A new variety ofTalaromyces wortmannii and some observation onTalaromyces assiutensis

A new variety ofTalaromyces, T. wortmannii var.sublevisporus, is described and illustrated. It is characterized by producing nearly smooth-walled ascospores. The other characters are almost identical with those of the type variety. Based on observations of several strains including the authentic ones,T. assiutensis is considered a finely rough-spored variety ofT. trachyspermus.     

A genetic classification of potato cultivars based on allozyme patterns

Summary A total of 25 potato isozymes were characterized by the numbers and relative mobilities of their allozymes, the subunit number, the subcellular localization, and the patterns of tissue expression. Using hierarchically ordered phenotype arrays at 9 of these isozymes, we were able to construct a dichotomous classification table for a total of 74 potato varieties, including those of most agronomical interest in Europe and North America.     

Reevaluation of the teleomorph of the genus Histoplasma by ubiquinone systems

A study was performed to investigate the ability of Streptomyces griseus to cause experimental mycetoma in the skin and in the foot pads of mice. The lesions appeared as palpable subcutaneous nodules discharging pale yellow cheesy pus and granules of S. griseus. The inoculated foot pads of the mice also developed nodular lesions which later became oedematous with bone destruction and fibrosis.     

篮状菌属微生物次级代谢产物研究进展

天然产物的主要来源之一是微生物,不同于其他的生物资源,真菌菌种相对容易选育和保藏、适应力较强,可通过大规模发酵获取产物,更具有利于自然资源的可持续发展性和利用价值。篮状菌（Talaromyces sp.）及其次级代谢产物在天然色素上的研究受到科学家的青睐,同时在食品、环境、农业和医药等方面发挥了重要作用,尤其是海洋来源的篮状菌及其次级代谢物表现出显著的生物活性,例如杀虫、抗肿瘤、抗菌、抗病毒等。近来研究表明,篮状菌次级代谢产物根据生物合成的方式可以分为六大类：萜类（terpenes）、生物碱类（fumiquinazolines）、聚酮类（polyketides）、聚酯类（lactones）、醌类（quinones）和甾体类（steroids）,这些活性物质对促进药物的先导物质挖掘与开发具有重要意义。本文通过对文献和资料的查阅,总结了近年来篮状菌及其次级代谢物的研究开发进展,希望为后续研究和应用提供参考。     

New classification of liverworts based on molecular and morphological data

Complete sequences for the 18S-rRNA gene of 22 bryophytes (12 completely new) were determined and used to construct phylogenetic trees. The evaluation of sequence data according to the maximum parsimony principle (PAUP 3.1.1) and the neighbor-joining method (MEGA) results in similar phylogenetic trees in which theBryopsida appear as a sister group to theJungermanniopsida, and both together as a sister group to theMarchantiopsida. Among theMarchantiopsida, theSphaerocarpales diverge early as a separate clade. TheMetzgeriales andJungermanniales are monophyletic. They belong to one clade and cannot be separated by either method of evaluation.     

Primary productivity of natural grass ecosystems of the tropics: A reappraisal

Studies of net primary production in four contrasting tropical grasslands show that when full account is taken of losses of plant organs above- and below-ground these ecosystems are far more productive than earlier suggested. Previous values have mainly been provided by the International Biological Programme (IBP), where estimates of production were based on a change in vegetation mass alone and would not necessarily have taken full account of organ losses and turnover. Calculation at three of our sites based on estblished methodology using changes in plant mass alone (i.e. that used by the International Biological Programme, IBP) proved to be serious underestimates of when acount was taken of losses simultaneously with measurement of change in plant mass. Accounting for the turnover of material at these three sites resulted in productivities up to five times higher than were obtained using the standard IBP procedure. An emergent C₄ grass stand at a fourth site in the Amazon achieved a productivity which approached the maximum recorded for agricultural crops. In this case, productivity values, when organ losses were taken into account, only slightly exceeded that obtained with IBP methods. The findings reported here have wider implications, in prediction of global carbon cycling, remote sensing of plant productivity and impact assessment of conversion to arable cropping systems.     

