Distribution of Foliicolous Lichen Strigula and Genetic Structure of S. multiformis on Jeju Island, South Korea

Jejulea byssolomoides gen. et sp. nov., a Remarkable Pilocarpaceae (Lichen-Forming Ascomycetes) from Jeju Island, South Korea

The new genus and species, Jejulea byssolomoides, is described from Jeju Island, Korea. This lichen is characterized by saxicolous, crustose, pale greenish-gray, partly finely filamentous, matt, smooth thallus, prominent convex brown to dark brown ascomata with a concolorous margin constricted at the dark brown base, 300-800 μm diameter, 200-250 μm high, without a distinct proper margin, adhering to the substratum ending in a minute byssoid white external part of cylindrical cells, fusiform 3-5 septate ascospores (17-23 × 4-5 μm). Phylogenetic analyses using ITS and mtSSU sequences place Jejulea in the Pilocarpaceae (Lecanorales). The new taxon is closely related to Byssoloma, a cosmopolitan group of foliicolous lichens, which is most diverse in the tropics. Like Byssoloma, Jejulea also forms a byssoid apothecial margin.

Refined families of Dothideomycetes: orders and families incertae sedis in Dothideomycetes

Numerous new taxa and classifications of Dothideomycetes have been published following the last monograph of families of Dothideomycetes in 2013. A recent publication by Honsanan et al. in 2020 expanded information of families in Dothideomycetidae and Pleosporomycetidae with modern classifications. In this paper, we provide a refined updated document on orders and families incertae sedis of Dothideomycetes. Each family is provided with an updated description, notes, including figures to represent the morphology, a list of accepted genera, and economic and ecological significances. We also provide phylogenetic trees for each order. In this study, 31 orders which consist 50 families are assigned as orders incertae sedis in Dothideomycetes, and 41 families are treated as families incertae sedis due to lack of molecular or morphological evidence. The new order, Catinellales, and four new families, Catinellaceae, Morenoinaceae Neobuelliellaceae and Thyrinulaceae are introduced. Seven genera (Neobuelliella, Pseudomicrothyrium, Flagellostrigula, Swinscowia, Macroconstrictolumina, Pseudobogoriella, and Schummia) are introduced. Seven new species (Acrospermum urticae, Bogoriella complexoluminata, Dothiorella ostryae, Dyfrolomyces distoseptatus, Macroconstrictolumina megalateralis, Patellaria microspora, and Pseudomicrothyrium thailandicum) are introduced base on morphology and phylogeny, together with two new records/reports and five new collections from different families. Ninety new combinations are also provided in this paper.

Unraveling bacterial diversity in oil refinery effluents

Oil refinery effluents are among stressful environments, and they are characterized by alkaline pH, high concentrations of dissolved solids, electrical conductivity, and metals (mainly Fe, Al, B, Sr, Mn, Cu, Ni). In this study, bacterial diversity in these habitats was inferred from full-length 16S rRNA gene sequences obtained from the PacBio^® sequencing platform. The results have shown low bacterial diversity in both raw and treated effluents, with sequences representing only two phyla: Firmicutes and Proteobacteria. Sequences from the raw effluents represent four major genera: Bacillus, Wenzhouxiangella, Rhodabaculum, and Halomonas. Whilst bacterial communities from the treated effluents are relatively more diverse as sequences represent five dominant genera: Pseudoxanthomonas, Brevundimonas, Pseudomonas, Rhodobaculum and Rhizobium. Most of the genera represented in the dataset are halophilic or halotolerant microbes known to have the competency to catabolize a broad spectrum of organic and inorganic pollutants. Hypothetically, these bacteria may be relevant for biotechnological and industrial applications, particularly for the remediation of saline industrial wastes.