A new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Phellinus</Emphasis> sensu stricto associated with esca on grapevine in South Africa

A new species of Phellinus sensu stricto was isolated from diseased Vitis vinifera in the Northern Cape and Limpopo provinces of South Africa. Phellinus resupinatus is described here based on fruit body morphology, internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and large subunit (LSU) phylogenies. Phellinus resupinatus forms a well-supported clade closely related to Phellinus bicuspidatus, a species associated with white rot in oak trees in the United States. Morphologically, P. resupinatus is characterised by its resupinate fruit body shape, straight, ventricose hymenial setae and broadly ellipsoid hyaline basidiospores. It has been isolated from esca-diseased grapevines in the summer rainfall regions of South Africa and is found on the uppermost trunks of declining vines showing symptoms of white rot.     

A new wood-decaying basidiomycete species associated with esca of grapevine: Fomitiporia mediterranea (Hymenochaetales)

Fomitiporia mediterranea is described as a new wood-decaying basidiomycete species associated with esca of grapevine in European wine-growing countries. Characters of the fruit body are essentially identical with those of the closely related species, Fomitiporia punctata. Fomitiporia mediterranea is distinct by the sequences of the ribosomal ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region and by larger mycelial growth rates at temperatures between 15 °C and 35 °C. While F. punctata is confirmed as a homothallic species, F. mediterranea is shown to be outcrossing, exhibiting a unifactorial mating behaviour with a multiple allelism of the mating type factor, A; single spore isolates of F. mediterranea are intersterile in pairing tests with F. punctata. In southern Europe, F. mediterranea not only occurs on Vitis vinifera, but also on a number of other hardwood genera; it seems restricted to Vitis vinifera elsewhere in Europe.     

Physiological characteristics of the trunk sap rot pathogen Fomitiporia sp. on the “Sanbu-sugi” cultivar of Cryptomeria japonica

An unidentified Fomitiporia sp. initially identified as Fomitiporia punctata, causes severe trunk sap rot on Cryptomeria japonica cultivar “Sanbu-sugi”. We investigated the physiological characteristics of the mycelia of the causal fungus (F2, F6, and F43), in comparison with F. punctata (Fp) as a reference, in eight different experiments. The three unidentified isolates showed similar tendencies in change in mycelial growth during incubation, optimal growth temperatures (25 °C), optimal pH range (pH 5–6), glucose to yeast extract ratio (45), utilizable carbon sources (amylose, CM-cellulose, and pectin), utilizable nitrogen sources (yeast extract and polypepton), and water potential (?1.7 Mpa).     

Symptoms, Wood Lesions and Fungi Associated with Esca in Organic Vineyards in Languedoc-Roussillon (France)

We analysed symptoms, wood lesions and fungi associated with esca in mature organic vineyards in the Languedoc‐Roussillon region. Most previous surveys concerning esca syndrome were conducted in conventionally managed vineyards in other regions. We first found that esca may be present at a very low level in vineyards that were not treated with sodium arsenite. Affected vines displayed three types of symptoms: leaves with interveinal necrosis, wilt of entire branches and these two symptoms in combination. During the 3‐year survey, not all affected vines displayed symptoms every year and the same vine rarely displayed the same symptom or combination of symptoms in successive years. The incidence of esca appeared to be correlated with the percentage of vines that died during the survey but no correlation was found with either mortality before the survey or with the age of the vineyard. Observation of cross‐sections of a total of 210 vines with esca symptoms and isolation of fungi from the wood lesions led to similar results to those obtained in conventionally managed vineyards. Four different lesions were identified: a white rot lesion, a brown lesion in a central position, a brown lesion in a sectorial position and a scattered black spotting in healthy wood. The most frequently observed fungal species were Fomitiporia mediterranea (Fom), Phaeomoniella chlamydospora, Phaeoacremonium aleophilum and Eutypa lata. The white rot lesion caused by Fom was generally accompanied by one or more other lesions in the same vine. Similarly, Fom was generally isolated with one or several other fungi. No relationship was detected between the expression of external symptoms and any specific lesion or fungus. Our study also showed that esca and Eutypa dieback are often superimposed in our region of sampling.     