A cladistic analysis of the tribeAstereae (Asteraceae) with notes on their evolution and subtribal classification

TheAstereae were surveyed and the genera arranged in 23 informal groups. The generic groups were used to sample representative genera for a cladistic analysis based on morphological characters. The resulting cladogram was used for discussion of evolution and subtribal classification within the tribe. The lower basic chromosome numbers x = 4, 5, 6, and 8 are interpreted as reductions from a primitive x = 9. The subtribeGrangeinae occupies a phylogenetically basal position as sister group to the rest of the tribe. This may be divided into two large groups, largely corresponding to the homochromousSolidagininae and to the heterochromousAsterinae sensu lato, i.e. including theBellidinae, Hinterhuberinae, Conyzinae, andBaccharidinae. The latter four subtribes are derived within theAsterinae, and hence reduced to synonymy. Several intercontinental relationships indicate that a geographical subdivision of the tribe should be avoided, although in our analysis most of the groups proved to be restricted to one of five major regions.     

Taxonomical classification of yeasts isolated from kefir based on the sequence of their ribosomal RNA genes

Yeast strains present in 10 samples of kefir of different commercial and domestic origins have been isolated and classified taxonomically on the basis of the internal transcribed sequences (ITS) of their ribosomal RNA genes. A total of 18 yeast strains representing 10 different species have been characterized. Of the three commercial kefir samples analyed, two contained the well characterized yeast Kluyveromyces lactis while no yeast was found in the other one. A broader spectrum of yeast species was found among the home-made kefir samples, of which Issatchenkia orientalis, Saccharomyces unisporus, Saccharomyces exiguus and Saccharomyces humaticus were the most representative species.     

A phylogenetic analysis of the lichen familySphaerophoraceae (Caliciales); a new generic classification and notes on character evolution

A phylogenetic analysis of the familySphaerophoraceae (Caliciales, lichenized ascomycetes) has resulted in a new generic classification. Notes on character evolution are given. The generaSphaerophorus s. str.,Bunodophoron andLeifidium, gen. nov., are accepted.Pleurocybe andPseudosphaerophorus are considered synonyms ofBunodophoron andThysanophoron is considered synonym toSphaerophorus. The following new combinations are proposed:Bunodophoron coomerense (Ohlsson)Wedin,B. diplotypum (Vain.)Wedin,B. dodgei (Ohlsson)Wedin,B. flaccidum (Kantvilas & Wedin)Wedin,B. formosanum (Zahlbr.)Wedin,B. imshaugii (Ohlsson)Wedin,B. insigne (Laurer)Wedin,B. kinabaluense (M. Satô)Wedin,B. macrocarpum (Ohlsson)Wedin,B. madagascareum (Nyl.)Wedin,B. microsporum (Ohlsson)Wedin,B. murrayi (Ohlsson)Wedin,B. notatum (Tibell)Wedin,B. ohlssonii (Wedin)Wedin,B. patagonicum (C. W. Dodge)Wedin,B. ramuliferum (I. M. Lamb)Wedin,B. scrobiculatum (C. Bab.)Wedin,B. tibellii (Wedin)Wedin,B. whakapapaense (Wedin)Wedin, andLeifidium tenerum (Laurer)Wedin.     

A new species ofConiochaetidium from soil

A new species ofConiochaetidium isolated from soil of Iraq is described. The speciesC. nuciforme differs fromC. savoryi in the shape and size of the ascospores. A key to differentiate the accepted species of the genus is reported.     

Effect of ubiquinone extraction on the reaction of the mitochondrialbc 1 complex with ferricyanide

Depletion of endogenous ubiquinone by pentane extraction of mitochondrial membranes lowered succinate-ferricyanide reductase activity, whereas quinone reincorporation restored the enzymatic activity as well as antimycin sensitivity. The oxidant-induced cytochromeb extrareduction, normally found upon ferricyanide pulse in intact mitochondria in the presence of antimycin, was lost in ubiquinone-depleted membranes, even if cytochromec was added. Readdition of ubiquinone-2 restored the oxidant-induced extrareduction with an apparent half saturation at 1 mol/molbc ₁ complex saturating at about 5 mol/mol. These findings demonstrate a requirement for the ubiquinone pool of the cytochromeb extrareduction. Since the initial rates of cytochromeb reoxidation upon ferricyanide addition, in the presence of antimycin, did not saturate by any ferricyanide concentration in ubiquinone-depleted mitochondria, a direct chemical reaction between ferricyanide and reduced cytochromeb was postulated. The fact that such direct reaction is much faster in ubiquinone-depleted mitochondria may explain the lower antimycin sensitivity of the succinate ferricyanide reductase activity after removal of endogenous ubiquinone.     

