Two new Fusicoccum species from Acacia and Eucalyptus in Venezuela, based on morphology and DNA sequence data

Botryosphaeria spp. are common endophytes of woody plants, and they also include some serious pathogens of Eucalyptus and Acacia species. Numerous anamorphs have been associated with Botryosphaeria, of which the species Fusicoccum are amongst the most common. Here, we characterize two new Fusicoccum species, isolated from Eucalyptus and Acacia trees in Venezuela, based on morphological features in culture and comparisons of DNA sequence data. The two taxa named Fusicoccum andinum and F. stromaticum spp. nov, reside in two well-supported clades (BS values = 100 %) based on a combined data set of the ITS of the rDNA operon and translation elongation factor 1-α (EF1- α) gene sequences. The conidia of F. andinum are unusually large amongst Botryosphaeria anamorphs, and peripherally resemble those of B. mamane and B. melanops. F. stromaticum is characterized by large conidiomata in cultures, growth at 35 °C and slightly thickened conidial walls, which is different to most other Fusicoccum spp. No teleomorphs were observed for these fungi, but DNA sequence data show that they are anamorphs of Botryosphaeria.     

Hypocrella panamensis sp. nov. (Clavicipitaceae, Hypocreales): a new species infecting scale insects on Piper carrilloanum in Panama

A new species, Hypocrella panamensis, is described from collections and cultures obtained on Barro Colorado Island, Panama. In order to aid in placement of this fungus, phylogenetic analyses were conducted using LSU (rDNA) sequences. Hypocrella panamensis is characterized by possessing pulvinate stromata with a Lecanicillium-like anamorphic state and superficial perithecia. Hypocrella panamensis consistently grouped in a clade containing Hypocrella nectrioides, H. phyllogena, and H. africana (100 % PP). Most species of Hypocrella possess Aschersonia or Hirsutella anamorphs. Hypocrella panamensis is unique in the genus Hypocrella in possession of a Lecanicillium-like anamorphic state. In its biological habit Hypocrella panamensis is similar to other species in Hypocrella in that it infects and degrades the scale insect, then grows superficially on nutrients that emerge to the plant surface through the stylet wound.     

Penicillium persicinum, a new griseofulvin, chrysogine and roquefortine C producing species from Qinghai province, China

A unique Penicillium isolate from Chinese soil with terverticillate penicilli and ellipsoidal to cylindrical smooth-walled conidia, produces, in addition to the common metabolite ergosterol, copious amounts of an unknown peach-red pigment and the following secondary metabolites: griseofulvin, dechlorogriseofulvin, lichexanthone, roquefortine C, roquefortine D, chrysogine, 2-pyrovoylaminobenzamide, 2-acetyl-quinazolin-4(3H)-one. This isolate, CBS 111235, is described as Penicillium persicinum sp. nov., which belongs to subgenus Penicillium section Chrysogena but is morphologically similar to P. italicum. On the basis of the production of secondary metabolites it resembles P. griseofulvum and P. coprophilum. Sequence data using part of the beta-tubulin gene showed that it is phylogenetically related to P. chrysogenum and P. aethiopicum in section Chrysogena with which it shares both secondary metabolites and ability to grow at 37 degrees C.     

Cystobasidiopsis nirenbergiae, a new agaricostilbomycete (Pucciniomycotina)

A new genus, Cystobasidiopsis, and a new species, Cystobasidiopsis nirenbergiae, are described for a fungus isolated from an arable loess soil in Ahlum near Braunschweig, Niedersachsen, Germany. An integrated analysis of morphological, ecological, ultrastructural and molecular data indicates that the new species belongs to the Chionosphaeraceae within the Agaricostilbales. Relevant characteristics of the new species are discussed and compared with those of related taxa.     

Theileria ovis discovered in China

A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using 989/990 primers was conducted to identify a newly isolated Theileria sp. in Xinjiang Province of China. The target DNA fragments of the complete 18S rRNA gene were cloned and sequenced. The phylogenetic relationship of newly isolated Theileria spp. was inferred based on the 18S rRNA gene. The results showed that the new Theileria sp. belonged to the cluster of Theileria ovis. Moreover, the findings were confirmed by T. ovis species-specific PCR. An expected 520 bp fragment of T. ovis DNA was obtained from 25 out of 320 (8%) field blood samples, and blood of an experimental sheep infested by Hyalomma anatolicum anatolicum collected in Xinjiang. The infection rate of T. ovis was 78% (25/32) in Xinjiang province. The investigation did not find T. ovis positive samples from the field samples collected from the other twelve provinces. This study indicates that T. ovis is prevalent in Xinjiang province of China and its transmission vector is H. anatolicum anatolicum.     

