The phylogenetic placement of Ostropales within Lecanoromycetes (Ascomycota) revisited

Results of molecular studies regarding the phylogenetic placement of the order Ostropales and related taxa within Lecanoromycetes were thus far inconclusive. Some analyses placed the order as sister to the rest of Lecanoromycetes, while others inferred a position nested within Lecanoromycetes. We assembled a data set of 101 species including sequences from nuLSU rDNA, mtSSU rDNA, and the nuclear protein-coding RPB1 for each species to examine the cause of incongruencies in previously published phylogenies. MP, minimum evolution, and Bayesian analyses were performed using the combined three-region data set and the single-gene data sets. The position of Ostropales nested in Lecanoromycetes is confirmed in all single-gene and concatenated analyses, and a placement as sister to the rest of Lecanoromycetes is significantly rejected using two independent methods of alternative topology testing. Acarosporales and related taxa (Acarosporaceae group) are basal in Lecanoromycetes. However, if the these basal taxa are excluded from the analyses, Ostropales appear to be sister to the rest of Lecanoromycetes, suggesting different ingroup rooting as the cause for deviating topologies in previously published phylogenies.     

Evolution and phylogenetic relationships within Porinaceae (Ostropomycetidae), focusing on foliicolous species

A phylogeny of the lichen family Porinaceae using mitochondrial SSU rDNA sequences is presented, with special focus on foliicolous taxa. Fifty specimens of 28 mostly tropical species, representing eight species groups of Porina as well as the genus Trichothelium, were analysed together with species of other members of Ostropomycetidae, and using Agyriaceae as outgroup. We performed the phylogenetic analyses with a Bayesian approach and under the criterion of maximum parsimony. Four main clades can be distinguished: the P. nitidula-group s. lat. (including Trichothelium, P. papillifera and P. rubescens), the Porina epiphylla-group s. lat. (including the P. radiata-, the P. nucula-, the P. imitatrix- and the P. epiphylla-group s. str.) and two clades of the P. rufula-group. The genus Porina as understood by all recent concepts is paraphyletic, and Trichothelium is nested within the Porina nitidula-group. The non-setose P. repanda forms a monophyletic clade with Trichothelium. The tree does not support a monophyletic origin of substrate preferences or photobiont selection. Species-specific associations with morphologically different trentepohlioid photobionts mapped on the tree suggest that closely related mycobiont species switch between different types of algae.     

A phylogenetic overview of the family Pyronemataceae (Ascomycota, Pezizales)

Partial sequences of nuLSU rDNA were obtained to investigate the phylogenetic relationships of Pyronemataceae, the largest and least studied family of Pezizales. The dataset includes sequences for 162 species from 51 genera of Pyronemataceae, and 39 species from an additional 13 families of Pezizales. Parsimony, ML, and Bayesian analyses suggest that Pyronemataceae is not monophyletic as it is currently circumscribed. Ascodesmidaceae is nested within Pyronemataceae, and several pyronemataceous taxa are resolved outside the family. Glaziellaceae forms the sister group to Pyronemataceae in ML analyses, but this relationship, as well as those of Pyronemataceae to the other members of the lineage, are not resolved with support. Fourteen clades of pyronemataceous taxa are well supported and/or present in all recovered trees. Several pyronemataceous genera are suggested to be non-monophyletic, including Anthracobia, Cheilymenia, Geopyxis, Humaria, Lasiobolidium, Neottiella, Octospora, Pulvinula, Stephensia, Tricharina, and Trichophaea. Cleistothecial and truffle or truffle-like ascomata forms appear to have evolved independently multiple times within Pyronemataceae. Results of these analyses do not support previous classifications of Pyronemataceae, and suggest that morphological characters traditionally used to segregate the family into subfamilial groups are not phylogenetically informative above the genus level.     

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.     

A new fungal genus, Teracosphaeria, with a phialophora-like anamorph (Sordariomycetes, Ascomycota)

The new genus and species Teracosphaeria petroica is described for a perithecial ascomycete and its anamorph occurring on decayed wood collected in New Zealand. The fungus produces immersed, non-stromatic ceratosphaeria-like perithecia in nature, with hyaline, septate ascospores produced in unitunicate, non-amyloid asci. The anamorph produced in vitro is phialophora-like with lightly pigmented phialides terminating in flaring, deep collarettes that are often noticeably brown with conspicuous periclinal thickening. Phylogenetic analysis of LSU rDNA sequence data indicates that this fungus is distinct from morphologically similar fungi classified in the Chaetosphaeriales, the Trichosphaeriales or the Magnaporthaceae. It forms a monophyletic group with recently described, chaetosphaeria-like ascomycetes, such as the pyrenomycete genus Mirannulata, and shows affinity with the anamorphic species Dictyochaeta cylindrospora. The usefulness of describing anamorph genera for morphologically reduced anamorphs, when anamorph characteristics are actually part of the holomorph diagnosis, is discussed. An apparently contradictory example of the so-called Cordana and Pseudobotrytis anamorphs of Porosphaerella spp. is also discussed.     