Phylogeny and classification ofFumariaceae, with emphasis onDicentra s. l., based on the plastid generps16 intron

The phylogeny ofFumariaceae, as inferred fromrps16 intron sequences, is compared with morphological data, and nrDNA-ITS. The different data sets are largely congruent and indicate that (1)Dicentra and the tribeCorydaleae as hitherto circumscribed are polyphyletic, (2)Lamprocapnos (=Dicentra spectabilis) is sister group to the rest of subfam.Fumarioideae, (3)Ehrendorferia, gen. nov. (=Dicentra chrysantha andD. ochroleuca) is basal in the latter group, (4) the morphologically aberrantIchtyoselmis, gen. nov. (=Dicentra macrantha) groups withDicentra s. str., (5) the genusCysticapnos should be included in the tribeFumarieae, (6)Dactylicapnos (=Dicentra subg.Dactylicapnos) is sister group toCorydalis, (7) the genusCorydalis is monophyletic, and consists of three subgenera:Chremnocapnos, stat. nov.,Sophorocapnos, stat. nov., andCorydalis. The following new combinations are validated:Ehrendorferia chrysantha, E. ochroleuca, Ichtyoselmis macrantha, andLamprocapnos spectabilis. Dedicated to emer. Univ.-Prof. DrFriedrich Ehrendorfer on the occasion of his 70th birthday     

Morphological classification of ectomycorrhizas ofPinus densiflora

Morphological classification of ectomycorrhizas ofPinus densiflora was conducted. Fifty soil samples containing pine ectomycorrhizas, and 40 pine seedlings were collected randomly in two separate reforested stands ofP. densiflora (45 yr old) from May 1992 to October 1994. Fifty-six types of ectomycorrhizas could be classified based upon microscopically observable morphological characteristics. Fifty percent of the types showed cystidia or other specific characteristics such as laticiferous hyphae in the fungal sheaths, verrucose emanating hyphae and a positive hyphal reaction to UV irradiation. Four mycorrhizal types were confirmed to be formed by the fungiRussula delica, R. mariae, R. nigricans, andCenococcum geophilum, respectively. Although the other 52 types were unidentified mycobionts at species level, it was inferred that they were formed by the fungiHebeloma, Lactarius, Russula andTuber. There was a slight difference in the observed mycorrhizal types between the tree ages. Contribution No. 127, Laboratories of Plant Pathology and Mycology, Institute of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Tsukuba.     

A reappraisal ofPelargonium sect.Ligularia (Geraniaceae)

A study of 33 species ofPelargonium sect.Ligularia reveals four basic chromosome numbers, x = 8, 9, 10, and 11, and variation in chromosome size. From evidence of karyology and hybridization attempts, proposals are made to divide the section into smaller groups and to transfer some species to other sections.     

Molecular phylogeny of JapaneseAmanita species based on nucleotide sequences of the internal transcribed spacer region of nuclear ribosomal DNA

The molecular phylogeny of 36 specimens of JapaneseAmanita species was studied based on nucleotide sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of nuclear ribosomal DNA. The phylogenetic tree obtained supported the traditional classification systems of Bas (1969) and Singer (1986), which are based on morphological characters, in the division of the genusAmanita is divided into subgeneraAmanita andLepidella by the amyloidity of basidiospores. However, at section-level, we suggest that subgenusAmanita should be divided into three sections (Amanita, Vaginatae, andCaesareae). Our results also showed the necessity to modify the taxonomic treatments at section-level in the subgenusLepidella. It appears that the establishment ofA. muscaria andA. pantherina from a common ancestral species might be a very recent event, or these might be lower taxa of same species. As for three subspecies ofA. hemibapha and three varieties ofA. vaginata, it is necessary to grade up their taxonomical ranks from subspecies/variety to species. A new combination,A. javanica, is proposed forA. hemibapha subsp.javanica.     