Multi-locus phylogeny and morphology reveal five new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Fomitiporia</Emphasis> (Hymenochaetaceae) from China

Five newly identified species of Fomitiporia (F. alpina, F. gaoligongensis, F. hainaniana, F. subrobusta and F. subtropica) and their morphological and molecular characterisation are described in this paper. Fomitiporia alpina sp. nov. is distinguished by its pileate basidiomata, parallel tramal hyphae and large basidiospores (6.5–8 × 6–8 μm), and by its gymnosperm wood-living habitat. Fomitiporia gaoligongensis sp. nov. is distinct from other species due to its semicircular pileus and subglobose to globose basidiospores (6.5–7.6 × 6–7.4 μm). Fomitiporia hainaniana sp. nov. is marked by its resupinate basidiomata, the presence of setae and small globose basidiospores (4–5 × 3.8–4.4 μm). Fomitiporia subrobusta sp. nov. is characterised by its triquetrous basidiomata, small pores (6–9 per mm) with entire and thick dissepiments, and subglobose to obovoid basidiospores (6.2–6.8 × 5.2–6 μm). Fomitiporia subtropica sp. nov. can be differentiated by its resupinate basidiomata, smaller pores (6–10 per mm) and smaller basidiospores (5.2–6 × 4.4–5 μm). Phylogenetic analysis, based on multi-gene comparison of the internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS), nuclear large subunit ribosomal RNA gene regions (nLSU), the translation elongation factor 1-α gene (tef1α) and the second subunit of RNA polymerase II (rpb2), confirmed affinity with the Fomitiporia species and showed association with similar fungi in the genus.     

Fomitiporia pentaphylacis and F. tenuitubus spp. nov. (Hymenochaetales, Basidiomycota) from Guangxi, southern China

Two specimens of Hymenochaetaceae were collected from Guangxi, southern China, during a recent field trip in August 2011. They are described and illustrated here as two new species, Fomitiporia pentaphylacis and F. tenuitubus, based on a combination of morphological and phylogenetic (ITS and nLSU sequences) data. The two species share subglobose to globose, hyaline and thick-walled basidiospores with strongly cyanophilous in cotton blue and dextrinoid reaction in Melzer??s reagent. These characters are typical for Fomitiporia, differing from other genera in Hymenochaetaceae. F. pentaphylacis resembles F. pusilla in field by its minute basidiocarps, but F. pusilla has distinctly multiple tube layers and smaller basidiospores. F. tenuitubus is similar to F. erecta in both macro- and micro-morphological features, except its larger basidiocarps, smaller pores, and slightly shorter basidiospores. In the phylogenetic perspective, the two species nested within the Fomitiporia clade, but were separated from other sampled species as well as from each other.     

Phellinus castanopsidis sp. nov. (Hymenochaetaceae) from southern China, with preliminary phylogeny based on rDNA sequences

Phellinus castanopsidis sp. nov. is described and illustrated from southern China. This species is characterized by resupinate, annual basidiomata, a dimitic hyphal system, hooked hymenial setae, and ovoid to broadly ellipsoid basidiospores that are colorless, thick-walled, weakly dextrinoid, and moderately cyanophilous. Most of these morphological features are shared by Fomitiporia ellipsoidea, P. gabonensis, and P. caribaeo-quercicolus, although in the two latter species, the basidiospores are not dextrinoid. In a phylogenetic perspective, parsimony inferences based on LSU and ITS DNA sequence data show that these four species are closely related, forming a monophyletic clade. Furthermore, this clade is more closely related to the Phellinus ignarius clade (Phellinus s.s.) than to the Fomitiporia clade. Hence, F. ellipsoidea is transferred to Phellinus, and a new combination P. ellipsoideus is proposed also.     

Differences in crystalline cellulose modification due to degradation by brown and white rot fungi

Wood-decaying basidiomycetes are some of the most effective bioconverters of lignocellulose in nature, however the way they alter wood crystalline cellulose on a molecular level is still not well understood. To address this, we examined and compared changes in wood undergoing decay by two species of brown rot fungi, Gloeophyllum trabeum and Meruliporia incrassata, and two species of white rot fungi, Irpex lacteus and Pycnoporus sanguineus, using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and ¹³C solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The overall percent crystallinity in wood undergoing decay by M. incrassata, G. trabeum, and I. lacteus appeared to decrease according to the stage of decay, while in wood decayed by P. sanguineus the crystallinity was found to increase during some stages of degradation. This result is suggested to be potentially due to the different decay strategies employed by these fungi. The average spacing between the 200 cellulose crystal planes was significantly decreased in wood degraded by brown rot, whereas changes observed in wood degraded by the two white rot fungi examined varied according to the selectivity for lignin. The conclusions were supported by a quantitative analysis of the structural components in the wood before and during decay confirming the distinct differences observed for brown and white rot fungi. The results from this study were consistent with differences in degradation methods previously reported among fungal species, specifically more non-enzymatic degradation in brown rot versus more enzymatic degradation in white rot.     