Molecular phylogeny and evolution of the genus Neoerysiphe (Erysiphaceae, Ascomycota)

The genus Neoerysiphe belongs to the tribe Golovinomyceteae of the Erysiphaceae together with the genera Arthrocladiella and Golovinomyces. This is a relatively small genus, comprising only six species, and having ca 300 species from six plant families as hosts. To investigate the molecular phylogeny and evolution of the genus, we determined the nucleotide sequences of the rDNA ITS regions and the divergent domains D1 and D2 of the 28S rDNA. The 30 ITS sequences from Neoerysiphe are divided into three monophyletic groups that are represented by their host families. Groups 1 and 3 consist of N. galeopsidis from Lamiaceae and N. galii from Rubiaceae, respectively, and the genetic diversity within each group is extremely low. Group 2 is represented by N. cumminsiana from Asteraceae. This group also includes Oidium baccharidis, O. maquii, and Oidium spp. from Galinsoga (Asteraceae) and Aloysia (Verbenaceae), and is further divided into four subgroups. N. galeopsidis is distributed worldwide, but is especially common in western Eurasia from Central Asia to Europe. N. galii is also common in western Eurasia. In contrast, the specimens of group 2 were all collected in the New World, except for one specimen that was collected in Japan; this may indicate a close relationship of group 2 with the New World. Molecular clock calibration demonstrated that Neoerysiphe split from other genera of the Erysiphaceae ca 35–45 M years ago (Mya), and that the three groups of Neoerysiphe diverged between 10 and 15 Mya, in the Miocene. Aloysia citriodora is a new host for the Erysiphaceae and the fungus on this plant is described as O. aloysiae sp. nov.     

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.     

Molecular and morphological characterization of Leveillula (Ascomycota: Erysiphales) on monocotyledonous plants

Leveillula on monocotyledonous plants have been recorded as L. taurica by several authors, whereas the fungus on Allium has been described as an independent species, namely L. allii, by some authors. We sequenced ca 600 bp of the rDNA ITS region for two Leveillula specimens from Allium and Polianthes (both from monocotyledons) and compared them with several already published sequences from Leveillula isolates from dicotyledons. Pair-wise percentages of sequence divergences were calculated for all Leveillula isolates. The ITS sequence of the Polianthes isolate was identical to L. taurica on Helianthus and Vicia. The sequence of the Allium isolate was 99.5 % identical to L. taurica on Euphorbia, Haplophylum, Peganum, etc. These results suggest close relationships between monocot and dicot pathogenic Leveillula species. The identity between two monocot isolates was 98.4 %. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the two monocot isolates do not group into a clade together. This result suggests that Leveillula acquired parasitism to monocots at least twice independently.     

Flamingomyces and Parvulago, new genera of marine smut fungi (Ustilaginomycotina)

Teliospore walls, teliospore germinations, hyphal septations, cellular interactions, and nucleotide sequences from the D1/D2 region of the nuLSU rRNA gene of the marine smut fungi Melanotaenium ruppiae and Ustilago marina were examined and compared with findings in other Ustilaginomycotina. The data show that Melanotaenium ruppiae belongs to the Urocystaceae and Ustilago marina to the Ustilaginaceae. Within the Urocystaceae, Melanotaenium ruppiae is morphologically similar to Melanustilospora and Vankya. However, according to the molecular results Melanotaenium ruppiae can neither be ascribed to Melanustilospora nor to Vankya. Therefore, the new genus Flamingomyces is proposed for Melanotaenium ruppiae. Ustilago marina differs from the other Ustilaginaceae in the mode of sporulation, which exclusively occurs at the base of the host plant culms. Accordingly, the new genus Parvulago is proposed for Ustilago marina.     

