Novel genera and species of coniothyrium-like fungi in Montagnulaceae (Ascomycota)

Fungal diversity in sediments of the eastern tropical Pacific oxygen minimum zone revealed by metabarcoding

Oxygen minimum zones (OMZ) represent ~8% of the ocean, with the Pacific as the largest and top expanding area. These regions influence marine ecosystems, promoting anaerobic microbial communities. Nevertheless, only a fraction of microbial diversity has been studied, with fungi being the less explored component. So, herein we analyzed fungal diversity patterns in surface and subsurface sediments along a bathymetric transect using metabarcoding of the ITS1 region in the OMZ of the Mexican Pacific off Mazatlán. We identified 353 amplicon sequence variants (ASV), within the Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, and Rozellomycota. Spatial patterns evidenced higher alpha diversity in nearshore and subsurface subsamples, probably due to temporal fluctuations in organic matter inputs. Small-scale heterogeneity characterized the community with the majority of ASV (269 ASV) occurring in a single subsample, hinting at the influence of local biogeochemical conditions. This baseline data evidenced a remarkable fungal diversity presenting high variation along a bathymetric and vertical transects.

Uncovering the Infection Strategy of Phyllachora maydis During Maize Colonization: A Comprehensive Analysis

Tar spot, a disease caused by the ascomycete fungal pathogen Phyllachora maydis, is considered one of the most significant yield-limiting diseases of maize (Zea mays) within the United States. P. maydis may also be found in association with other fungi, forming a disease complex that is thought to result in the characteristic fisheye lesions. Understanding how P. maydis colonizes maize leaf cells is essential for developing effective disease control strategies. Here, we used histological approaches to elucidate how P. maydis infects and multiplies within susceptible maize leaves. We collected tar spot-infected maize leaf samples from four different fields in northern Indiana at three different time points during the growing season. Samples were chemically fixed and paraffin-embedded for high-resolution light and scanning electron microscopy. We observed a consistent pattern of disease progression in independent leaf samples collected across different geographical regions. Each stroma contained a central pycnidium that produced asexual spores. Perithecia with sexual spores developed in the stomatal chambers adjacent to the pycnidium, and a cap of spores formed over the stroma. P. maydis reproductive structures formed around but not within the vasculature. We observed P. maydis associated with two additional fungi, one of which is likely a member of the Paraphaeosphaeria genus; the other is an unknown fungi. Our data provide fundamental insights into how this pathogen colonizes and spreads within maize leaves. This knowledge can inform new approaches to managing tar spot, which could help mitigate the significant economic losses caused by this disease.

Taxonomy and pathogenicity of fungi associated with oak decline in northern and central Zagros forests of Iran with emphasis on coelomycetous species

Oak decline is a complex disorder that seriously threatens the survival of Zagros forests. In an extensive study on taxonomy and pathology of fungi associated with oak decline in the central and northern part of Zagros forests, 462 fungal isolates were obtained from oak trees showing canker, gummosis, dieback, defoliation, and partial or total death symptoms. Based on inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) fingerprinting patterns, morphological characteristics, and sequences of ribosomal DNA (28S rDNA and ITS) and protein coding loci (acl1, act1, caM, tef-1α, rpb1, rpb2, and tub2), 24 fungal species corresponding to 19 genera were characterized. Forty percent of the isolates were placed in eight coelomycetous species from seven genera, namely, Alloeutypa, Botryosphaeria, Cytospora, Didymella, Gnomoniopsis, Kalmusia, and Neoscytalidium. Of these, four species are new to science, which are introduced here as taxonomic novelties: Alloeutypa iranensis sp. nov., Cytospora hedjaroudei sp. nov., Cytospora zagrosensis sp. nov., and Gnomoniopsis quercicola sp. nov. According to pathogenicity trials on leaves and stems of 2-year-old Persian oak (Quercus brantii) seedlings, Alternaria spp. (A. alternata, A. atra, and A. contlous), Chaetomium globosum, and Parachaetomium perlucidum were recognized as nonpathogenic. All coelomycetous species were determined as pathogenic in both pathogenicity trials on leaves and seedling stems, of which Gnomoniopsis quercicola sp. nov., Botryosphaeria dothidea, and Neoscytalidium dimidiatum were recognized as the most virulent species followed by Biscogniauxia rosacearum.

Identification and Characterization of a Plant Endophytic Fungus Paraphaosphaeria sp. JRF11 and Its Growth-Promoting Effects

Endophytic fungi establish mutualistic relationships with host plants and can promote the growth and development of plants. In this study, the endophytic fungus JRF11 was isolated from Carya illinoinensis. Sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and 18S rRNA gene combined with colonial and conidial morphology identified JRF11 as a Paraphaosphaeria strain. Plant-fungus interaction assays revealed that JRF11 showed significant growth-promoting effects on plants. In particular, JRF11 significantly increased the root biomass and soluble sugar content of plants. Furthermore, transcriptome analysis demonstrated that JRF11 treatment reprogrammed a variety of genes involved in plant mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling and starch and sucrose metabolism pathways through Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis. Our research indicates that beneficial endophytic fungi are able to interact with plants and exhibit outstanding plant growth-promoting activities.

Molecular and morphological diversity, qualitative chemical profile and antioxidant activity of filamentous fungi of the digestive tract of Phylloicus sp. (Trichoptera: Calamoceratidae)

Abstract This study aimed to identify by molecular analysis, morphology, chemistry and antioxidant extracts of filamentous fungi isolated from the digestive tract of Phylloicus sp, an aquatic insect that lives on leaf packages in tropical streams and participates together with fungi of the decomposition of plant substrates in aquatic habitats. Insect larvae of Phylloicus sp. were collected in streams in the state of Tocantins, Brazil. Fungi were isolated from the digestive tract of larvae after disinfection and dissection, then described and purified for identification purposes and testing for antioxidant activity. Molecular identity was performed of ITS1 and ITS4, TUB e TEF sequencing. Fungal extracts were produced in 70% ethanol solution and later lyophilized. For analysis of chemical groups of extracts, thin layer chromatography (TLC) was performed in two mobile phases and different developers. Morphology was performed by optical microscopy stained with Toluidine Blue and measurement performed using the ImageJ program. Antioxidant activity performed in TLC and by quantitative method for DPPH and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) radicals. Four fungi were identified: Endomelanconiopsis endophytica, Myxospora musae, Neopestalotiopsis cubana and Fusarium pseudocircinatum. The TLC showed several spots with acetone/chloroform mobile phase and UV 254 nm developers and I2 vapor. Fungal extracts demonstrate antioxidant action to reduce the DPPH free radical and especially for H2O2 above 50%, E. endophytica 91.6%, M. musae 87.8%, N. cubana 89.5% and 92.3% for F. pseudocircinatum. This study demonstrated that the molecular technique by PCR was satisfactory for identifying fungi, and extracts with numerous chemical groups and potent reducing agents. Thus future work, should be carried out evaluating these four species for industrial use.

Taxonomic and phylogenetic characterisations of six species of Pleosporales (in Didymosphaeriaceae, Roussoellaceae and Nigrogranaceae) from China

Pleosporales comprise a diverse group of fungi with a global distribution and significant ecological importance. A survey on Pleosporales (in Didymosphaeriaceae, Roussoellaceae and Nigrogranaceae) in Guizhou Province, China, was conducted. Specimens were identified, based on morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analyses using a dataset composed of ITS, LSU, SSU, tef1 and rpb2 loci. Maximum Likelihood (ML) and Bayesian analyses were performed. As a result, three new species (Neokalmusiakarka, Nigrogranaschinifolium and N.trachycarpus) have been discovered, along with two new records for China (Roussoellaneopustulans and R.doimaesalongensis) and a known species (Roussoellapseudohysterioides). Morphologically similar species and phylogenetically close taxa are compared and discussed. This study provides detailed information and descriptions of all newly-identified taxa.

