Disseminated Oxyporus corticola infection in a German shepherd dog

The filamentous basidiomycetous fungus, Oxyporus corticola, has not previously been reported in the human or veterinary medical literature. Identification of this organism as the etiologic agent of fungal osteomyelitis and multiorgan dissemination in a German shepherd dog was confirmed by comparison of ITS and D1/D2 sequences with known isolates.

Identification and first report of Inonotus (Phellinus) tropicalis as an etiologic agent in a patient with chronic granulomatous disease

Although isolates of filamentous basidiomycetes can usually be recognized in a clinical laboratory setting, identification is problematic, as they seldom exhibit diagnostic morphological features formed in nature. This paper is the first report of Inonotus (Phellinus) tropicalis inciting human disease and describes the methods used to support the identification.

Ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer sequences do not support the species status of Ampelomyces quisqualis, a hyperparasite of powdery mildew fungi

Phylogenetic relationships among Ampelomyces isolates, pycnidial hyperparasites and biological control agents of powdery mildews, were inferred from internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences of the ribosomal DNA (rDNA). Currently, these hyperparasites are considered to be a single species, A. quisqualis, despite observed morphological and cultural differences. Ten Ampelomyces isolates, representing seven previously defined ITS RFLP groups, were sequenced and analyzed. Sequence-divergence values among isolates belonging to different RFLP groups ranged from 4.3 to 22.4%, suggesting that these isolates may represent different taxa. When Ampelomyces ITS sequences were analyzed by cladistic methods with the sequences of other ascomycetous fungi, they formed two lineages in the Dothideales. Slow-growing Ampelomyces isolates formed a clade with Leptosphaeria microscopica and L. nodorum, whereas fast-growing Ampelomyces isolates formed a clade with Epicoccum nigrum. Sequence-divergence values between these two clades ranged from 17.3 to 22.4%, suggesting that the taxa in the two clades are not closely related and possibly not congeneric. The data presented here indicate that the identification of 'A. quisqualis' isolates used in biological control experiments should be re-evaluated.