Evolutionary relationships among aquatic anamorphs and teleomorphs: Lemonniera, Margaritispora, and Goniopila

The hypothesis that similar conidial morphologies in aquatic hyphomycetes are a result of convergent evolution was tested using molecular sequence data. Cladistic analyses were performed on partial sequences of 28S rDNA of seven species of Lemonniera, one species of Margaritispora and one species of Goniopila. Lemonniera has tetraradiate conidia with long arms, whereas Margaritispora and Goniopila have typically globose (isodiametric) conidia, with short conical protuberances in a stellate or quadrangular arrangement. Lemonniera and Margaritispora have phialidic conidiogenesis and both produce dark, minute sclerotia in culture whereas Goniopila has holoblastic conidiogenesis and does not produce sclerotia in culture. Goniopila produces a microconidial phialidic synanamorph in culture. All three genera have schizolytic conidial secession. Molecular analyses demonstrate that Lemonniera species are placed in two distinct clades: one within Leotiomycetes; the other within Pleosporales, Dothideomycetes. Margaritispora is placed with Lemonniera species within Leotiomycetes. Goniopila and Lemonniera pseudofloscula are placed within Dothideomycetes. No morphological character was entirely congruent with the molecular derived phylogeny. This suggests that for the group of species studied, conidial shape is not a reliable indicator of phylogeny but more likely the result of convergent evolution in response to the aquatic environment.     

Molecular phylogeny supports a Northern Hemisphere origin of Golovinomyces (Ascomycota: Erysiphales)

Golovinomyces is a strictly herb-parasitic genus in the Erysiphaceae. Host–parasite co-speciation was reported recently between the genus Golovinomyces and Asteraceae from molecular phylogenetic analyses. The Asteraceae originated in South America and latterly expanded their geographic distribution into the Northern Hemisphere. If the co-speciation between Golovinomyces and Asteraceae originated in South America, the geographic origin of Golovinomyces could be assumed to be South America. To address this question, Golovinomyces species from hosts of the tribe Mutisieae, an asteraceous tribe endemic to South America, were collected and the ITS and 28S rDNA regions sequenced. Results indicate that Oidium mutisiae and Golovinomyces leuceriae isolated from the Mutisieae do not belong at the base of the Golovinomyces tree. Instead, they are situated separately within two different clades of Golovinomyces isolates from the Northern Hemisphere. Therefore, the tribe Mutisieae is not the most early host of Golovinomyces. Present results suggest that Golovinomyces originated in the Northern Hemisphere, and not in South America. The new species Oidium reginae for the previous O. mutisiae on Mutisia decurrens is proposed.     

Inoculation of coffee plants with the fungal entomopathogen Beauveria bassiana (Ascomycota: Hypocreales)

The entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana was established in coffee seedlings after fungal spore suspensions were applied as foliar sprays, stem injections, or soil drenches. Direct injection yielded the highest post-inoculation recovery of endophytic B. bassiana. Establishment, based on percent recovery of B. bassiana, decreased as time post-inoculation increased in all treatments. Several other endophytes were isolated from the seedlings and could have negatively influenced establishment of B. bassiana. The recovery of B. bassiana from sites distant from the point of inoculation indicates that the fungus has the potential to move throughout the plant.     

Comprehensive molecular phylogenetic analysis and evolution of the genus Phyllactinia (Ascomycota: Erysiphales) and its allied genera

Phyllactinia is a unique genus within the Erysiphales (Ascomycota) having a partly endo-parasitic nature of the mycelium within the host plant tissues. We constructed phylogenetic trees for the genus Phyllactinia and its allied genera based on a total of 120 nucleotide sequences of the 28S rDNA and ITS regions to discuss their phylogenetic relationships with special references to host plants, biogeography, evolutionary dating, and taxonomy. The analysis of the Erysiphales confirmed the monophyly of the endo-parasitic genera, i.e. Leveillula, Phyllactinia, and Pleochaeta. Phyllactinia specimens used in this study were divided into six distinctive groups and three subgroups. Interestingly, Leveillula, an obligately endo-parasitic genus of the Erysiphales, grouped together with Phyllactinia, although this was not significantly supported by the Kishino–Hasegawa and Shimodaira–Hasegawa tests. This suggests that the evolution within this group of fungi occurred from partial endo-parasitism to obligate endo-parasitism. The host range of Phyllactinia is mostly confined to woody plants, especially deciduous trees. Betulaceae, Fagaceae, Ulmaceae, Moraceae, and Rosaceae may have close connections to the divergence of the groups and subgroups of Phyllactinia concerned. Most of these plant families are known as major members of the boreotropical flora of the Tertiary, which suggests an early Tertiary origin of this genus. A comparison of the phylogenies of hosts and parasites revealed that host range expansion at higher taxonomic levels (higher than family level) is independent of the phylogeny of plants. Conversely, host range expansions in lower taxonomic levels (infrafamilial or infrageneric) tend to occur within a single family or genus. An estimation of the evolutionary timing using a molecular clock approach suggested that Phyllactinia split from Pleochaeta about 60 M years ago (Ma) in the early Tertiary and divergence of the six major clades of Phyllactinia occurred between 5 and 40 Ma during the Oligocene and Miocene. Divergence within the major clades and within Leveillula occurred maybe from more than 5 Ma onwards during the Pliocene and Quaternary. This is the first comprehensive phylogenetic study of Phyllactinia and other endo-parasitic genera of the Erysiphales.     