The Registration Situation and Use of Mycopesticides in the World

Mycopesticides are living preparations that use fungal cells, such as spores and hyphae, as active ingredients. They mainly include mycoinsecticides, mycofungicides, mycoherbicides and nematophagous fungi. The utilization of fungi for controlling agricultural pests can be traced back to approximately 1880, when entomopathogenic fungi were initially employed for this purpose. However, it was not until 1965 that the world's first mycopesticide, Beauveria bassiana, was registered as Boverin® in the former Soviet Union. In past decades, numerous novel mycopesticides have been developed for their lower R&D costs, as well as the environmentally friendly and safe nature. In this review, we investigated the mycopesticides situation of registration in USA, EU, China, Canada and Australia. Superisingly, it was found that the registered mycopesticides are extremely raised in recent years. Currently, the insecticides, fungicides (nematocides) and herbicides were respectively registered 27, 53 and 8 fungal strains. This paper also analyzes the main problems currently faced by mycopesticides and offers suggestions for their future development.

Astragalicola ephedrae sp. nov., isolated from the stem of Ephedra gerardiana in Ladakh, India

An endophytic fungus designated as EIT4^T (MCC 9756^T) was isolated from the asymptomatic stem tissue of Ephedra gerardiana collected from the Kargil district of Ladakh Union territory, India. Phylogenetic analysis based on concatenated nuclear ribosomal ITS (internal transcribed spacer) and LSU (large ribosomal subunit) sequence datasets revealed its placement within the genus Astragalicola. However, it formed a separate clade exhibiting strong bootstrap support value (80%). The highest nrITS sequence similarity between EIT4^T and species of Astragalicola was 95.19% (A. vasilyevae) and 94.26% (A. amorpha), while nrLSU sequence similarity was 99.27% (A. amorpha). Morphologically, EIT4^T differs from the other species of Astragalicola in having larger sub-globose to pyriform conidiomata, smaller and mostly unbranched conidiophores, and polymorphic translucent conidia with two terminal guttules. Based on combined cultural, micromorphological, molecular, and phylogenetic analyses, EIT4^T represents a novel species in the genus Astragalicola proposed here as Astragalicola ephedrae sp. nov. Detailed description and illustrations of the novel species are provided. The type strain is EIT4^T (= MCC 9756 ^T = MN29^T).

Biodiversity of Fungi Inhabiting European Blueberry in North-Western Russia and in Finland

European blueberry is a common plant in coniferous and mixed forests that grows in Russia, Northern Europe, Asia, United States, and Canada. Among the fungi that cause blueberry diseases, the most harmful are Diaporthe vaccinii and Colletotrichum acutatum. These fungi are included in the consolidated list of quarantine objects of the Eurasian Economic Union and their occurrence and spread in the territory of countries of this Union is subject to strict control. Most taxa of micromycetes, particularly, Diaporthe and Colletotrichum species, can be correctly identified to the species level based on solely molecular phylogenetic features. The aim of the present work was to assess the biodiversity of fungi associated with blueberry growing in North-Western Russia and in Finland using morphological and molecular genetic features. Altogether, the study included 17 specimens of wild blueberry exhibiting necrotic spots on leaves and stem lesions that were collected in 2017 in St. Petersburg and in five districts of Leningrad region, as well as in the Republic of Karelia and in Finland. Analysis of the morphological and molecular genetic features of the fungal strains isolated from these blueberry specimens led to identification of 11 species: Boeremia exigua, Colletotrichum salicis, Diaporthe eres, Fusarium avenaceum, F. incarnatum, F. sporotrichioides, Heterophoma sylvatica, Kalmusia longispora, Microsphaeropsis olivacea, Neocucurbitaria cava, and Sporocadus rosigena. There were also fungi representing two sections of the genus Alternaria: Alternaria and Infectoriae, and micromycetes of the genera Chaetomium, Cladosporium, Coniothyrium, Curvularia, Epicoccum, Penicillium, Pestalotiopsis, Sordaria, and Trichoderma. The species Colletotrichum salicis, Heterophoma sylvatica, Kalmusia longispora, Microsphaeropsis olivacea, and Neocucurbitaria cava were for the first time found in Russia. The species Sporocadus rosigena was for the first time detected in Finland. Fusarium avenaceum, F. incarnatum, and F. sporotrichioides were for the first time observed in association with blueberry plants. The species Diaporthe vaccinii and Colletotrichum acutatum included in the consolidated list of quarantine objects of the Eurasian Economic Union were not detected in this study.

A taxonomic assessment of novel and remarkable fungal species in Didymosphaeriaceae (Pleosporales, Dothideomycetes) from plant litter

Fungal taxonomy has a long history and changed significantly in the last few decades. Most recent studies have witnessed morphology combined with DNA-based molecular analyses as the main research tool for fungal species identification. During field surveys, some interesting Didymosphaeriaceae species were found from plant litter in China and Thailand. Morphology combined with phylogenetic analyses (Bayesian and maximum likelihood) of ITS, LSU, SSU, tef1-α, and tub2 loci was used to identify fungal taxa. In this article, three new species and six new host records are described. The new species, Montagnula acaciae, Paraconiothyrium zingiberacearum, and Paraphaeosphaeria brachiariae, can be distinguished from other species of the respective genera based on their distinct size differences (ascomata, asci, and ascospores) and DNA sequence data. The new host records, Montagnula jonesii, Paraconiothyrium fuckelii, Spegazzinia deightonii, and S. tessarthra are reported from Ficus benjamina, Dimocarpus longan, Hedychium coronarium, and Acacia auriculiformis respectively, for the first time. Also, Paraconiothyrium archidendri and P. brasiliense are reported for the first time from Magnolia sp. in China. Moreover, Paraconiothyrium rosae is synonymized under P. fuckelii based on close phylogeny affinities and morphological characteristics. In-depth morphological descriptions, micrographs, and phylogenetic trees are provided to show the placement of new taxa.

Taxonomic Novelties of Woody Litter Fungi (Didymosphaeriaceae, Pleosporales) from the Greater Mekong Subregion

The Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) is known as a diverse geographic landscape and one of the richest biodiversity hotspots in the world with a high fungal diversity. Collections were carried out in terrestrial habitats to determine the diversity of woody litter fungi in the GMS, with an emphasis on northern Thailand and the Yunnan Province of China. Morphological characteristics and multigene phylogenetic analyses of combined SSU, LSU, ITS, and tef1-α supported the placement of the new isolates in the family Didymosphaeriaceae. The phylogenetic affinities of our isolates are illustrated through maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analyses. Seven species of woody litter fungi were identified, comprising a new monotypic genus, Septofusispora; five novel species (Chromolaenicola sapindi, Dictyoarthrinium thailandicum, Karstenula lancangensis, Septofusispora thailandica, and Spegazzinia jinghaensis); and new host records of two species (Austropleospora archidendri, and Montagnula donacina). Furthermore, this study provides a synopsis of the Montagnula aff. donacina species based on their morphological characteristics, which can be useful in the species-level identifications in this genus.

Description of Four Novel Species in Pleosporales Associated with Coffee in Yunnan, China

In Yunnan Province, the coffee-growing regions are mainly distributed in Pu’er and Xishuangbanna. During the surveys of microfungi associated with coffee in Yunnan Province, seven taxa were isolated from coffee samples. Based on molecular phylogenetic analyses of combined ITS, LSU, SSU, rpb2, and tef1-α sequence data and morphological characteristics, four new species viz. Deniquelata yunnanensis, Paraconiothyrium yunnanensis, Pseudocoleophoma puerensis, and Pse. yunnanensis, and three new records viz. Austropleospora keteleeriae, Montagnula thailandica, and Xenocamarosporium acaciae in Pleosporales are introduced. In addition, Paracamarosporium fungicola was transferred back to Paraconiothyrium based on taxonomy and DNA sequences. Full descriptions, illustrations, and phylogenetic trees to show the placement of new and known taxa are provided. In addition, the morphological comparisons of new taxa with closely related taxa are given.

