeded that of leaf endophytes. The most distinctive species assemblage was observed on wood, fungal species composition in living leaves and leaf litter were also significantly different from each other. On the other hand a considerable compositional and phylogenetic overlap between leaf and litter fungi was revealed with phylogenetics, cluster analysis and non-metric multidimensional scaling. The taxa accounting most to the similarity between living and decaying leaves belonged to Capnodiales, Xylariales, Diaporthales and Pleosporales. Finally, data from cultivated leaf-inhabiting beech endophytes were compared with a fungal 454 sequence data set from beech phyllosphere. This analysis allowed the partition of species lists into active fungal endophytes, fungal “epiphytes” and dormant fungal propagules.

Species of Lasiodiplodia associated with mango in Brazil

Abstract: Mango (Mangifera indica) is a major tropical fruit species cultivated in Brazil. The objective of this study was to identify species of Lasiodiplodia associated with dieback and stem-end rot of mango in the semi-arid region of Northeastern Brazil, and compare the species in relation to mycelial growth, pathogenicity and virulence. A total of 120 isolates of Lasiodiplodia were used and identifications were made using a combination of morphology and phylogenetic analysis based on partial translation elongation factor 1-α sequence (EF1-α) and internal transcribed spacers (ITS). The following species were identified: Lasiodiplodia crassispora, L. egyptiacae, L. hormozganensis, L. iraniensis, L. pseudotheobromae, L. theobromae and Lasiodiplodia sp.. Lasiodiplodia theobromae was the most frequently isolated species, which represented 41 % of all the isolates. Only this species had been previously reported on mango in Brazil, while the other species represent the first report associated with mango tree diseases in this country. Lasiodiplodia crassispora is reported for the first time associated with mango diseases worldwide. There were significant differences in mycelial growth rates among the Lasiodiplodia species and also in the optimum temperature for growth. All species of Lasiodiplodia were pathogenic on mango fruit. There were significant differences in virulence among the species, wherein L. hormozganensis and Lasiodiplodia sp.were the most virulent, while the least virulent were L. iraniensis, L. pseudotheobromae, L. crassispora and L. egyptiacae.

The Colletotrichum orbiculare species complex: Important pathogens of field crops and weeds

Abstract: Colletotrichum orbiculare causes anthracnose of Cucurbitaceae and is phylogenetically closely related to pathogens of several other herbaceous hosts belonging to the Asteraceae, Fabaceae and Malvaceae. Most of them are known for their hemibiotrophic infection strategy and as destructive pathogens either of field crops or weeds. In order to study the phylogenetic relationships of these fungi, a multilocus analysis (ITS, GAPDH, CHS-1, HIS3, ACT, TUB2, GS) of 42 strains of C. orbiculare and related species was conducted. The analysis resulted in nine clades that confirmed the four species previously known as belonging to this species complex, C. lindemuthianum, C. malvarum, C. orbiculare and C. trifolii, and recognised four new species from weeds, namely C. bidentis, C. sidae, C. spinosum and C. tebeestii. The name C. orbiculare itself is widely used in plant pathology and science, but is invalid according to current nomenclatural rules. Therefore we described a new species with the same epithet and a type specimen that agrees with our current understanding of this species, and is linked to a living culture. Following the recent epitypification of C. lindemuthianum, we chose appropriate specimens with associated strains to serve as epitypes of C. malvarum and C. trifolii, and selected an authentic specimen of C. trifolii as lectotype.

Factors shaping community structure of endophytic fungi–evidence from the Pinus-Viscum-system