Molecular Identification of Fomitiporia mediterranea and Eutypa lata/Libertella blepharis in Platanus × acerifolia

The studies of woody organs‐affecting diseases of Platanus × acerifolia can be hampered by the finding of fungi whose identification is difficult with mycological techniques. In a previous study on Platanus × acerifolia affected by severe cankers, Fomitiporia mediterranea/punctata‐like fungi, not associated with fruit bodies and Libertella sp. were recovered. Due to the severity of the associated symptoms, a characterization of fungal ribosomal DNA genes was undertaken in the present study, aimed to specific identification of the pathogens. From DNA of Fomitiporia‐vegetative isolates and Fomitiporia‐fruit body isolates, included in the study for comparison (from fruit body on plane trees typical of F. mediterranea/punctata), and Libertella sp., DNA fragments were amplified in polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with the use of ITS5/ITS4 and 5.8S‐R/LR7 primer pairs. Sequence alignments showed that Fomitiporia‐vegetative/fruit body isolates had highly homologous ITS5/ITS4 sequences, with a nucleotide identity of 98–100%. All the Fomitiporia isolates from plane tree showed 97–100% and 91–94% of nucleotide identity respectively with ITS5/ITS4 sequences of known strains of F. mediterranea and F. punctata, extracted from GenBank. The strong similarity of these identity ranges with those obtained within F. mediterranea (98–100%) and between the two Fomitiporia species (90–94%) confirms the identification of the isolates from plane tree as F. mediterranea. Sequence comparison between Libertella sp. from plane tree and known strains of Eutypa lata/L. blepharis showed 94–99% of nucleotide identity. The comparison with eight additional species of Eutypa showed 90–93% of nucleotide identity. As previously reported for the different taxa within Diatrypaceae, also ITS5/ITS4 sequence of Libertella sp. from plane tree exhibited 11‐bp tandem repeats motifs. Results of sequence alignments, of phylogenetic trees, and of the putative restriction map, identify the Fomitiporia isolates of this work as F. mediterranea, and the isolates of Libertella sp. as E. lata/L. blepharis. For comparative purposes, ITS5/ITS4 sequences of Spongipellis pachyodon and Fomes fomentarius from plane tree, were also obtained in this work.     

Spore formation and karyological characterization of basidiosporogenesis,meiosis, post-meiotic and nuclear migration mitosis in Coprinus comatus

In Coprinus comatus, we sampled and observed different maturity stages of basidium to find the possible causes of binucleate basidiospores by microscopy using the HCI-Giemsa and DAPI staining methods. In basidium, following karyogamy, a single nucleolus was observed. We found evidence suggesting post-meiotic mitosis following nuclear migration in the spores. Post-meiotic mitosis occurred in the basidiospores, resulting in four binucleate basidiospores. This indicates that the basidiospore is a monokaryon, and that C. comatus shows the same pattern of basidiospore formation as Coprinopsis cinerea. This type of nuclear behavior was defined as pattern D, one of six distinct patterns (pattern A–F) of nuclear behavior during basidiosporogenesis have been described for basidiomycetes by Campos and Costa in 2010.     

A new species of Fomitiporia (Hymenochaetaceae, Basidiomycota) from China based on morphological and molecular characters

Fomitiporia punicata sp. nov., collected from Shaanxi Province, northern China, and so far exclusively on Punica granatum (Punicaceae), is described and illustrated, and its preliminary phylogenetic relationships are inferred based on sequence data from the ribosomal ITS-5.8S regions. Fomitiporia punicata belongs to the F. robusta–F. punctata complex, but is characterized by an effused–reflexed to pileate basidioma with triquetrous to ungulate pilei, pale yellowish brown to cinnamon brown pore surface, moderately thick-walled skeletal hyphae in the context, which are partly collapsed on drying, lack of setae, presence of fusoid to subulate cystidioles, and growth on Punica. It also forms a distinct clade within Fomitiporia, and is related to some species from the temperate or Mediterranean zone of the northern hemisphere. An identification key to the species of Fomitiporia recorded in China is provided. Fomitiporia tibetica is transferred to Pseudoinonotus.     