The numbers of fungi: contributions from traditional taxonomic studies and challenges of metabarcoding

The global diversity of fungi has been estimated using several different approaches. There is somewhere between 2–11 million estimated species, but the number of formally described taxa is around 150,000, a tiny fraction of the total. In this paper, we examine 12 ascomycete genera as case studies to establish trends in fungal species descriptions, and introduce new species in each genus. To highlight the importance of traditional morpho-molecular methods in publishing new species, we introduce novel taxa in 12 genera that are considered to have low species discovery. We discuss whether the species are likely to be rare or due to a lack of extensive sampling and classification. The genera are Apiospora, Bambusicola, Beltrania, Capronia, Distoseptispora, Endocalyx, Neocatenulostroma, Neodeightonia, Paraconiothyrium, Peroneutypa, Phaeoacremonium and Vanakripa. We discuss host-specificity in selected genera and compare the number of species epithets in each genus with the number of ITS (barcode) sequences deposited in GenBank and UNITE. We furthermore discuss the relationship between the divergence times of these genera with those of their hosts. We hypothesize whether there might be more species in these genera and discuss hosts and habitats that should be investigated for novel species discovery.

Severe Outbreak of Dry Core Rot in Apple Fruits cv. Fuji Caused by Kalmusia variispora During Pre-harvest in Maule Region, Chile

Apple (Malus × domestica) is an important fruit crop in Chile, with a cultivated area of 32,313 ha concentrated (63%) in Maule Region (35°25' S). Unusual core rot on 'Fuji' apples was observed at harvest in a commercial orchard in Curicó, Maule Region, with an incidence ranged between 22 to 35% in 2018 and 2019. Previously, in 2017, an incidence of 30% was estimated on 'Fuji' fruits destined to the Asian market. Internal decay symptoms consisted of dry, corky light to dark-brown tissue, within the seed locules initially. In moderate to severe cases, the necrotic lesion progresses deeper into the mesoderm. External symptoms were quite subtle, and typically, the disease goes unnoticed. However, infected fruit ripen earlier. Small pieces (2-3 mm) from the internal lesion margin of symptomatic apples (n = 50) were placed on Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) (2%) and incubated at 20°C for 10 days. Pure cultures (n = 41) were obtained and transferred to Malt Extract Agar (MEA) (2%). Colonies on MEA produced an even to slight undulating buff margin with white woolly aerial mycelium, and immerse ochreous in the center, changing gray to olivaceous aerial mycelium with age. On the underside, colonies were umber and buff in the center and margin, respectively. After 10 days, numerous densely aggregate dark-brown mature pycnidia were observed. Aseptate conidia were subglobose to cylindrical, straight, and sometimes curved with rounded at both ends, that was initially hyaline to pale olive, thin, smooth wall with mean dimensions of (2.9-) 3.4 (-4.4) x (1.5-) 1.8 (2.2) µm (n=50). Based on morphology, the fungus was identified as Kalmusia variispora (Verkley et al. 2014). The internal transcribed space (ITS), portion of β-tubulin (TUB), and large subunits of the nuclear ribosomal RNA (LSU) loci were used for molecular identification, using primers ITS4/ITS5, Bt2a/Bt2b, and LR0R/LR5 (Ariyawansa et al., 2014). BLAST searches indicated 100% identity with K. variispora (ex-type CBS 121517). The maximum parsimony phylogenetic analysis placed Chilean isolates in the K. variispora clade. Sequences were deposited in GenBank (OL711706 to OL711709, OL739499 to OL739502 and OL711710 to OL711713 for ITS, TUB and LSU, respectively). Pathogenicity tests were conducted using four K. variispora isolates. 'Fuji' apples (n = 20) were surface disinfested (75% ethanol, 30 s) and then wounded and inoculated with conidial suspension (50 L of 106 conidia/mL) deposited in the middle and into the core region using a sterile fine-tipped micropipette. Additionally, 20 one-year dormant rooted cuttings 'Fuji' and 'Cripps Pink' were pruned and immediately inoculated on the pruning wound. An equal number of apples and rooted cuttings treated with sterile water were used as controls. The experiments were repeated once. All inoculated fruits developed lateral lesions (22 to 37 mm) and dry core rot (18 to 36 mm) symptoms identical to those described in the original outbreak, after 20 days at 20°C in a commercial packing box. The inoculated cuttings produced canker lesions of 10 to 21 mm in length, and dieback symptoms were observed after 3 months. No symptoms were observed on the negative controls. Koch's postulates were fulfilled by 100% reisolating K. variispora. Previously, Alternaria spp. have been reported as the primary pathogen associated with moldy core and dry core rot of apples worldwide (McLeod et al., 2014) and in Chile (Elfar et al., 2018). However, Kalmusia spp. have been associated with dry core rot in apples (McLeod et al., 2014) and have been isolated from canker symptoms on apples in Chile (Díaz et al. 2021). To our knowledge, this is the first report of a severe outbreak of K. variispora causing dry core rot in apples in Chile and worldwide.

Fungal diversity notes 1512-1610: taxonomic and phylogenetic contributions on genera and species of fungal taxa

This article is the 14th in the Fungal Diversity Notes series, wherein we report 98 taxa distributed in two phyla, seven classes, 26 orders and 50 families which are described and illustrated. Taxa in this study were collected from Australia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Chile, China, Cyprus, Egypt, France, French Guiana, India, Indonesia, Italy, Laos, Mexico, Russia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam. There are 59 new taxa, 39 new hosts and new geographical distributions with one new combination. The 59 new species comprise Angustimassarina kunmingense, Asterina lopi, Asterina brigadeirensis, Bartalinia bidenticola, Bartalinia caryotae, Buellia pruinocalcarea, Coltricia insularis, Colletotrichum flexuosum, Colletotrichum thasutense, Coniochaeta caraganae, Coniothyrium yuccicola, Dematipyriforma aquatic, Dematipyriforma globispora, Dematipyriforma nilotica, Distoseptispora bambusicola, Fulvifomes jawadhuvensis, Fulvifomes malaiyanurensis, Fulvifomes thiruvannamalaiensis, Fusarium purpurea, Gerronema atrovirens, Gerronema flavum, Gerronema keralense, Gerronema kuruvense, Grammothele taiwanensis, Hongkongmyces changchunensis, Hypoxylon inaequale, Kirschsteiniothelia acutisporum, Kirschsteiniothelia crustaceum, Kirschsteiniothelia extensum, Kirschsteiniothelia septemseptatum, Kirschsteiniothelia spatiosum, Lecanora immersocalcarea, Lepiota subthailandica, Lindgomyces guizhouensis, Marthe asmius pallidoaurantiacus, Marasmius tangerinus, Neovaginatispora mangiferae, Pararamichloridium aquisubtropicum, Pestalotiopsis piraubensis, Phacidium chinaum, Phaeoisaria goiasensis, Phaeoseptum thailandicum, Pleurothecium aquisubtropicum, Pseudocercospora vernoniae, Pyrenophora verruculosa, Rhachomyces cruralis, Rhachomyces hyperommae, Rhachomyces magrinii, Rhachomyces platyprosophi, Rhizomarasmius cunninghamietorum, Skeletocutis cangshanensis, Skeletocutis subchrysella, Sporisorium anadelphiae-leptocomae, Tetraploa dashaoensis, Tomentella exiguelata, Tomentella fuscoaraneosa, Tricholomopsis lechatii, Vaginatispora flavispora and Wetmoreana blastidiocalcarea. The new combination is Torula sundara. The 39 new records on hosts and geographical distribution comprise Apiospora guiyangensis, Aplosporella artocarpi, Ascochyta medicaginicola, Astrocystis bambusicola, Athelia rolfsii, Bambusicola bambusae, Bipolaris luttrellii, Botryosphaeria dothidea, Chlorophyllum squamulosum, Colletotrichum aeschynomenes, Colletotrichum pandanicola, Coprinopsis cinerea, Corylicola italica, Curvularia alcornii, Curvularia senegalensis, Diaporthe foeniculina, Diaporthe longicolla, Diaporthe phaseolorum, Diatrypella quercina, Fusarium brachygibbosum, Helicoma aquaticum, Lepiota metulispora, Lepiota pongduadensis, Lepiota subvenenata, Melanconiella meridionalis, Monotosporella erecta, Nodulosphaeria digitalis, Palmiascoma gregariascomum, Periconia byssoides, Periconia cortaderiae, Pleopunctum ellipsoideum, Psilocybe keralensis, Scedosporium apiospermum, Scedosporium dehoogii, Scedosporium marina, Spegazzinia deightonii, Torula fici, Wiesneriomyces laurinus and Xylaria venosula. All these taxa are supported by morphological and multigene phylogenetic analyses. This article allows the researchers to publish fungal collections which are important for future studies. An updated, accurate and timely report of fungus-host and fungus-geography is important. We also provide an updated list of fungal taxa published in the previous fungal diversity notes. In this list, erroneous taxa and synonyms are marked and corrected accordingly.