Abstract: Endophytic fungal communities have been shown to be highly diverse in almost every host plant species analyzed so far. However, the factors shaping their compositions are largely unknown. To elucidate the impact of various factors, 10 independent replicates of DNA extracts from each of 17 surface-sterilized leaf and stem samples were analyzed by pyrosequencing of fungal ITS1 rRNA gene amplicons. Altogether, 154 fungal OTUs (operational taxonomic units), represented by 953,385 sequences, were found in at least 2 samples from Viscum album ssp. austriacum and/or its host Pinus sylvestris. Deviating from earlier, cultivation-based assessments, the communities were dominated by OTUs related to the genus Mortierella and OTUs not assignable to a certain fungal phylum. However, Ascomycota were still the most diverse group in terms of OTU richness and already hypothesized organ and host preferences of certain endophytic Xylariaceae isolated from the Pinus-Viscum-system could be confirmed. Host species and organ type were also the major factors shaping the detected fungal communities. The two plant species clearly differed according to the endophytic fungal communities, but only stems and needles of Pinus were inhabited by significantly different fungal assemblages. Interestingly, only the 1 and 3 year old stem sections differed according to the endophytic fungal community, while differently aged leaves of both plants were indistinguishable in this regard. Size of the organs had no impact on fungal communities in Pinus, but shorter internodes and smaller leaves showed at least a tendency to differ from the corresponding larger organs in Viscum. Fungal communities also differed slightly between the two sampling sites, lying 200 km apart, and between the three sampling campaigns. Because the samples were drawn within 15 days, this finding indicates that seasonal shifts clearly outweigh aging effects in host plant with perennial leaves. The results therefore provide strong evidence against a linear development of the endophytic fungal communities in Pinus sylvestris and Viscum album over the years. The communities seem to establish themselves already in the year the respective organs emerge. Further study is required to clarify whether they predominantly establish anew each year, or if the core community persists throughout subsequent years. The most abundant endophytic OTUs are known from soil and/or dead plant material and are supposed to represent latent decomposers. The study reveals for the first time that host and/or organ preferences of putatively saprotrophic fungi are predominantly responsible for compositional differences in the endophytic fungal communities between host plants and organs. While the analyses are shown to provide rather robust results, the significance of genetic abundance, as revealed by high-throughput sequencing analyses, remains an unsettled issue. This is discussed in detail, as well as the challenges in assigning taxonomic names to OTUs.

What are the common anthracnose pathogens of tropical fruits

Abstract: Species of Colletotrichum are associated with anthracnose of a wide range of host plants including cultivated and wild tropical fruits. The genetic and ecological diversity of species associated with wild fruits are poorly explored, as compared to those associated with pre and postharvest diseases of cultivated fruits. In the present study, isolates of Colletotrichum were obtained from commercially available cultivated fruits, wild fruits (from native trees in natural habitats) and a few herbaceous hosts collected in northern Thailand. These isolates were initially characterized based on analysis of complete sequences of nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS), into the genetically defined species complexes of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, C. acutatum, C. boninense and C. truncatum. The isolates were primarily identified in the C. gloeosporioides species complex, based on a strongly supported clade within the ITS gene tree and were further characterized using multi-gene phylogenetic analyses and morphology. Phylogenetic analyses of ITS, partial sequences of actin (ACT), calmodulin (CAL), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), glutamine synthetase (GS) and β-tubulin (TUB2) genetic markers were performed individually and in combination. Colletotrichum gloeosporioides sensu stricto was identified from lime (Citrus aurantifolia) and rose apple (Syzygium samarangense). Colletotrichum fructicola was isolated from dragon fruit (Hylocerous undatus) and jujube (Ziziphus sp.). Colletotrichum endophytica was found only from an unknown wild fruit. We observed a considerable genetic and host diversity of species occurring on tropical fruits within the clade previously known as Colletotrichum siamense sensu lato. The clade consists of isolates identified as pre and postharvest pathogens on a wide range of fruits, including coffee (Coffea arabica), custard apple (Annona reticulata), Cerbera sp., figs (Ficus racemosa) mango (Mangifera indica), neem (Azadirachta indica) and papaya (Carica papaya) and was the dominant group of species among most wild fruits studied. With the exception of one isolate from banana, which grouped in the C. siamense clade, all the other isolates were identified as Colletotrichum musae. A new species, Colletotrichum syzygicola, associated with Syzygium samarangense in Thailand, is introduced with descriptions and illustrations. This study highlights the need to re-assess the evolutionary relationships of Colletotrichum species occurring on cultivated and wild fruits with emphasis on their ecology and cryptic diversification including sampling at regional and global scales.