鹿衔草内生真菌Penicillium solitum次生代谢产物的分离鉴定与神经保护活性筛选

【背景】鹿衔草(Pyrola incarnata Fisch)化学成分丰富,而且具有多种药理活性,在食品、医药领域得到广泛应用,但尚未见其内生真菌次生代谢产物的相关报道。【目的】对鹿衔草内生真菌Penicillium solitum (P.solitum)的次生代谢产物进行分离鉴定,筛选出具有抗神经炎症的活性成分。【方法】采用柱层析和制备型高效液相色谱对鹿衔草内生真菌P.solitum次生代谢产物进行分离和纯化,通过核磁共振和高分辨质谱进行结构鉴定,利用反向分子对接技术筛选出抗神经炎症活性的化合物,采用脂多糖(lipopolysaccharide,LPS)诱导的BV-2细胞炎症模型进行验证。【结果】从鹿衔草内生真菌P.solitum次生代谢产物中分离鉴定出12个化合物,分别为cyclopenin (1)、dehydrocyclopeptin (2)、viridicatin (3)、对羟基苯甲酸(4)、吲哚乙酸(5)、methyl compactin (6)、cyclopeptine (7)、cyclopenol (8)、原儿茶酸(9)、viridicatol (10)、N-[2-(3-indolyl) ethyl]malonamic acid (11)和solitumidine A (12)。分子对接结果显示化合物11与炎症相关的丝裂原活化蛋白激酶(mitogen-activated protein kinase,MAPK)信号通路中p38丝裂原活化蛋白激酶(p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase,简称p38)和细胞外信号调节激酶1(extracellular regulated protein kinase 1,ERK1)有较高的结合活性。BV-2细胞实验表明,化合物11 (10、20μmol/L)能显著提高BV-2细胞存活率,并有效抑制炎症因子(肿瘤坏死因子-α、白介素-1β、白介素-6)和一氧化氮的释放。【结论】化合物11是新天然产物,具有抗神经炎症活性,其作用机制可能与抑制MAPK信号通路中p38和ERK蛋白的表达有关。     

Stictis s. lat. (Ostropales, Ascomycota) in northern Scandinavia, with a key and notes on morphological variation in relation to lifestyle

The closely related genera Carestiella, Schizoxylon and Stictis (Stictidaceae, Ostropales, Ascomycota) are revised in northern Scandinavia, and a revised phylogenetic hypothesis, including all seven species of this group in the area, is presented. A key to the species of Stictis s. lat. (including Carestiella, Schizoxylon and Stictis) in Northern Scandinavia is presented. S. albescens and S. confusum are described as new to science, and the new name S. brunnescens is introduced for S. mollis ssp. populorum, when treated as a distinct species. C. socia and S. albescens are the only representatives of their genera in northern Scandinavia, but a total of five species of Stictis are present in the area (S. brunnescens, S. confusum, S. mollis, S. populorum and S. radiata). Substantial within-species variation in ascoma morphology and wall pigmentation is revealed and discussed, and found to correlate with fungal lifestyles; optional lichenization apparently affects several details in fungal anatomy and morphology.     

Chaetosphaeria tortuosa, the newly discovered teleomorph of Menispora tortuosa, with a key to known Menispora species

Chaetosphaeria tortuosa is described as the newly discovered teleomorph of Menispora tortuosa, based on specimens from Canada and the Czech Republic, and single spore isolations from both morphs. The fungus produces superficial, more or less globose, papillate, dark brown to black smooth perithecia (200–)220–250 × (220–)230–260 μm. The asci are unitunicate, 8-spored, cylindrical-fusiform, (110–)120–133(–145) × 12–14 with a distinct apical, nonamyloid annulus 1–1.5 μm high, 3.5–4 μm wide. The ascospores are fusiform, 19–24 × 5–6 μm, hyaline, 3-septate, smooth, and 2-seriate in the ascus. The morphology of the teleomorph and anamorph are similar to that of C. ovoidea (anamorph: M. glauca), differing in dimensions of asci and ascospores, and in the disposition and morphology of the phialides of the anamorphs. The generic concept and phylogeny of Menispora is briefly discussed, and a key to the 11 species currently accepted in the genus is provided.     

Eupenicillium saturniforme, a New Species Discovered from Northeast China

A new Eupenicillium species, E. saturniforme was isolated from soil in Jilin Province, northeast China. Morphologically, it resembled E. shearii and E. tropicum, but is distinguished from them by slowly maturing cleistothecia, lenticular ascospores with nearly smooth-walled convex surfaces, strictly velutinous colony texture with abundant conidiogenesis, robust biverticillate penicilli, apically vesiculate metulae and rough-walled stipes and conidia. The partial β-tubulin gene sequence of the new species (EU644080) showed relationship with Penicillium glabrum in the BLAST search in GenBank. Further analyses of partial calmodulin and ribosomal DNA internally transcribed spacer 1-5.8S-internally transcribed spacer 2 (rDNA ITS1-5.8S-ITS2) sequence data confirmed that E. saturniforme fell in the clade with P. glabrum, P. lividum, P. purpurascens, P. spinulosum and P. thomii of Subgenus Aspergilloides. However, E. saturniforme is a distinctive species lacking close relatives among described species of penicillia. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