Fungal diversity notes 1387-1511: taxonomic and phylogenetic contributions on genera and species of fungal taxa

This article is the 13th contribution in the Fungal Diversity Notes series, wherein 125 taxa from four phyla, ten classes, 31 orders, 69 families, 92 genera and three genera incertae sedis are treated, demonstrating worldwide and geographic distribution. Fungal taxa described and illustrated in the present study include three new genera, 69 new species, one new combination, one reference specimen and 51 new records on new hosts and new geographical distributions. Three new genera, Cylindrotorula (Torulaceae), Scolecoleotia (Leotiales genus incertae sedis) and Xenovaginatispora (Lindomycetaceae) are introduced based on distinct phylogenetic lineages and unique morphologies. Newly described species are Aspergillus lannaensis, Cercophora dulciaquae, Cladophialophora aquatica, Coprinellus punjabensis, Cortinarius alutarius, C. mammillatus, C. quercoflocculosus, Coryneum fagi, Cruentomycena uttarakhandina, Cryptocoryneum rosae, Cyathus uniperidiolus, Cylindrotorula indica, Diaporthe chamaeropicola, Didymella azollae, Diplodia alanphillipsii, Dothiora coronicola, Efibula rodriguezarmasiae, Erysiphe salicicola, Fusarium queenslandicum, Geastrum gorgonicum, G. hansagiense, Helicosporium sexualis, Helminthosporium chiangraiensis, Hongkongmyces kokensis, Hydrophilomyces hydraenae, Hygrocybe boertmannii, Hyphoderma australosetigerum, Hyphodontia yunnanensis, Khaleijomyces umikazeana, Laboulbenia divisa, Laboulbenia triarthronis, Laccaria populina, Lactarius pallidozonarius, Lepidosphaeria strobelii, Longipedicellata megafusiformis, Lophiotrema lincangensis, Marasmius benghalensis, M. jinfoshanensis, M. subtropicus, Mariannaea camelliae, Melanographium smilaxii, Microbotryum polycnemoides, Mimeomyces digitatus, Minutisphaera thailandensis, Mortierella solitaria, Mucor harpali, Nigrograna jinghongensis, Odontia huanrenensis, O. parvispina, Paraconiothyrium ajrekarii, Parafuscosporella niloticus, Phaeocytostroma yomensis, Phaeoisaria synnematicus, Phanerochaete hainanensis, Pleopunctum thailandicum, Pleurotheciella dimorphospora, Pseudochaetosphaeronema chiangraiense, Pseudodactylaria albicolonia, Rhexoacrodictys nigrospora, Russula paravioleipes, Scolecoleotia eriocamporesi, Seriascoma honghense, Synandromyces makranczyi, Thyridaria aureobrunnea, Torula lancangjiangensis, Tubeufia longihelicospora, Wicklowia fusiformispora, Xenovaginatispora phichaiensis and Xylaria apiospora. One new combination, Pseudobactrodesmium stilboideus is proposed. A reference specimen of Comoclathris permunda is designated. New host or distribution records are provided for Acrocalymma fici, Aliquandostipite khaoyaiensis, Camarosporidiella laburni, Canalisporium caribense, Chaetoscutula juniperi, Chlorophyllum demangei, C. globosum, C. hortense, Cladophialophora abundans, Dendryphion hydei, Diaporthe foeniculina, D. pseudophoenicicola, D. pyracanthae, Dictyosporium pandanicola, Dyfrolomyces distoseptatus, Ernakulamia tanakae, Eutypa flavovirens, E. lata, Favolus septatus, Fusarium atrovinosum, F. clavum, Helicosporium luteosporum, Hermatomyces nabanheensis, Hermatomyces sphaericoides, Longipedicellata aquatica, Lophiostoma caudata, L. clematidis-vitalbae, Lophiotrema hydei, L. neoarundinaria, Marasmiellus palmivorus, Megacapitula villosa, Micropsalliota globocystis, M. gracilis, Montagnula thailandica, Neohelicosporium irregulare, N. parisporum, Paradictyoarthrinium diffractum, Phaeoisaria aquatica, Poaceascoma taiwanense, Saproamanita manicata, Spegazzinia camelliae, Submersispora variabilis, Thyronectria caudata, T. mackenziei, Tubeufia chiangmaiensis, T. roseohelicospora, Vaginatispora nypae, Wicklowia submersa, Xanthagaricus necopinatus and Xylaria haemorrhoidalis. The data presented herein are based on morphological examination of fresh specimens, coupled with analysis of phylogenetic sequence data to better integrate taxa into appropriate taxonomic ranks and infer their evolutionary relationships.

The fungus Kalmusia longispora is able to cause vascular necrosis on Vitis vinifera

Fungal diseases in agronomically important plants such as grapevines result in significantly reduced production, pecuniary losses, and increased use of environmentally damaging chemicals. Beside the well-known diseases, there is an increased interest in wood-colonizing fungal pathogens that infect the woody tissues of grapevines. In 2015, a traditional isolation method was performed on grapevine trunks showing symptoms of trunk diseases in Hungary. One isolate (T15142) was identified as Kalmusia longispora (formerly Dendrothyrium longisporum) according to morphological and phylogenetic analyses. To evaluate the pathogenicity of this fungus on grapevines, artificial infections were carried out under greenhouse and field conditions, including the CBS 824.84 and ex-type CBS 582.83 strains. All isolates could be re-isolated from inoculated plants; however, varying virulence was observed among them in terms of the vascular necrosis caused. The incidence and severity of this symptom seemed to be congruent with the laccase-producing capabilities of the isolates. This is the first report on the ability of Kalmusia longispora to cause symptoms on grapevines, and on its possible dependence on laccase secretion.

Endophytic Fungi Assures Tropical Forage Grass Growth by Water Stress Tolerances

Forage plants is the base of beef and dairy cattle production. While water stress limits agricultural production worldwide, endophytic fungi can play a beneficial role for plants, such as tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of inoculation of the endophytic fungi Paraconiothyrium estuarinum (CML 3695, CML 3696, CML 3699) and Paraconiothyrium cyclothyrioides (CML 3697, CML 3698) on agronomic characteristics of two forage species, Brachiaria brizantha (A. Rich) Stapf. cv. Marandu and Megathyrsus maximus Jacq. cv. BRS Mombaça, under different available water capacities. The treatments simulated a long drought period (LDH) equivalent to 10% of the available water capacity (AWC) and simulated 7 (7 DH) and 14 days of drought (14 DH) without water supply. The grasses were evaluated for length and dry weight of shoots and roots. All treatments reached humidity below the permanent wilting point (PWP) and the highest variation in soil moisture was observed at 14 DH, for both grass species. The endophytic fungi promoted an average 15% increase in shoot length (SL) for B. brizantha and an increase of 34% for SL, 266% for Dry Shoot Mass (SDM), and 340% for Dry Root Mass (RDM) for M. maximus treated with P. estuarinum (CML 3699) at 7 DH. Paraconiothyrium estuarinum (CML 3699) guaranteed the highest tolerance to water deficit and sustainable growth performance to both tested grasses.

Apple Fruit Core Rot Agents in Greece and Control with Succinate Dehydrogenase Inhibitor Fungicides

Core rot is a major postharvest disease of apple fruit that occurs worldwide and is caused by a complex of fungi. Despite the importance of the disease, little is known about its etiology in Greece. In this study, 325 fungal isolates obtained from fruit with core rot symptoms were identified to the species level using morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analysis. Fungal identification revealed that Alternaria alternata was the major disease agent (57.8% of the isolates), followed by Kalmusia variispora (27.8%), Botrytis cinerea (12%), and Fusarium spp. (3.3%). K. variispora is reported for the first time as an agent of core rot of apple and its pathogenicity was confirmed by artificial inoculation tests. In addition to disease etiology, field experiments were performed at two different orchards for 3 consecutive years (2017 to 2019). Experiments were conducted to determine the effectiveness of several classes of fungicides and the timing of application for control of the disease. Greater efficacy was achieved when fungicides were applied at the petal fall stage (flowers fading BBCH 67), while the most effective fungicides were the succinate dehydrogenase inhibitors fluxapyroxad, fluopyram, adepidyn, and penthiopyrad. The results of this study are expected to contribute to the optimization of disease management and reduce the yield losses caused by core rot pathogens in Greece.