Species of Botryosphaeriaceae involved in grapevine dieback in China

Abstract: Botryosphaeria dieback is a serious disease problem for table and grape wine production worldwide. The disease however, has been less well-studied in China. In this study, we surveyed Botryosphaeria dieback in 72 vineyards of 20 grape-growing regions in China and found that Botryosphaeria dieback occurs in 18 out of 20 provinces. Morphological and multi-gene phylogenetic analyses confirmed that Botryosphaeria dothidea, Diplodia seriata, Lasiodiplodia theobromae and Neofusicoccum parvum are associated with different grapevine dieback symptoms. This study also revealed considerable differences in the geographical distribution of Botryosphaeriaceae species in China with Lasiodiplodia theobromae and Neofusicoccum parvum occurring only in subtropical monsoon climate regions, Diplodia seriata occurring only in temperate monsoon climate regions, and Botryosphaeria dothidea occurring in both temperate and subtropical monsoon climate regions. Analysis of 26 isolates showed that there is little genetic variation within species. Koch’s postulates were satisfied for all species, and pathogenicity testing showed that among the 25 major cultivars growing in China, none was resistant to the four taxa. The current paper represents the first detailed report on Botryosphaeria dieback of grapevines in China.

The ApMat marker can resolve Colletotrichum species: a case study with Mangifera indica

Abstract: Anthracnose disease caused by the Colletotrichum gloeosporioides species complex is a major problem worldwide. In this study, we investigated the phylogenetic diversity of 207 Indian Colletotrichum isolates, associated with symptomatic and asymptomatic tissues of mango, belonging to this species complex. Phylogenetic analyses were performed based on a 6-gene dataset (act, cal, chs1, gapdh, ITS and tub2), followed by ApMat sequence-analysis. The ApMat-based phylogeny was found to be superior as it provided finer resolution in most of the species-level clades. Importantly, the ApMat marker identified seven lineages within C. siamense sensu lato, including C. jasmini-sambac, C. hymenocallidis, C. melanocaulon, C. siamense sensu stricto and three undesignated, potentially novel lineages. In this study, C. fragariae sensu stricto, C. fructicola, C. jasmini-sambac, C. melanocaulon and five undesignated, potentially novel lineages were found to be associated with mango tissues. There is a need to develop a consensus among mycologists as to which genes should be used to define and delimit a Colletotrichum species and in the mean time mycologists should voluntarily restrain from describing new species based on inadequate datasets.

Phyllosticta capitalensis, a widespread endophyte of plants

Abstract: Phyllosticta capitalensis is an endophyte and weak plant pathogen with a worldwide distribution presently known from 70 plant families. This study isolated P. capitalensis from different host plants in northern Thailand, and determined their different life modes. Thirty strains of P. capitalensis were isolated as endophytes from 20 hosts. An additional 30 strains of P. capitalensis from other hosts and geographic locations were also obtained from established culture collections. Phylogenetic analysis using ITS, ACT and TEF gene data confirmed the identity of all isolates. Pathogenicity tests with five strains of P. capitalensis originating from different hosts were completed on their respective host plants. In all cases there was no infection of healthy leaves, indicating that this endophyte does not cause disease on healthy, unstressed host plants. That P. capitalensis is often isolated as an endophyte has important implications in fungal biology and plant health. Due to its endophytic nature, P. capitalensis is commonly found associated with lesions of plants, and often incorrectly identified as a species of quarantine importance, which again has implications for trade in agricultural and forestry production.

Endophytic Colletotrichum species from Bletilla ochracea (Orchidaceae), with descriptions of seven new speices

Abstract: Thirty-six strains of endophytic Colletotrichum species were isolated from leaves of Bletilla ochracea Schltr. (Orchidaceae) collected from 5 sites in Guizhou, China. Seventeen different species, including 7 new species (namely C. bletillum, C. caudasporum, C. duyunensis, C. endophytum, C. excelsum-altitudum and C. guizhouensis and C. ochracea), 8 previously described species (C. boninense, C. cereale, C. destructivum, C. karstii, C. liriopes, C. miscanthi, C. parsonsiae and C. tofieldiae) and 2 sterile mycelia were identified. All of the taxa were identified based on morphology and phylogeny inferred from multi-locus sequences, including the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, partial genes of β-tubulin (TUB2), actin (ACT) and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH). Comprehensive morphological descriptions and illustrations are provided for new species. Our investigation indicates a high diversity of Colletotrichum species in B. ochracea.

