Graphiola fimbriata: the first species of Graphiolaceae (Exobasidiales, Basidiomycota) described only based on its yeast stage

Proposal of Two New Combinations, Twenty New Species, Four New Genera, One New Family, and One New Order for the Anamorphic Basidiomycetous Yeast Species in Ustilaginomycotina

Two hundred and forty-four ustilaginomycetous yeast or yeast-like strains were isolated from the soil, skin of animals or humans and plant materials during the past 20 years. Among them, 203 strains represent 39 known species, whereas 41 strains represent several novel species based on the sequence analyses of the rDNA genes [18S rDNA, Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) regions, 26S rDNA D1/D2 domain] and three protein genes (RPB1, RPB2, and TEF1). In this study, one new order, one new family, four new genera, twenty new species, and two new combinations were proposed. They are Franziozymales ord. nov., Franziozymaceae fam. nov., Baueromyces gen. nov., Franziozyma gen. nov., Guomyces gen. nov., Yunzhangomyces gen. nov., Baueromyces planticola sp. nov., Franziozyma bambusicola sp. nov., Gjaerumia cyclobalanopsidis sp. nov., Gjaerumia pseudominor sp. nov., Jamesdicksonia aceris sp. nov., Jaminaea lantanae sp. nov., Kalmanozyma hebeiensis sp. nov., Langdonia ligulariae sp. nov., Meira hainanensis sp. nov., Meira pileae sp. nov., Meira plantarum sp. nov., Phragmotaenium parafulvescens sp. nov., Sporisorium cylindricum sp. nov., Sympodiomycopsis europaea sp. nov., Tilletiopsis lunata sp. nov., Tilletiopsis pinicola sp. nov., Yunzhangomyces clavatus sp. nov., Yunzhangomyces cylindricus sp. nov., Yunzhangomyces qinlingensis sp. nov., Yunzhangomyces orchidis sp. nov., Guomyces nicotianae comb. nov., and Yunzhangomces scirpi comb. nov.

Natural Products from Endophytic Fungi Associated with Rubiaceae Species

This review presents the chemical diversity and pharmacological properties of secondary metabolites produced by endophytic fungi associated with various genera of Rubiaceae. Several classes of natural products are described for these endophytes, although, this study highlights the importance of some metabolites, which are involved in antifungal, antibacterial, anti-protozoal activities; neurodegenerative diseases; cytotoxic activity; anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity; and hyperglycemic control.

Two new species in a new genus and a critical revision of Brachybasidiaceae (Exobasidiales, Basidiomycota) in honor of Franz Oberwinkler

The Brachybasidiaceae are a family of 22 known species of plant-parasitic microfungi belonging to Exobasidiales, Basidiomycota. Within this family, species of the largest genus Kordyana develop balls of basidia on top of stomatal openings. Basidial cells originate from fungal stroma filling substomatal chambers. Species of Kordyana typically infect species of Commelinaceae. During fieldwork in the neotropics, fungi morphologically similar to Kordyana spp. were found on Goeppertia spp. (syn. Calathea spp., Marantaceae), namely on G. panamensis in Panama and on G. propinqua in Bolivia. These specimens are proposed as representatives of a genus new to science, Marantokordyana, based on the distinct host family and molecular sequence data of ITS and LSU rDNA regions. The specimens on the two host species represent two species new to science, M. oberwinkleriana on G. panamensis and M. boliviana on G. propinqua. They differ by the size and shape of their basidia, molecular sequence data of ITS and LSU rDNA regions, and host plant species. In the past, the understanding of Brachybasidiaceae at order and family level was significantly improved by investigation realized by Franz Oberwinkler and his collaborators at the University of Tübingen, Germany. On species level, however, our knowledge is still very poor due to incomplete species descriptions of several existing names in literature, scarceness of specimens, as well as sequence data lacking for many taxa and for further barcode regions. Especially species of Kordyana and species of Dicellomyces are in need of revision.

Notes, outline and divergence times of Basidiomycota

The Basidiomycota constitutes a major phylum of the kingdom Fungi and is second in species numbers to the Ascomycota. The present work provides an overview of all validly published, currently used basidiomycete genera to date in a single document. An outline of all genera of Basidiomycota is provided, which includes 1928 currently used genera names, with 1263 synonyms, which are distributed in 241 families, 68 orders, 18 classes and four subphyla. We provide brief notes for each accepted genus including information on classification, number of accepted species, type species, life mode, habitat, distribution, and sequence information. Furthermore, three phylogenetic analyses with combined LSU, SSU, 5.8s, rpb1, rpb2, and ef1 datasets for the subphyla Agaricomycotina, Pucciniomycotina and Ustilaginomycotina are conducted, respectively. Divergence time estimates are provided to the family level with 632 species from 62 orders, 168 families and 605 genera. Our study indicates that the divergence times of the subphyla in Basidiomycota are 406–430 Mya, classes are 211–383 Mya, and orders are 99–323 Mya, which are largely consistent with previous studies. In this study, all phylogenetically supported families were dated, with the families of Agaricomycotina diverging from 27–178 Mya, Pucciniomycotina from 85–222 Mya, and Ustilaginomycotina from 79–177 Mya. Divergence times as additional criterion in ranking provide additional evidence to resolve taxonomic problems in the Basidiomycota taxonomic system, and also provide a better understanding of their phylogeny and evolution.