The genus Paraconiothyrium: species concepts, biological functions, and secondary metabolites

The genus Paraconiothyrium has worldwide distribution with diverse host habitats and exhibits potential utilisation as biocontrol agent, bioreactor and antibiotic producer. In this review, we firstly comprehensively summarise the current taxonomic status of Paraconiothyrium species, including their category names, morphological features, habitats, and multigene phylogenetic relationships. Some Paraconiothyrium species possess vital biological functions and potential applications in medicine, agriculture, industry, and environmental protection. A total of 147 secondary metabolites have been reported so far from Paraconiothyrium, among which 95 are novel. This paper serves to provide an overview of their diverse structures with chemical classification and biological activities. To date, 27 species of Paraconiothyrium have been documented; however, only seven have been investigated for their secondary metabolites or biological functions. Our review is expected to draw more attention to this genus for providing a taxonomic reference, discovering extensive biological functions, and searching in-depth for new bioactive natural products.

Insight into the Systematics of Microfungi Colonizing Dead Woody Twigs of Dodonaea viscosa in Honghe (China)

Members of Dodonaea are broadly distributed across subtropical and tropical areas of southwest and southern China. This host provides multiple substrates that can be richly colonized by numerous undescribed fungal species. There is a severe lack of microfungal studies on Dodonaea in China, and consequently, the diversity, phylogeny and taxonomy of these microorganisms are all largely unknown. This paper presents two new genera and four new species in three orders of Dothideomycetes gathered from dead twigs of Dodonaea viscosa in Honghe, China. All new collections were made within a selected area in Honghe from a single Dodonaea sp. This suggests high fungal diversity in the region and the existence of numerous species awaiting discovery. Multiple gene sequences (non-translated loci and protein-coding regions) were analysed with maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses. Results from the phylogenetic analyses supported placing Haniomyces dodonaeae gen. et sp. in the Teratosphaeriaceae family. Analysis of Rhytidhysteron sequences resulted in Rhytidhysteron hongheense sp. nov., while analysed Lophiostomataceae sequences revealed Lophiomurispora hongheensis gen. et sp. nov. Finally, phylogeny based on a combined dataset of pyrenochaeta-like sequences demonstrates strong statistical support for placing Quixadomyceshongheensis sp. nov. in Parapyrenochaetaceae. Morphological and updated phylogenetic circumscriptions of the new discoveries are also discussed.

Freshwater Dothideomycetes

Freshwater Dothideomycetes are a highly diverse group of fungi, which are mostly saprobic in freshwater habitats worldwide. They are important decomposers of submerged woody debris and leaves in water. In this paper, we outline the genera of freshwater Dothideomycetes with notes and keys to species. Based on multigene analyses and morphology, we introduce nine new genera, viz. Aquimassariosphaeria, Aquatospora, Aquihelicascus, Fusiformiseptata, Neohelicascus, Neojahnula, Pseudojahnula, Purpureofaciens, Submersispora; 33 new species, viz. Acrocalymma bipolare, Aquimassariosphaeria kunmingensis, Aquatospora cylindrica, Aquihelicascus songkhlaensis, A. yunnanensis, Ascagilis submersa, A. thailandensis, Bambusicola aquatica, Caryospora submersa, Dictyocheirospora thailandica, Fusiformiseptata crocea, Helicosporium thailandense, Hongkongmyces aquaticus, Lentistoma aquaticum, Lentithecium kunmingense, Lindgomyces aquaticus, Longipedicellata aquatica, Neohelicascus submersus, Neohelicomyces dehongensis, N. thailandicus, Neohelicosporium submersum, Nigrograna aquatica, Occultibambusa kunmingensis, Parabambusicola aquatica, Pseudoasteromassaria aquatica, Pseudoastrosphaeriella aquatica, Pseudoxylomyces aquaticus, Purpureofaciens aquatica, Roussoella aquatica, Shrungabeeja aquatica, Submersispora variabilis, Tetraploa puzheheiensis, T. yunnanensis; 16 new combinations, viz. Aquimassariosphaeria typhicola, Aquihelicascus thalassioideus, Ascagilis guttulaspora, A. queenslandica, A. seychellensis, A. sunyatsenii, Ernakulamia xishuangbannaensis, Neohelicascus aquaticus, N. chiangraiensis, N. egyptiacus, N. elaterascus, N. gallicus, N. unilocularis, N. uniseptatus, Neojahnula australiensis, Pseudojahnula potamophila; 17 new geographical and habitat records, viz. Aliquandostipite khaoyaiensis, Aquastroma magniostiolata, Caryospora aquatica, C. quercus, Dendryphiella vinosa, Ernakulamia cochinensis, Fissuroma neoaggregatum, Helicotruncatum palmigenum, Jahnula rostrata, Neoroussoella bambusae, N. leucaenae, Occultibambusa pustula, Paramonodictys solitarius, Pleopunctum pseudoellipsoideum, Pseudocapulatispora longiappendiculata, Seriascoma didymosporum, Shrungabeeja vadirajensis and ten new collections from China and Thailand, viz. Amniculicola guttulata, Aquaphila albicans, Berkleasmium latisporum, Clohesyomyces aquaticus, Dictyocheirospora rotunda, Flabellascoma fusiforme, Pseudoastrosphaeriella bambusae, Pseudoxylomyces elegans, Tubeufia aquatica and T. cylindrothecia. Dendryphiella phitsanulokensis and Tubeufia roseohelicospora are synonymized with D. vinosa and T. tectonae, respectively. Six orders, 43 families and 145 genera which belong to freshwater Dothideomycetes are reviewed. Of these, 46 genera occur exclusively in freshwater habitats. A world map illustrates the distribution of freshwater Dothideomycetes.

New and Interesting Fungi. 3

Seven new genera, 26 new species, 10 new combinations, two epitypes, one new name, and 20 interesting new host and / or geographical records are introduced in this study. New genera are: Italiofungus (based on Italiofungus phillyreae) on leaves of Phillyrea latifolia (Italy); Neolamproconium (based on Neolamproconium silvestre) on branch of Tilia sp. (Ukraine); Neosorocybe (based on Neosorocybe pini) on trunk of Pinus sylvestris (Ukraine); Nothoseptoria (based on Nothoseptoria caraganae) on leaves of Caragana arborescens (Russia); Pruniphilomyces (based on Pruniphilomyces circumscissus) on Prunus cerasus (Russia); Vesiculozygosporium (based on Vesiculozygosporium echinosporum) on leaves of Muntingia calabura (Malaysia); Longiseptatispora (based on Longiseptatispora curvata) on leaves of Lonicera tatarica (Russia). New species are: Barrmaelia serenoae on leaf of Serenoa repens (USA); Chaetopsina gautengina on leaves of unidentified grass (South Africa); Chloridium pini on fallen trunk of Pinus sylvestris (Ukraine); Cadophora fallopiae on stems of Reynoutria sachalinensis (Poland); Coleophoma eucalyptigena on leaf litter of Eucalyptus sp. (Spain); Cylindrium corymbiae on leaves of Corymbia maculata (Australia); Diaporthe tarchonanthi on leaves of Tarchonanthus littoralis (South Africa); Elsinoe eucalyptorum on leaves of Eucalyptus propinqua (Australia); Exophiala quercina on dead wood of Quercus sp., (Germany); Fusarium californicum on cambium of budwood of Prunus dulcis (USA); Hypomyces gamsii on wood of Alnus glutinosa (Ukraine); Kalmusia araucariae on leaves of Araucaria bidwillii (USA); Lectera sambuci on leaves of Sambucus nigra (Russia); Melanomma populicola on fallen twig of Populus canadensis (Netherlands), Neocladosporium syringae on branches of Syringa vulgarishorus (Ukraine); Paraconiothyrium iridis on leaves of Iris pseudacorus (Ukraine); Pararoussoella quercina on branch of Quercus robur (Ukraine); Phialemonium pulveris from bore dust of deathwatch beetle (France); Polyscytalum pinicola on needles of Pinus tecunumanii (Malaysia); Acervuloseptoria fraxini on Fraxinus pennsylvanica (Russia); Roussoella arundinacea on culms of Arundo donax (Spain); Sphaerulina neoaceris on leaves of Acer negundo (Russia); Sphaerulina salicicola on leaves of Salix fragilis (Russia); Trichomerium syzygii on leaves of Syzygium cordatum (South Africa); Uzbekistanica vitis-viniferae on dead stem of Vitis vinifera (Ukraine); Vermiculariopsiella eucalyptigena on leaves of Eucalyptus sp. (Australia).