Diaporthe species occurring on citrus in China

Abstract: Diaporthe species are important pathogens of a wide range of hosts including many economically important crops. Diaporthe citri is generally accepted to cause melanose of Citrus fruits, leaves and shoots; stem-end rot of fruits and gummosis of perennial branches. In this study, 147 strains of Diaporthe were isolated from diseased leaves, twigs, fruits and branches of Citrus from Shaanxi, Zhejiang, Guangxi, Fujian, Guangdong, Jiangxi, Hunan, Chongqing and Shanghai and identified by morphology and molecular analysis of nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS), partial sequences of translation elongation factor 1-α (EF 1-α), tubulin (TUB) and calmodulin (CAL) genes. All strains from Citrus clustered in three clades. Diaporthe citri was the predominant species and is compared with strains from Florida, USA, where this species was first collected and described. Two new taxa differing from D. citri are described as D. citriasiana and D. citrichinensis in this paper. Inoculation tests indicate that all three species are able to cause stem-end rot of fruits, while only D. citri could cause melanose on leaves.

Species of the Colletotrichum gloeosporioides complex associated with anthracnose diseases of Proteaceae

Abstract: Anthracnose disease of Proteaceae has in the past chiefly been attributed to infections by C. acutatum, C. boninense and C. gloeosporioides. In the present study, a multi-locus phylogenetic analysis (ACT, CAL, CHS-1, GAPDH, GS, ITS, TUB2) revealed that strains of the C. gloeosporioides complex associated with Proteaceae belong to at least six species. These include C. alienum, C. aotearoa, C. kahawae (subsp. ciggaro), C. siamense, and two new taxa, C. proteae and C. grevilleae. The most economically important pathogen of Proteaceae seems to be C. alienum, and not C. gloeosporioides as previously reported. All taxa associated with Proteaceae are morphologically described on different media in culture, except strains of C. siamense, which proved to be sterile. Furthermore, C. populi is synonymised with C. aenigma.

The genus Phylloporus (Boletaceae, Boletales) from China: morphological and multilocus DNA sequence analyses

Abstract: Species of the genus Phylloporus in China were investigated based on morphology and molecular phylogenetic analysis of a three-locus (nrLSU, ITS and tef-1a) DNA sequence dataset. Twenty-one phylogenetic species were recognized among the studied collections. Seven of them are described as new: P. brunneiceps, P. imbricatus, P. maculatus, P. pachycystidiatus, P. rubeolus, P. rubrosquamosus, and P. yunnanensis. In addition, four of them correspond with the previous morphology-based taxa: P. bellus, P. luxiensis, P. parvisporus, and P. rufescens. The remaining ten phylogenetic species were not described due to the paucity of the materials. A key to the Chinese morphologically recognizable taxa was provided. A preliminary biogeographical analysis showed that (1) Pylloporus species in East Asia and Southeast Asia are mostly closely related, (2) species pairs or closely related species of Phylloporus between East Asia and North/Central America are relatively common, and (3) the biogeographic relationship of Phylloporus between East Asia and Europe was supported by only a single species pair. Unexpectedly, no taxa common either to both Europe and East Asia, or to both East Asia and North/Central America, were uncovered. Clades look to have taxa from both sides of the Pacific and Europe/Asia though.

A new endophytic insect-associated Daldinia species, recognised from a comparison of secondary metabolite profiles and molecular phylogeny