Airborne Ascomycotina on the island of Crete: Seasonal patternsbased on an 8-year volumetric survey

An 8-year study was conducted on the island of Crete in order to identify airborne ascospores and to determine their seasonal pattern. A Burkard 7-day, volumetric spore-trap was continuously operated in the city of Irakleion – located in the center of the island – from 1994 through 2001. Relatively „high” ascospore counts (20 – 48 spores/m ³) were obtained from mid-spring through summer, while the rest of the year exhibited lower activity (8–16 spores/m³). The predominant ascospores identified were those of Leptosphaeria and Chaetomium; their concentrations varied from 1 or 2 spores up to a few dozens of spores/m³. Other spores encountered sporadically were: Ascobolus, Endophragmiella, Didymella, Diatrypaceae, Leptosphaerulina, Massaria, Pleospora, Sporormiella, Xylaria. The mean daily concentration of all identified ascospores was 30/m³ for the entire study period, corresponding to 13.9% of the total fungal load. Ascospores have been recognized as important inhalant allergens and have been implicated as contributing to symptoms of both rhinitis and asthma.     

DNA based classification of food associated Enterobacteriaceae previously identified by Biolog GN Microplates

Enterobacteriaceae are frequently isolated from food products and it is essential to have methods for correct identification for both food hygiene and epidemiology reasons. Phenotypic methods are not always sufficient and have to be supplemented by DNA based methods. In the present study, 70 strains of Enterobacteriaceae derived from milk, fish and meat that had previously been identified by Biolog GN Microplates were genomically classified together with 15 representative type strains of species of Enterobacteriaceae. The field strains were dominated by Hafnia alvei, Serratia liquefaciens and Rahnella aquatilis. All strains were subjected to temporal temperature gel electrophoresis (TTGE) analysis using amplicons encompassing the V3, V4 and V9 variable regions of the 16S rRNA gene. Selected strains were analysed by ribotyping and partial 16S rDNA sequencing. The type strains were differentiated into 10 different TTGE groups. Two of the groups contained two type strains. Enterobacter aerogenes and Klebsiella planticola were not distinguished due to their identical sequences and Yersinia ruckeri and Citrobacter freundii showed the same migration pattern. The 70 food strains could be differentiated into 14 TTGE groups where 33 strains (47.1%) could be assigned to TTGE groups including type or reference strains. Rahnella strains were dispersed into three TTGE groups of which one group corresponded to Rahnella genomospecies 1 and one to genomospecies 3. The grouping of Rahnella strains was supported by ribotyping and phylogenetic analysis. TTGE can be a useful additional tool for identification on the species level of food related Enterobacteriaceae.     

A new infrageneric classification and phylogenetic trends in the genusRhododendron (Ericaceae)

Recent studies have improved the infrageneric classification ofRhododendron, including my own investigations on flavonoids and anthocyanins as chemosystematic markers. From a synoptical comparison of morphological, anatomical and phytochemical characters a new system for the genus is proposed. Phylogenetic character progressions and relationships among subgenera, sections and subsections are discussed and illustrated. Key positions for subg.Candidastrum between chori subgenerumRhododendron andNomazalea, and for subg.Choniastrum between chori subgenerumHymenanthes andNomazalea are suggested.     

Heliantheae sensu lato (Asteraceae), clades and classification

The interrelationships within theHeliantheae s. lato and the closely relatedEupatorieae are analyzed and discussed. The basis to this discussion is a cladistic analysis of 141 morphological characters (172 apomorphic states) scored for 97 genera. TheHeleniae s. lato, a subgroup of theHeliantheae s. lato, are paraphyletic, and a monophyletic group corresponding largely to theHeliantheae s. str. is recognized. TheEcliptinae sensuRobinson are polyphyletic. TheCoreopsidinae form an ingroup in theHeliantheae s. str. TheTageteae (Pectidinae) and theMadieae (Madiinae) are two separate branches within the helenioid assemblage of taxa.