Sphaeropsis sapinea and fungal endophyte diversity in twigs of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) in Germany

Sphaeropsis sapinea is the causal fungal agent of Diplodia tip blight disease of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and other coniferous trees of relevance to forestry in Germany. In this study, the distribution and occurrence of S. sapinea and accompanying endophytic fungi in twigs of healthy and diseased Scots pine was investigated on a spatial and temporal scale. Sampling of 26,000 twig segments from trees in 105 temperate coniferous forest stands in Germany resulted in isolation of 33,000 endophytic fungi consisting of 103 species identified based on morphological and ITS-DNA sequence analyses. Approximately 98% of the sample was represented by fungi in the Ascomycota, with only two species (Peniophora pini and Coprinellus sp.) belonging to the Basidiomycota. Four species were detected in a frequency greater than 10% (Sphaeropsis sapinea, Sydowia polyspora, Microsphaeropsis olivacea, and Truncatella conorum-piceae) from the collective sample. A typical inhabitant of Scots pine twigs Desmazierella acicola was isolated and additionally typical hardwood colonizers like Biscogniauxia spp. were detected. S. sapinea, an endophytic plant pathogen with saprobic capabilities, was isolated from more than 80% of the studied pine trees, but the majority of trees sampled showed no symptoms of Diplodia tip blight. No invasive, pathogenic quarantine fungi for Germany were isolated from healthy or diseased Scots pines. Advantages and disadvantages of isolation-based endophyte studies over studies using direct DNA-isolation are discussed. Knowledge of the fungal endophyte communities in twigs of Scots pine allowed for identification S. sapinea and other potential pathogens of pines and other forest trees that may possibly contribute to increased disease under repeated periods of drought and heat stress in the future.

Genome Resources for the Endophytic Fungus Paraphaeosphaeria sporulosa

Paraphaeosphaeria genus includes plant pathogens or biocontrol agents as well as bioremediators and endophytic fungi. Paraphaeosphaeria sporulosa 10515 was isolated in 2013 as an endophyte of Festuca spp. collected on Mount Etna at 1,832 meters above sea level. Here, we present the first-draft whole-genome sequence of a P. sporulosa endophytic isolate. This data will be useful for future research on understanding the genetic bases of endophytism.

Endophytic Fungi of Olive Tree

In addition to the general interest connected with investigations on biodiversity in natural contexts, more recently the scientific community has started considering occurrence of endophytic fungi in crops in the awareness of the fundamental role played by these microorganisms on plant growth and protection. Crops such as olive tree, whose management is more and more frequently based on the paradigm of sustainable agriculture, are particularly interested in the perspective of a possible applicative employment, considering that the multi-year crop cycle implies a likely higher impact of these symbiotic interactions. Aspects concerning occurrence and effects of endophytic fungi associated with olive tree (Olea europaea) are revised in the present paper.

Double lives: transfer of fungal endophytes from leaves to woody substrates

Fungal endophytes are a ubiquitous feature of plants, yet for many fungi the benefits of endophytism are still unknown. The Foraging Ascomycete (FA) hypothesis proposes that saprotrophic fungi can utilize leaves both as dispersal vehicles and as resource havens during times of scarcity. The presence of saprotrophs in leaf endophyte communities has been previously observed but their ability to transfer to non-foliar saprobic substrates has not been well investigated. To assess this ability, we conducted a culture study by placing surface-sterilized leaves from a single tropical angiosperm tree (Nectandra lineatifolia) directly onto sterile wood fragments and incubating them for 6 weeks. Fungi from the wood were subsequently isolated in culture and identified to the genus level by ITS sequences or morphology. Four-hundred and seventy-seven fungal isolates comprising 24 taxa were cultured from the wood. Of these, 70.8% of taxa (82.3% of isolates) belong to saprotrophic genera according to the FUNGuild database. Furthermore, 27% of OTUs (6% of isolates) were basidiomycetes, an unusually high proportion compared to typical endophyte communities. Xylaria flabelliformis, although absent in our original isolations, formed anamorphic fruiting structures on the woody substrates. We introduce the term viaphyte (literally, "by way of plant") to refer to fungi that undergo an interim stage as leaf endophytes and, after leaf senescence, colonize other woody substrates via hyphal growth. Our results support the FA hypothesis and suggest that viaphytism may play a significant role in fungal dispersal.

Revealing the hidden diversity of marine fungi in Portugal with the description of two novel species, Neoascochyta fuci sp. nov. and Paraconiothyrium salinum sp. nov

Fungi are ubiquitous organisms with a wide distribution in almost all ecosystems, including marine environments. Coastal and estuarine ecosystems remain poorly unexplored as fungal habitats, potentially harbouring a hidden diversity with important ecological roles. During an extensive survey of marine fungi in coastal and estuarine Portuguese environments, a collection of 612 isolates was obtained from water, algae, sponges and driftwood. From these, 282 representative isolates were selected through microsatellite-primed PCR (MSP-PCR) fingerprinting analysis, which were identified based on DNA sequence data. The collection yielded 117 taxa from 38 distinct genera, which were identified using DNA sequence analysis. Overall, fungal community composition varied with host/substrate, but the most abundant taxa in the collection were Cladosporium cladosporioides, Penicillium terrigenum, Penicillium brevicompactum and Fusarium equiseti/incarnatum complex. The occurrence of a high fungal diversity harbouring novel species was disclosed. Through a multilocus phylogeny based on ITS, tub2 and tef1-α sequences, in conjunction with morphological and physiological data, we propose Neoascochyta fuci sp. nov. and Paraconiothyrium salinum sp. nov.

Species diversity of Pleosporalean taxa associated with Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze in Taiwan

Pleosporales species are important plant pathogens, saprobes, and endophytes on a wide range of economically important plant hosts. The classification of Pleosporales has undergone various modifications in recent years due to the addition of many families described from multiple habitats with a high level of morphological deviation. Numerous asexual genera have been described in Pleosporales that can be either hyphomyceteous or coelomycetous. Phoma- or coniothyrium-like species are common and have been revealed as polyphyletic in the order Pleosporales and linked with several sexual genera. A total of 31 pleosporalean strains were isolated in different regions of Taiwan between 2017 and 2018 from the leaves of Camellia sinensis plants with symptoms of leaf spot disease. These strains were evaluated morphologically and genotypically using multi-locus sequence analyses of the ITS, LSU, SSU, rpb2, tef1 and tub2 genes. The results demonstrated the affiliation of these strains with the various families in Pleosporales and revealed the presence of one new genus (Neoshiraia) and eight new species (Alloconiothyrium camelliae, Amorocoelophoma camelliae, Leucaenicola camelliae, L. taiwanensis, Neoshiraia camelliae, N. taiwanensis, Paraconiothyrium camelliae and Paraphaeosphaeria camelliae). Furthermore, to the best of our understanding, Didymella segeticola, Ectophoma pomi and Roussoella mexican were reported for the first time from C. sinensis in Taiwan.