Abstract: Xylariaceous endophytes are commonly encountered in plants, and it has recently been found out that insect vectors play a major role in their life cycle, as well as in the apparent host-specificity of the fungal stromata. In this study, a new insect-associated, endophytic anamorph species of Daldinia is recognised from a comparison of a) morphological and ecological data; b) molecular phylogenetic data based on rDNA, alpha-actin and beta-tubulin genes; and c) secondary metabolite profiles based on high performance liquid chromatography/diode array/mass spectrometry (HPLC-DAD/MS) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in comparison with authentic strains of Daldinia and other Xylariaceae. The new species, Daldinia hawksworthii, is a symbiont of the willow woodwasp, Xiphydria prolongata, which is in turn preferentially associated with Salix. A comparison of HPLC-DAD/MS profiles from standardised cultures revealed the presence of a specific compound, which was not encountered in any of the ca. 250 Daldinia strains studied for comparison. This compound was isolated after fermentation of the fungus in 10 l scale by preparative chromatography. Structure elucidation by NMR spectroscopy revealed a novel pyrone, for which the name dalsymbiopyrone is proposed. The compound showed weak antimicrobial and cytotoxic effects and might be a signal molecule involved in the trilateral ecological interaction between the host plant, the insect, and its fungal symbiont.

Botryosphaeria, Neofusicoccum, Neoscytalidium and Pseudofusicoccum species associated with mango in Brazil

Abstract: Members of the Botryosphaeriaceae are well known fungi associated with dieback, canker and fruit rot on various hosts worldwide, including mango. The aim of this study was identify a large collection of Botryosphaeriaceae species associated with dieback and stem-end rot of mango in the semi-arid region of Northeastern Brazil, and compare the species in relation to mycelial growth, pathogenicity and virulence. A total of 115 isolates were sampled and based on morphology and DNA sequence data (ITS and EF1-α) seven taxa were identified, namely, Botryosphaeria dothidea, B. mamane, Fusicoccum fabicercianum, Neofusicoccum parvum, N. brasiliense sp. nov, Neoscytalidium dimidiatum and Pseudofusicoccum stromaticum. B. dothidea and P. stromaticum were the most commonly isolated species, which represented 37 % and 33 % of all isolates respectively. B. mamane is reported for the first time in association with mango diseases worldwide. There were significant differences among the species obtained in this study in relation to optimum temperature for mycelial growth and mycelial growth rates. All species were pathogenic on mango fruit. There were significant differences in virulence among the species, with Ne. dimidiatum and N. parvum being the most virulent species, while P. stromaticum was the least virulent.

New species and phylogeny of Perenniporia based on morphological and molecular characters

Abstract: Three new resupinate, poroid, wood-inhabiting fungi, Perenniporia aridula, P. bannaensis and P. substraminea, are introduced on the basis of morphological and molecular characters. Molecular study based on sequence data from the ribosomal ITS and LSU regions supported the three new species’ positions in Perenniporia s.s., and all of them formed monophyletic lineages with strong support (100 % BP, 1.00 BPP). Phylogenetic analysis revealed seven clades for the 31 species of Perenniporia s.l. used in this study. Among them, Perenniporiella clustered with Perenniporia ochroleuca group, and then subsequently grouped with Abundisporus. In addition, the P. ochroleuca group, the P. vicina group, the P. martia group and P. subacida formed well supported monophyletic entities, which could be recognized as distinct genera, and they are not related to P. medulla-panis which belongs to Perenniporia s.s. clade. An identification key to 38 species of Perenniporia occurring in China is provided.

Endophytic Colletotrichum from tropical grasses with a new species C. endophytica

Abstract: Endophytic fungi are a diverse and important group of microorganisms. We investigated the occurrence of Colletotrichum species as endophytes in two common tropical grass species, Pennisetum purpureum (dwarf napier) and Cymbopogon citratus (lemon grass) in Thailand. Combined phylogenetic analysis of ITS, partial sequences of actin (ACT), calmodulin (CAL) and glyceraldehydes-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) gene regions and morphology were used to characterize the species. This is the first report of an association as endophytes of Colletotrichum fructicola, C. tropicale and C. siamense with Pennisetum purpureum, and C. fructicola and C. siamense with Cymbopogon citratus. Colletotrichum endophytica sp. nov. associated with Pennisetum purpureum, is introduced based on multi-locus phylogenetic analysis with descriptions and illustrations. The potential hyperdiversity of the endophytic Colletotrichum species associated with tropical grasses is discussed with an emphasis on future research.