托光柄菇属一中国新记录种

[背景] 托光柄菇属（Volvopluteus）隶属于光柄菇科（Pluteaceae）,目前世界上仅有4个种。[目的] 调查我国东北地区大型真菌资源。[方法] 采集大型真菌标本,对其形态进行详细的观察和描述,提取DNA,测定rDNA ITS序列,基于最大似然法和贝叶斯法构建系统发育树。[结果] 2019–2020年在吉林省延边朝鲜族自治州敦化市采集的标本中,有6份标本为密执安托光柄菇V.michiganensis,该种真菌此前未在我国发现。在系统发育分析中,采自我国的密执安托光柄菇V.michiganensis与该种的模式标本聚为一个分支。[结论] 密执安托光柄菇V.michiganensis为中国新记录种。     

The halotolerant fungus Glomerobolus gelineus is a member of the Ostropales

Glomerobolus gelineus is a halotolerant species with a unique method of ballistic propagation. The absence of both sexual and asexual spores made reliable placement of this species, based on morphology alone, within the current fungal classification problematical. A phylogenetic analysis of the large and small nuclear ribosomal subunit and the second largest subunit of RNA polymerase II placed this fungus within the Ostropales, an order comprising lichenized and saprobic species, with good statistical support. Subsequently, a more detailed analysis that combined the nuc LSU rDNA and the mt SSU rDNA confirmed a close relationship to the Stictidaceae. The phylogenetic placement of G. gelineus is also supported by morphological characters. We postulate that the hyphoma lobes of Glomerobolus correspond to the periphysoidal layer in the apothecium of Stictis, and the propagule to the hymenium. Moreover, the presence of crystals in the outer lobes of G. gelineus is another indication of its relationship with Ostropales, which have characteristic crystalliferous hyphae. The placement of Glomerobolus within the Ostropales further expands the ecological diversity exhibited by this order. It also provides a phylogenetic hypothesis for assessing the homology of the enigmatic hyphomal morphology with apothecia-forming Ascomycota.     

Corylomyces: a new genus of Sordariales from plant debris in France

The new genus Corylomyces, isolated from the surface of a hazelnut (Corylus avellana) in the French Pyrenees, is described, illustrated and compared with morphologically similar taxa. It is characterised by tomentose, ostiolate ascomata possessing long necks composed of erect to sinuose hairs, and one- or two-celled, opaque, lunate to reniform ascospores. Analyses of the SSU and LSU fragments rDNA gene sequences support its placement in the Lasiosphaeriaceae (Sordariales).     

四川毛茛科翠雀属一新种

描述四川翠雀属一新种,拟粗距翠雀花。     

乌鲁木齐乌头, 新疆毛茛科一新种

该文描述了发现自中国新疆天山北部的毛茛科乌头属一新种,即乌鲁木齐乌头(Aconitm urumqiense),此新种与新疆乌头(A. sinchiangense)近缘。两者的区别在于此新种(乌鲁木齐乌头)的茎无毛,不存在基生叶,总状花序轴和花梗被黄色腺毛,萼片背面疏被柔毛、边缘被缘毛,上萼片较宽,花瓣唇在顶端啮蚀状,子房幼时疏被柔毛。     

蛇足石杉内生真菌产黄青霉菌MT-40中xanthocillin类似物生物合成基因簇的挖掘及鉴定

Xanthocillin具有显著的抗菌活性,结构中含有独特的异腈基。本文通过对蛇足石杉(Huperzia serrata)内生真菌产黄青霉菌(Penicillium chrysogenum)MT-40基因组的测序分析,利用本地BLAST等生物信息学分析工具挖掘具有合成xanthocillin类似物潜力的基因簇,结合米曲霉(Aspergillus oryzae)NSAR1异源表达技术实现基因簇中关键基因的功能鉴定。结果成功从内生真菌P.chrysogenum MT-40中发现一个合成xanthocillin类似物的生物合成基因簇(命名为for),for基因簇中的关键生物合成基因forB编码的异腈基合成酶可以催化合成2-formamido-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)acrylic acid,基因forG编码的P450酶可以催化2-formamido-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)acrylic acid的二聚化生成xanthocillin类似物N,N′-(1,4-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)buta-1,3-diene-2,3-diyl)diformamide。本文研究结果为进一步从真菌中发现xanthocillin类似物提供参考。     

城口荨麻,重庆荨麻科一新种

描述了自重庆市发现的荨麻科荨麻属一新种,城口荨麻,此种与异株荨麻有亲缘关系,区别特征为此种的茎被少数刺毛,叶片多为心形,雄、雌花序均不分枝,瘦果在中央稍凹陷。     

纳帕海毛茛, 云南毛茛科一新种

描述了在云南发现的毛茛属一新种,纳帕海毛茛,此种在亲缘关系上与川滇毛茛甚为相近,但茎有1叶或无叶,叶较小,基部截形或心状截形,侧全裂片不等3～5浅裂,花较小,花瓣倒卵形,长4～5 mm,宽2～3 mm,雄蕊7枚而与后者区别。