Molecular phylogeny of the lionfish genera Dendrochirus and Pterois (Scorpaenidae, Pteroinae) based on mitochondrial DNA sequences

This study investigates the molecular phylogeny of seven lionfishes of the genera Dendrochirus and Pterois. MP, ML, and NJ phylogenetic analysis based on 964 bp of partial mitochondrial DNA sequences (cytochrome b and 16S rDNA) revealed two main clades: (1) “Pterois” clade (Pterois miles and Pterois volitans), and (2) “Pteropterus–Dendrochirus” clade (remainder of the sampled species). The position of Dendrochirus brachypterus either basal to the main clades or in the “Pteropterus–Dendrochirus” clade cannot be resolved. However, the molecular phylogeny did not support the current separation of the genera Pterois and Dendrochirus. The siblings P. miles and P. volitans are clearly separated and our results support the proposed allopatric or parapatric distribution in the Indian and Pacific Ocean. However, the present analysis cannot reveal if P. miles and P. volitans are separate species or two populations of a single species, because the observed separation in different clades can be either explained by speciation or lineage sorting. Molecular clock estimates for the siblings P. miles and P. volitans suggest a divergence time of 2.4–8.3 mya, which coincide with geological events that created vicariance between populations of the Indian and Pacific Ocean.     

Revision of some Thecaphora species (Ustilaginomycotina) on Caryophyllaceae

Specimens of Thecaphora saponariae s. lat. from several caryophyllacean host plants belonging to the genera Cerastium, Dianthus, Petrorhagia, Saponaria, Silene, and Stellaria were studied by means of both LM, SEM, and molecular phylogenetic analyses using ITS and LSU rDNA sequences. The data show that T. saponariae s. lat. is not uniform but represents several taxa. Molecular phylogenetic analyses, correlated with morphology of the sori, spore balls, and spores, permitted the recognition of five species. Two new species, Thecaphora italica and T. cerastii are described, and two new combinations, T. alsinearum and T. melandrii are proposed. The anamorph of Thecaphora saponariae is reported for the first time. A lectotype is designated for Sorosporium silenes-inflatae. Evolutionary aspects are discussed.     

广西地衣新记录属——炭刺文衣属

该文报道了文字衣科(Graphidaceae)地衣一广西新记录属——炭刺文衣属(Carbacanthographis).该属主要特征是子囊盘面闭合,果壳炭化,盘唇具白色粉霜层,类缘丝具疣,子囊孢子砖壁型或横隔双透镜型,I-或微I+.枯炭刺文衣,标本采自广西金秀圣堂山,该种特征是线盘明显、盘被两侧炭化、子囊孢子无色砖壁型、孢子大小(12.5-20)×(5-7.5)μm、地衣体含有水杨嗪酸.该属是中国稀有属,迄今仅有1种报道.该种首次在内陆自然环境中发现,这对于炭刺文衣属及其类群的区系研究、物种保护和利用具有很重要的意义.     

Molecular phylogeny of the Herpestidae (Mammalia, Carnivora) with a special emphasis on the Asian Herpestes

Until now, phylogenetic studies of the mongooses (Carnivora, Herpestidae) have not included an exhaustive sampling of the Asian members of this family. In this study, we used mitochondrial (Cytochrome b and ND2), nuclear (β-fibrinogen intron 7 and Transthyretin intron 1) sequences from almost all of the recognized mongoose species to produce a well-resolved phylogeny of the Herpestidae. We also performed molecular dating analyses to infer divergence dates of the different lineages within the Herpestidae. Our results confirmed the paraphyly of the Herpestes genus and other phylogenetic relationships, which previously had only been moderately supported. The Asian herpestid species were found to form a monophyletic group within the Herpestidae. Within the Asian species, a cyto-nuclear conflict was discovered between the small Indian mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus), the Indian gray mongoose (Herpestes edwardsii) and the Javan mongoose (Herpestes javanicus), which may have occurred through interspecific hybridization. This study inferred an Early Miocene origin for the Herpestidae and a Middle Miocene origin for the Asian mongooses.     

康氏菌科海洋细菌的系统发育与代谢潜能研究进展

康氏菌科(Kangillaceae)是海洋螺杆菌目(Oceanosprillales)下的科级分类单元,包含康氏菌属(Kangiella)、异康氏菌属(Aliikangiella)和Pleionea三个属.在康氏菌属高度精简的基因组中存在异常丰富的胞外蛋白酶编码基因,暗示此类海洋细菌对海洋颗粒有机物中的蛋白质成分降解具...