Borofutus , a new genus of Boletaceae from tropical Asia: phylogeny, morphology and taxonomy

Abstract: A new monotypic genus in the Boletaceae, Borofutus, typified by B. dhakanus, is described using morphological and molecular evidence. This is a putatively ectomycorrhizal fungus associated with Shorea robusta. Borofutus is characterized by the combination of the following characters: basidiomata small to medium-sized; pileus grayish brown to cocoa brown; hymenophore subdecurrent, cream then golden brown, with broad, nearly hexagonal pores; basidiospores purple to purplish red in H2O, ornamented with irregular to regular shallow pits; cystidia lageniform, thick-walled. Borofutus is sister to Spongiforma in molecular phylogenetic analyses using DNA nucleotide sequences of single or multiple loci. A description, line drawings, phylogenetic placement and comparison with allied taxa are presented herein.

Molecular data place the hyphomycetous lichenicolous genus Sclerococcum close to Dactylospora (Eurotiomycetes) and S. parmeliae in Cladophialophora (Chaetothyriales)

Abstract: The lichenicolous anamorphic fungus Sclerococcum parmeliae was isolated in pure culture, and ITS, nuLSU and mtSSU sequences were obtained from these isolates. For comparison, sequences from S. sphaerale, the generic type, were obtained directly from freshly collected specimens. Phylogenetic analyses place S. sphaerale with species of Dactylospora and an unidentified lichen-inhabiting isolate in a strongly supported clade that is sister to a lineage comprising members of the Chaetothyriales and Pyrenulales. In contrast, S. parmeliae is inferred as a member of the Herpotrichiellaceae (Chaetothyriales) and belongs to a robustly supported clade that also includes species of Cladophialophora, Capronia semiimmersa, and Phialophora verrucosa. Within the Herpotrichiellaceae, S. parmeliae most closely resembles members of the anamorph genus Cladophialophora. Accordingly, we propose the transfer of S. parmeliae and the morphologically similar species S. cladoniae, S. hawksworthii and S. normandinae to Cladophialophora. A new lichenicolous species, Clad. megalosporae, collected twice on Megalospora in Florida and Papua New Guinea, is also described.

The endophytic mycobiota of Arabidopsis thaliana

Abstract: Fungal endophytes are receiving increasing attention as resources to improve crop production and ecosystem management. However, the biology and ecological significance of these symbionts remains poorly understood, due to a lack of model systems for more efficient research. In this work, we have analyzed the culturable endophytic mycobiota associated, in the wild, with leaves and siliques of the model plant A. thaliana. We have studied the effect of biotic and abiotic factors in the frequency of fungal endophytes in plant specimens, and in the species composition of the endophytic community. Our results indicate that the frequency of Arabidopsis plants hosting endophytes depends on the time of the year and the phenological stage of the plant, and that the probability of endophyte colonization increases as the life cycle of the plant progresses. The diversity of the endophytic assemblages of natural A. thaliana populations was high, and precipitation and temperature were the two main factors determining the diversity and species composition of the communities. We propose A. thaliana and its endophytes as a model system for an integral approach to the principles governing the endophytic lifestyle, taking advantage of the molecular tools and the abundant knowledge accessible from the host plant.

Phylogeny and taxonomy of the Inonotus linteus complex

Abstract: The Inonotus linteus complex comprises several closely related species characterized by pileate basidiomes, a heterogeneous hyphal system with a monomitic context and a dimitic hymenophoral trama. Setae are hymenial and basidiospores are broadly ellipsoid to subglobose, yellowish and thick-walled. Research to understand this complex have been particularly noticeable in East Asia. In the present paper, the complex was studied at a larger scale, including samples from Mesoamerica. Inonotus linteus, an epitype of this species being designated here, is circumscribed as a narrow sense based on morphological and phylogenetic data, and this has lead to delimiting a new species from Mesoamerica, viz. I. cubensis, and provides evidence for two additional species, I. alpinus and I. zonatus, from East Asia. Phylogenetic analyses of ITS sequences also confirmed the status of I. baumii, I. linteus, I. lonicericola, I. lonicerinus, I. vaninii, I. sanghuang, I. weigelae and I. weirianus as distinct taxa, while I. tenuicontextus is considered to be a synonym of I. weigelae. A key to 11 species in the complex is provided.