Taxonomy and phylogenetic appraisal of Spegazzinia musae sp. nov. and S. deightonii (Didymosphaeriaceae, Pleosporales) on Musaceae from Thailand

Tropical plants host a range of fungal niches including endophytes, pathogens, epiphytes and saprobes. A study undertaken to discover the saprobic fungal species associated with Musa sp. (banana) from northern Thailand found two hyphomycetous taxa of Spegazzinia (Didymosphaeriaceae, Pleosporales). These were collected during the dry season and their morpho-molecular taxonomic relationships were investigated. Based on phylogenetic analysis of combined SSU, LSU, ITS and TEF1-α sequence data (77% ML, 0.99 BYPP) and contrasting morphological features to the sister taxon, we introduce Spegazzinia musae as a novel species from a decaying leaf of Musa sp. Details on the taxonomy, ecology and geographical distribution of Spegazzinia species are provided. In addition, we report S. deightonii as a new host record from Musa sp. Our data further validate the taxonomic placement of Spegazzinia in Didymosphaeriaceae.

Prunus trees in Germany—a hideout of unknown fungi?

Prunus belongs to the economically most important genera of fruit crops in Germany. Although wood pathogens possess the capability to damage the host substantially, the knowledge of the fungal pathogenic community and the mycobiome of Prunus wood in general is low. During a survey in important fruit production areas in Germany, branches with symptoms of fungal infection were sampled in Prunus avium, P. cerasus and P. domestica orchards, and 1018 fungal isolates were obtained primarily from the transition zone of symptomatic to non-symptomatic wood. By a combination of blastn searches and phylogenetic analyses based on ITS and LSU sequences with a strong focus on reliable reference data, a diversity of 172 fungal taxa belonging to Ascomycota, Basidiomycota and Mucoromycota were differentiated. The majority of the strains belonged to three classes of Ascomycota, namely Sordariomycetes, Leotiomycetes and Dothideomycetes. The dominant species were Aposphaeria corallinolutea (Dothideomycetes) and Pallidophorina paarla (Leotiomycetes) that were isolated more than a hundred times each, while all other taxa were isolated ≤ 30 times. Only part of them could be identified to species level. Because of the high plasticity of species boundaries, the identification certainty was divided into categories based on nucleotide differences to reference sequences. In total, 82 species were identified with high and 20 species with low (cf.) certainty. Moreover, about 70 species could not be assigned to a known species, which reveals Prunus wood to represent a habitat harbouring high numbers of potentially new species, even in a well-explored region like Germany.

Ribosomal and Protein Gene Phylogeny Reveals Novel Saprobic Fungal Species From Juglans regia and Urtica dioica

During an ongoing investigation of Ascomycetes from plant substrates, three saprobic species were found from plant substrates. Two new species, Leptosphaeria regiae and Neomicrosphaeropsis juglandis were isolated from dead branches of Juglans regia from Turkey. Another species is introduced herein as Subplenodomus urticae sp. nov within the family Leptosphaeriaceae found on Urtica dioica in Italy. Multigene phylogenies based on combined LSU, ITS, SSU, and β-tubulin DNA sequence data generated from maximum likelihood and MrBayes analyses indicate that Leptosphaeria regiae is related to L. slovacica and forms an independent lineage within the genus Leptosphaeria. Subplenodomus urticae is basal to S. iridicola and its establishment as a new species is strongly supported. Neomicrosphaeropsis juglandis forms a moderately supported lineage in between N. italica and N. elaeagni in the Didymellaceae. Full morphological details are provided herein and phylogenetic relationships of the three new species are also discussed.

Antibiotic Activity of a Paraphaeosphaeria sporulosa-Produced Diketopiperazine against Salmonella enterica

A diketopiperazine has been purified from a culture filtrate of the endophytic fungus Paraphaeosphaeria sporulosa, isolated from healthy tissues of strawberry plants in a survey of microbes as sources of anti-bacterial metabolites. Its structure has been determined by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analyses and was found to be identical to cyclo(L-Pro-L-Phe) purified from species of other fungal genera. This secondary metabolite has been selected following bioguided-assay fractionation against two strains of Salmonella enterica, the causal agent of bovine gastroenteritis. The diketopiperazine cyclo(L-Pro-L-Phe), isolated for the first time from Paraphaeosphaeria species, showed minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 71.3 and 78.6 μg/mL against the two S. enterica strains. This finding may be significant in limiting the use of synthetic antibiotics in animal husbandry and reducing the emergence of bacterial multidrug resistance. Further in vivo experiments of P. sporulosa diketopiperazines are important for the future application of these metabolites.

A new collar rot disease of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) caused by Aplosporella hesperidica in India

Cowpea is an important pulse crop cultivated in arid and semi-arid regions of the world. During field survey, a characteristic wilt was observed in around 45 ha of cowpea fields with incidence 17-25%. Infection was seen in pre-flowering stage and infected plants showed quick wilt symptoms with tan lesions near the stem-soil interface. Fungal pathogens associated were isolated on PDA, which produced dark to grey olivaceous colonies in the centre, and aerial mycelia were appressed with floccose and white to smoke-grey. Conidia are aseptate, initially hyaline, smooth-walled, broadly ellipsoidal with rounded ends becoming dark brown. Based on these morphological features, the fungal pathogen was identified as Aplosporella sp. The ITS-rDNA region was amplified using ITS1/ITS4 primers and sequenced. The nBLAST and phylogenetic analysis confirmed the pathogen as Aplosporella hesperidica. The Koch's postulates were performed on 45-days-old cowpea plants with mycelial disc of A. hesperidica. Development of typical necrotic lesions was observed after 28 days of post-inoculation and the pathogen's identity was confirmed based on re-isolation. Efficacy of fungicides evaluated in vitro showed that the pathogen is highly sensitive to systemic fungicides rather than the contact fungicides. The cowpea production was severely affected owing to the causative agent A. hesperidica. The collar rot disease of cowpea by A. hesperidica is the first report in India. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: A new collar rot disease of cowpea recorded from India has been investigated. The necrotic lesions were enlarged and eventually quick wilt and death of the host plant was observed with incidence ranged from 17 to 25%. Associated fungal pathogen was isolated and identified as Aplosporella hesperidica based on morphology and ITS-rDNA sequence analysis. Koch's postulates were performed under greenhouse conditions and in vitro evaluation of fungicides shows that the pathogen is sensitive to systemic fungicides. This is the first report of A. hesperidica causing collar rot disease of cowpea in India.

Polyketide-Derived Secondary Metabolites from a Dothideomycetes Fungus, Pseudopalawania siamensisgen. et sp. nov., (Muyocopronales) with Antimicrobial and Cytotoxic Activities

Pseudopalawania siamensisgen. et sp. nov., from northern Thailand, is introduced based on multi-gene analyses and morphological comparison. An isolate was fermented in yeast malt culture broth and explored for its secondary metabolite production. Chromatographic purification of the crude ethyl acetate (broth) extract yielded four tetrahydroxanthones comprised of a new heterodimeric bistetrahydroxanthone, pseudopalawanone (1), two known dimeric derivatives, 4,4'-secalonic acid D (2) and penicillixanthone A (3), the corresponding monomeric tetrahydroxanthone paecilin B (4), and the known benzophenone, cephalanone F (5). Compounds 1-3 showed potent inhibitory activity against Gram-positive bacteria. Compounds 2 and 3 were inhibitory against Bacillus subtilis with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of 1.0 and 4.2 μg/mL, respectively. Only compound 2 showed activity against Mycobacterium smegmatis. In addition, the dimeric compounds 1-3 also showed moderate cytotoxic effects on HeLa and mouse fibroblast cell lines, which makes them less attractive as candidates for development of selectively acting antibiotics.

The Genera of Fungi - G6: Arthrographis, Kramasamuha, Melnikomyces, Thysanorea, and Verruconis

The Genera of Fungi series, of which this is the sixth contribution, links type species of fungal genera to their morphology and DNA sequence data. Five genera of microfungi are treated in this study, with new species introduced in Arthrographis, Melnikomyces, and Verruconis. The genus Thysanorea is emended and two new species and nine combinations are proposed. Kramasamuha sibika, the type species of the genus, is provided with DNA sequence data for first time and shown to be a member of Helminthosphaeriaceae (Sordariomycetes). Aureoconidiella is introduced as a new genus representing a new lineage in the Dothideomycetes.