Fomitiporia tenuis and Fomitiporia aethiopica (Basidiomycetes, Hymenochaetales), two undescribed species from the Ethiopian highlands: taxonomy and phylogeny

Fomitiporia tenuis sp. nov. and Fomitiporia aethiopica sp. nov. from the Ethiopian highlands are described. Both are characterized by a resupinate habit, globose, dextrinoid basidiospores, cystidioles, and respectively scarcity or absence of hymenial setae. Fomitiporia pseudopunctata and F. robusta are reported also in the same area. The preliminary phylogenetic relationships of F. tenuis, F. aethiopica and F. pseudopunctata are inferred from parsimony analysis based on partial nuclear ribosomal large subunit (nrLSU). A preliminary key to the poroid Hymenochaetales with dextrinoid basidiospores (Fomitiporia, Phellinus s.l., Pseudoinonotus) is proposed.     

Reconstructing the evolution of agarics from nuclear gene sequences and basidiospore ultrastructure

Traditional classifications of agaric fungi involve gross morphology of their fruit bodies and meiospore print-colour. However, the phylogeny of these fungi and the evolution of their morphological and ecological traits are poorly understood. Phylogenetic analyses have already demonstrated that characters used in traditional classifications of basidiomycetes may be heavily affected by homoplasy, and that non-gilled taxa evolved within the agarics several times. By integrating molecular phylogenetic analyses including domains D1–D3 and D7–D8 of nucLSU rDNA and domains A–C of the RPB1 gene with morphological and chemical data from representative species of 88 genera, we were able to resolve higher groups of agarics. We found that the species with thick-walled and pigmented basidiospores constitute a derived group, and hypothesize that this specific combination of characters represents an evolutionary advantage by increasing the tolerance of the basidiospores to dehydration and solar radiation and so opened up new ecological niches, e.g. the colonization of dung substrates by enabling basidiospores to survive gut passages through herbivores. Our results confirm the validity of basidiospore morphology as a phylogenetic marker in the agarics.     

Fomitiporia baccharidis comb. nov., a little known species from high elevation Andean forests and its affinities within the neotropical Fomitiporia lineages

In the frame of a revision of the Fomitiporia species with pileate basidiomata in the New World, several collections originating from Andean, high elevation forests of Argentina were found to represent a terminal clade in multilocus phylogenetic inferences (including nuclear ribosomal partial LSU and ITS-5.8S, partial tef1-α and RPB2 genes). These collections also represent a singular morphotype within Fomitiporia, characterized by mostly pileate basidiomata, with a soft corky consistency, roughly sulcate pilei, a “duplex” context with a thin black line, and dextrinoid basidiospores, averaging 5.9?×?5.3 μm. It also has a well-marked autecology, occurring on shrubby trees in high elevation forests along the Andean range. A search in the literature for a name pointed toward Phellinus baccharidis, despite the fact that this species was repeatedly described with non-dextrinoid basidiospores. Examination of the type of P. baccharidis confirmed the main morphological features as previously described, but for the reaction of basidiospores in Melzer’s reagent, which was found to be strongly positive (dextrinoid), and an overall similarity with our own specimens; hence, the new combination Fomitiporia baccharidis is proposed. The species is redescribed and illustrated. It is so far known from Argentina and Ecuador. Its phylogenetic relationships with the South American Fomitiporia are briefly discussed.     

Fomitiporia in sub-Saharan Africa: morphology and multigene phylogenetic analysis support three new species from the Guineo-Congolian rainforest

Fomitiporia nobilissima sp. nov., F. gabonensis sp. nov. and F. ivindoensis sp. nov., three species from the rainforest of the Guineo-Congolian phytogeographic region in Gabon, are described and illustrated. These species share a pileate basidiome, small basidiospores and an absence of setae. The critical morphological features that differentiate them are the pileus habit or shape, pore surface color, pore diameter and possibly ecology. Each new species forms distinct but closely related clades in phylogenetic analysis of DNA sequences from nuclear ribosomal LSU, ITS and translation elongation factor 1-α. Other species in sub-Saharan Africa are discussed briefly. A key to six species of Fomitiporia from sub-Saharan Africa is provided. The new combination Fomitiporia apiahyna is proposed.     

