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.

Ability of fungi isolated from plastic debris floating in the shoreline of a lake to degrade plastics

Plastic waste in the environment is a significant threat due to its resistance to biological processes. Here we report the ability of fungal strains found on floating plastic debris to degrade plastics. In particular, we wanted to know which fungi grow on plastic debris floating in the shoreline, whether these fungi have the ability to degrade plastics, whether the plastic-degrading fungi can degrade other complex C-polymers such as lignin, and whether lignin-degraders vice versa can also break down plastics. Overall, more than a hundred fungal strains were isolated from plastic debris of the shoreline of Lake Zurich, Switzerland, and grouped morphologically. Representative strains of these groups were then selected and genetically identified, altogether twelve different fungal species and one species of Oomycota. The list of fungi included commonly occurring saprotrophic fungi but also some plant pathogens. These fungal strains were then used to test the ability to degrade polyethylene and polyurethane. The tests showed that none of the strains were able to degrade polyethylene. However, four strains were able to degrade polyurethane, the three litter-saprotrophic fungi Cladosporium cladosporioides, Xepiculopsis graminea, and Penicillium griseofulvum and the plant pathogen Leptosphaeria sp. A series of additional fungi with an origin other than from plastic debris were tested as well. Here, only the two litter-saprotrophic fungi Agaricus bisporus and Marasmius oreades showed the capability to degrade polyurethane. In contrast, wood-saprotrophic fungi and ectomycorrhizal fungi were unable to degrade polyurethane. Overall, it seems that in majority only a few litter-saprotrophic fungi, which possess a wide variety of enzymes, have the ability to degrade polyurethane. None of the fungi tested was able to degrade polyethylene.

The Genera of Fungi - fixing the application of the type species of generic names - G 2: Allantophomopsis, Latorua, Macrodiplodiopsis, Macrohilum, Milospium, Protostegia, Pyricularia, Robillarda, Rotula, Septoriella, Torula, and Wojnowicia

The present paper represents the second contribution in the Genera of Fungi series, linking type species of fungal genera to their morphology and DNA sequence data, and where possible, ecology. This paper focuses on 12 genera of microfungi, 11 of which the type species are neo- or epitypified here: Allantophomopsis (A. cytisporea, Phacidiaceae, Phacidiales, Leotiomycetes), Latorua gen. nov. (Latorua caligans, Latoruaceae, Pleosporales, Dothideomycetes), Macrodiplodiopsis (M. desmazieri, Macrodiplodiopsidaceae, Pleosporales, Dothideomycetes), Macrohilum (M. eucalypti, Macrohilaceae, Diaporthales, Sordariomycetes), Milospium (M. graphideorum, incertae sedis, Pezizomycotina), Protostegia (P. eucleae, Mycosphaerellaceae, Capnodiales, Dothideomycetes), Pyricularia (P. grisea, Pyriculariaceae, Magnaporthales, Sordariomycetes), Robillarda (R. sessilis, Robillardaceae, Xylariales, Sordariomycetes), Rutola (R. graminis, incertae sedis, Pleosporales, Dothideomycetes), Septoriella (S. phragmitis, Phaeosphaeriaceae, Pleosporales, Dothideomycetes), Torula (T. herbarum, Torulaceae, Pleosporales, Dothideomycetes) and Wojnowicia (syn. of Septoriella, S. hirta, Phaeosphaeriaceae, Pleosporales, Dothideomycetes). Novel species include Latorua grootfonteinensis, Robillarda africana, R. roystoneae, R. terrae, Torula ficus, T. hollandica, and T. masonii spp. nov., and three new families: Macrodiplodiopsisceae, Macrohilaceae, and Robillardaceae. Authors interested in contributing accounts of individual genera to larger multi-authored papers to be published in IMA Fungus, should contact the associate editors listed for the major groups of fungi on the List of Protected Generic Names for Fungi (www.generaoffungi.org).