Phylogenetic placement of Leptosphaeria polylepidis, a pathogen of Andean endemic Polylepis tarapacana, and its newly discovered mycoparasite Sajamaea mycophila gen. et sp. nov

Polylepis tarapacana forms one of the highest-altitude woodlands worldwide. Its populations are experiencing a decline due to unsustainable land-use practices, climate change, and fungal infection. In Sajama National Park in Bolivia, Polylepis tarapacana is affected by a disease caused by the pleosporalean fungus Leptosphaeria polylepidis, recently described in 2005. In this study, the integrative morphological and molecular analyses using sequences from multiple DNA loci showed that it belongs to the genus Paraleptosphaeria (Leptosphaeriaceae, Pleosporales). Accordingly, the appropriate new combination, Paraleptosphaeria polylepidis, is made. Pseudothecia of Pa. polylepidis were found to be overgrown by enigmatic conidiomata that were not reported in the original description of this fungus. Morphological and molecular analyses using sequences from two DNA loci revealed that they belong to an undescribed genus and species in the family Dictyosporiaceae (Pleosporales). The new generic and specific names, Sajamaea and S. mycophila, are introduced for this unusual fungus.

Molecular data reveals a new holomorphic marine fungus, Halobyssothecium estuariae, and the asexual morph of Keissleriella phragmiticola

This study introduces a novel holomorphic marine fungal species, Halobyssothecium estuariae (Lentitheciaceae, Pleosporales), from dead Phragmites communis. The new species has semi-immersed, subglobose or ellipsoidal, papillate, conical ascomata, clavate to subcylindrical, short pedicellate asci and 3-septate, fusoid to ellipsoidal ascospores with rounded ends, pale brown to dark brown central cells and hyaline end cells. The asexual morph has multiseptate, filiform, intercalary, catenate, branched chlamydospores that resemble Xylomyces. The asexual morph of Keissleriella phragmiticola based on combined LSU, SSU, ITS and TEF1 sequence analyses is reported. The role of molecular identification in delineating cryptic species are also discussed.

Endophytic fungi from the branches of Camellia taliensis (W. W. Smith) Melchior, a widely distributed wild tea plant

Camellia taliensis (W. W. Smith) Melchior is a wild tea plant endemic from the west and southwest of Yunnan province of China to the north of Myanmar and is used commonly to produce tea by the local people of its growing areas. Its chemical constituents are closely related to those of C. sinensis var. assamica, a widely cultivated tea plant. In this study, the α diversity and phylogeny of endophytic fungi in the branches of C. taliensis were explored for the first time. A total of 160 fungal strains were obtained and grouped into 42 species from 29 genera, which were identified based on rDNA internal transcribed spacer sequence analysis. Diversity analysis showed that the endophytic fungal community of the branches of C. taliensis had high species richness S (42), Margalef index D' (8.0785), Shannon-Wiener index H' (2.8494), Simpson diversity index D_S (0.8891), PIE index (0.8947) and evenness Pielou index J (0.7623) but a low dominant index λ (0.1109). By contrast, that in the branches of C. taliensis had abundant species and high species evenness. Diaporthe tectonigena, Acrocalymma sp. and Colletotrichum magnisporum were the dominant endophytic fungi. The phylogenetic tree was established by maximum parsimony analysis, and the 11 orders observed for endophytic fungi belonging to Ascomycota and Basidiomycota were grouped into 4 classes.

Neostagonosporellasichuanensis gen. et sp. nov. (Phaeosphaeriaceae, Pleosporales) on Phyllostachysheteroclada (Poaceae) from Sichuan Province, China

Neostagonosporellasichuanensis sp. nov. was found on Phyllostachysheteroclada collected from Sichuan Province in China and is introduced in a new genus Neostagonosporella gen. nov. in this paper. Evidence for the placement of the new taxon in the family Phaeosphaeriaceae is supported by morphology and phylogenetic analysis of a combined LSU, SSU, ITS and TEF 1-α DNA sequence dataset. Maximum-likelihood, maximum-parsimony and Bayesian inference phylogenetic analyses support Neostagonosporella as a distinct genus within this family. The new genus is compared with related genera of Phaeosphaeriaceae and full descriptions and illustrations are provided. Neostagonosporella is characterised by its unique suite of characters, such as multiloculate ascostromata and cylindrical to fusiform, transversely multiseptate, straight or curved ascospores, which are widest at the central cells. Conidiostromata are multiloculate, fusiform to long fusiform or rhomboid, with two types conidia; macroconidia vermiform or subcylindrical to cylindrical, transversely multiseptate, sometimes curved, almost equidistant between septa and microconidia oval, ellipsoidal or long ellipsoidal, aseptate, rounded at both ends. An updated phylogeny of the Phaeosphaeriaceae based on multigene analysis is provided.

Identification of Fungal Communities Within the Tar Spot Complex of Corn in Michigan via Next-Generation Sequencing

Tar spot is a fungal disease complex of corn that has been destructive and yield limiting in Central and South America for nearly 50 years. Phyllachora maydis, the causal agent of tar spot, is an emerging corn pathogen in the United States, first reported in 2015 from major corn producing regions of the country. The tar spot disease complex putatively includes Monographella maydis (syn. Microdochium maydis), which increases disease damage through the development of necrotic halos surrounding tar spot lesions. These necrotic halos, termed "fish-eye" symptoms, have been identified in the United States, though Monographella maydis has not yet been confirmed. A recent surge in disease severity and loss of yield attributed to tar spot in the United States has led to increased attention and expanded efforts to understand the disease complex and how to manage it. In this study, next-generation sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer-1 (ITS1) ribosomal DNA was used to identify fungal taxa that distinguish tar spot infections with or without fish-eye symptoms. Fungal communities within tar spot only lesions were significantly different from communities having fish-eye symptoms. Two low abundance OTUs were identified as Microdochium sp., however, neither were associated with fish-eye symptom development. Interestingly, a single OTU was found to be significantly more abundant in fish-eye lesions compared to tar spot lesions and had a 91% ITS1 identity to Neottiosporina paspali. In addition, the occurrence of this OTU was positively associated with Phyllachora maydis fish-eye symptom networks, but not in tar spot symptom networks. Neottiosporina paspali has been reported to cause necrotic lesions on various monocot grasses. Whether the related fungus we detected is part of the tar-spot complex of corn and responsible for fish-eye lesions remains to be tested. Alternatively, many OTUs identified as Phyllachora maydis, suggesting that different isolate genotypes may be capable of causing both tar spot and fish-eye symptoms, independent of other fungi. We conclude that Monographella maydis is not required for fish-eye symptoms in tar spot of corn.

New nematicidal and antimicrobial secondary metabolites from a new species in the new genus, Pseudobambusicola thailandica

During the course of a study on the functional biodiversity of the mycobiota inhabiting rainforests in Thailand, a fungal strain was isolated from a plant sample and shown to represent an undescribed species, as inferred from a combination of morphological and molecular phylogenetic methods. Molecular phylogenetic analyses, based on four DNA loci, revealed a phylogenetic tree with the newly generated sequences clustering in a separate branch, together with members of the Sulcatisporaceae (Pleosporales, Ascomycota). The Thai specimen morphologically resembled Neobambusicolastrelitziae in having pycnidial conidiomata with phialidic conidiogenous cells that produce both fusoid-ellipsoid macroconidia and subcylindrical microconidia. However, the new fungus, for which the name Pseudobambusicolathailandica is proposed, differs from N.strelitziae in having conidiomata with well-defined necks, the presence of globose to subglobose thick-walled cells adjacent to conidiomata and the production of chlamydospores in culture. When cultures of P.thailandica, growing on water agar, were confronted with Caenorhabditiselegans nematodes, worms approaching the fungal mycelia were killed. This observation gave rise to a study of its secondary metabolites and six novel and two known compounds were isolated from submerged cultures of P.thailandica. The structures of metabolites 1–6, for which the trivial names thailanones A–F are proposed, were elucidated using a combination of spectral methods, including extensive 1 and 2D NMR analysis and high resolution mass spectrometry. Compounds 4 and 8 showed strong nematicidal and weak antifungal activity, whereas all other tested compounds showed moderate to weak nematicidal activity but no significant effects in the serial dilution assay against various fungi and bacteria. Compounds 1 and 8 also inhibited growth of the pathogenic basidiomycete Phellinustremulae in a plate diffusion assay.