Mating System and Basidiospore Formation in the Lignin-Degrading Basidiomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium

Prototrophic strains recovered from crosses between auxotrophic strains of the lignin-degrading basidiomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium were induced to fruit. The progeny of most of these self-crosses were prototrophic, indicating that the nuclei of the original prototroph were wild-type recombinants rather than complementary heterokaryons and that the binucleate basidiospores of this organism are homokaryotic. Various wild-type strains were shown to have multinucleate cells lacking clamp connections and to possess a variable number of sterigmata per basidium. Colonies arising from single conidia of various wild-type strains were all capable of producing fruit bodies and basidiospores. In addition, single basidiospores from three wild-type strains all produced fruit bodies and basidiospores. Nonfruiting as well as fruiting isolates were obtained from single basidiospores of five other wild-type strains. Basidiospores from these fruiting isolates always yielded colonies that fruited, again indicating that the spores are homokaryotic. Nonfruiting isolates from the same strain did not produce basidiospores when allowed to form a heterokaryon, implying that these isolates do not represent mating types. All this evidence indicates that P. chrysosporium has a primary homothallic mating system. In addition to fruiting and nonfruiting phenotypes, basidiospores from strain OGC101, a derivative of ME-446, gave rise to colonies which did not grow on cellulose (Cel⁻). The fruiting, nonfruiting, and Cel⁻ phenotypes differed from each other and from the parental wild-type strain in a variety of characteristics, including growth, conidiation, and evolution of ¹⁴CO₂ from ¹⁴C-side chain-labeled lignin, indicating that strain OCG101 is a heterokaryon.     

Taxonomy of two host specialized Phakopsora populations on Meliosma in Japan

Phakopsora meliosmae, a macrocyclic autoecious rust fungus, is reported to occur on several Meliosma species widely distributed in Asia. Despite the apparent broad host range, a recent molecular phylogenetic study indicated that two rust populations on Meliosma myriantha and Meliosma tenuis respectively in Japan were biologically distinct. To clarify the biological and taxonomic relationships of these populations, cross inoculations and comparative morphological examinations were carried out. Cross inoculations using basidiospores and aeciospores confirmed the macrocyclic, autoecious nature of the life cycle in both rust populations and showed that the two populations were distinct in their host specificity. Furthermore, they were found to be distinct in the structure of the aecial peridium surface, the size and wall thickness of uredinial paraphyses, and the urediniospore size and shape. Consequently, the fungal population on M. tenuis is taxonomically separated from P. meliosmae originally proposed for the fungus on M. myriantha. A new name, Phakopsora orientalis, is proposed for the fungus on M. tenuis.     

Genetic Recombination in the Lignin-Degrading Basidiomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium

Heterokaryons made from auxotrophic strains of the lignin-degrading basidiomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium were induced to fruit. The isolation of wild-type and double-mutant phenotypes from these crosses indicated that genetic recombination had occurred. Cytological studies demonstrated that more than 90% of the basidiospores from the wild-type and auxotrophic strains and from forced heterokaryons were binucleate. Colonies of the wild-type strain of P. chrysosporium arising from single, predominantly uninucleate conidia were all capable of producing fruit bodies and basidiospores.     

Diversity of saproxylic basidiomycetes in Quercus ilex woodlands of central and insular Greece

The sclerophyllous forests of Quercus ilex (holm oak) possess a unique position in earth’s biosphere, existing only in countries of the Mediterranean basin. However, very little information exists about mushrooms associated with holm oak in east Mediterranean, including Greece, where Q. ilex appears mostly in relict forests and fragmented stands. A pertinent long-term investigation was undertaken in selected Q. ilex dominated habitats of Crete, Andros, Naxos and Ikaria islands (Aegean Archipelago) as well as in mountains of Attica. Specimens of xylotrophic basidiomycetes were collected and identified. As a result, 74 species were recorded; among them Hemimycena cephalotricha, Hyphoderma cremeoalbum, Hyphodontia radula, Irpex litschaueri, Mycena algeriensis, Phanerochaete martelliana, Phloeomana alba and Phlebia unica constitute new records for the Greek mycobiota, while 68 species are reported for the first time on Q. ilex in Greece. Moreover, the presence of Fomitiporia mediterranea on this host was evidenced through ITS sequencing, and comments are made about its relationship to F. punctata and F. pseudopunctata. The importance of findings is discussed in conjunction with their environmental value; five species could be assigned in the “Species of Special Interest” categories, and other five polypores are proposed as suitable indicators for Q. ilex habitat assessment and conservation.