Antifungal susceptibility of the endophytic fungus Rhinocladiella similis (URM 7800) isolated from the Caatinga dry forest in Brazil

The present study reports a new occurrence of Rhinocladiella similis isolated as an endophytic fungus in the Caatinga dry tropical forest in Brazil and describes its antifungal susceptibility. The isolate R. similis URM 7800 was obtained from leaves of the medicinal plant Myracrodruon urundeuva. Its morphological characterization was performed on potato dextrose agar medium and molecular analysis using the ITS rDNA sequence. The antifungal susceptibility profile was defined using the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) protocol M38-A2. The colony of isolate URM 7800 showed slow growth, with an olivaceous-gray color and powdery mycelium; in microculture, it showed the typical features of R. similis. In the antifungal susceptibility test, isolate URM 7800 showed high minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values for amphotericin B (>16 μg/mL), voriconazole (16 μg/mL), terbinafine (>0.5 μg/mL), and caspofungin (>8 μg/mL), among other antifungal drugs. Pathogenic melanized fungi are frequently isolated in environments where humans may be exposed, and these data show that it is essential to know if these isolates possess antifungal resistance

Pathogenicity of Beauveria bassiana and production of cuticle-degrading enzymes in the presence of Diatraea saccharalis cuticle

The sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis, is one of the worst pests in Brazilian sugarcane crop, causing high levels of financial losses every year. Beauveria bassiana is an entomopathogenic fungus widely used in the biological control of several agricultural pests. The aims of this study were to: (1) evaluate the pathogenicity of B. bassiana strains against D. saccharalis (2) investigate the production of proteases and chitinase by B. bassiana in the presence of the cuticle of sugarcane borer; and, (3) evaluate the relation between the production of enzymes and pathogenicity of the strains. All isolates tested were pathogenic to D. saccharalis and the mortality ranged from 36 to 88%. The production of enzymes was higher in the medium containing cuticle, showing that the process is stimulated by specific components found in the cuticle of the host. Pr1 activity was higher than Pr2 and both were produced at 24 h. The highest production of chitinase was obtained at 96 h of culture for all strains tested. Levels of specific cuticle-degrading enzymes such as proteases correlated positively with specific virulence parameters. B. bassiana URM2915 showed promising features to be used in a biological control program of D. saccharalis.Key words: Biological control, sugarcane, subtilisin-like protease, trypsin-like protease, chitinase

Brazilian tropical dry forest (Caatinga) in the spotlight: An overview of species of aspergillus, penicillium and talaromyces (eurotiales) and the description of p. vascosobrinhous sp. nov.

A literature-based checklist of species of Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Talaromyces recorded in the Brazilian tropical dry forest (Caatinga), the largest tropical dry forest region in South America, is provided. A total of 130 species (60 Aspergillus, 57 Penicillium, and 13 Talaromyces) are reported. Soil was the most common substrate, with 122 species records. Various reported species are well known in biotechnological processes. This checklist reflects the limited knowledge of fungal species in tropical dry environments. These data provide a good starting point for biogeographical studies on species of Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Talaromyces in dry environments worldwide. In addition, the new species Penicillium vascosobrinhous is introduced, an endophytic fungus isolated from cactus of the Caatinga forest in Brazil

Mycological Diversity Description I

Here, Quambalaria fabacearum and Neopestalotiopsis brasiliensis are introduced as new species from Brazil, isolated as endophyte from Mimosa tenuiflora and causing post-harvest rot disease on fruits of Psidium guajava, respectively. Diaporthe inconspicua is emended to include a more detailed morphological description. Neopestalotiopsis egyptiaca is reported as new to the Americas and as causing post-harvest rot disease on fruits of Psidium guajava, while Umbelopsis isabellina is reported as endophyte

Mycological diversity description II

Here, Diaporthe myracrodruonis is introduced as new species from Brazil, isolated as endophyte from Myracrodruon urundeuva. Asterina mandaquiensis is epitypified and ilustrated for the first time. Serpula similis is reported as new to the Neotropics, while Perenniporia centrali-africana is reported for the first time as endophyte and Preussia africana as endophyte from Spondias tuberosa in Caatinga in Brazil

Mycological Diversity Description II

ABSTRACT Here, Diaporthe myracrodruonis is introduced as new species from Brazil, isolated as endophyte from Myracrodruon urundeuva. Asterina mandaquiensis is epitypified and ilustrated for the first time. Serpula similis is reported as new to the Neotropics, while Perenniporia centrali-africana is reported for the first time as endophyte and Preussia africana as endophyte from Spondias tuberosa in Caatinga in Brazil

Fungal planet description sheets: 716–784

Novel species of fungi described in this study include those from various countries as follows: Australia, Chaetopsina eucalypti on Eucalyptus leaf litter, Colletotrichum cobbittiense from Cordyline stricta × C. australis hybrid, Cyanodermella banksiae on Banksia ericifolia subsp. macrantha, Discosia macrozamiae on Macrozamia miquelii, Elsinoë banksiigena on Banksia marginata, Elsinoë elaeocarpi on Elaeocarpus sp., Elsinoë leucopogonis on Leucopogon sp., Helminthosporium livistonae on Livistona australis, Idriellomyces eucalypti (incl. Idriellomyces gen. nov.) on Eucalyptus obliqua, Lareunionomyces eucalypti on Eucalyptus sp., Myrotheciomyces corymbiae (incl. Myrotheciomyces gen. nov., Myrotheciomycetaceae fam. nov.), Neolauriomyces eucalypti (incl. Neolauriomyces gen. nov., Neolauriomycetaceae fam. nov.) on Eucalyptus sp., Nullicamyces eucalypti (incl. Nullicamyces gen. nov.) on Eucalyptus leaf litter, Oidiodendron eucalypti on Eucalyptus maidenii, Paracladophialophora cyperacearum (incl. Paracladophialophoraceae fam. nov.) and Periconia cyperacearum on leaves of Cyperaceae, Porodiplodia livistonae (incl. Porodiplodia gen. nov., Porodiplodiaceae fam. nov.) on Livistona australis, Sporidesmium melaleucae (incl. Sporidesmiales ord. nov.) on Melaleuca sp., Teratosphaeria sieberi on Eucalyptus sieberi, Thecaphora aus-traliensis in capsules of a variant of Oxalis exilis. Brazil, Aspergillus serratalhadensis from soil, Diaporthe pseudo-inconspicua from Poincianella pyramidalis, Fomitiporella pertenuis on dead wood, Geastrum magnosporum on soil, Marquesius aquaticus (incl. Marquesius gen. nov.) from submerged decaying twig and leaves of unidentified plant, Mastigosporella pigmentata from leaves of Qualea parviflorae, Mucor souzae from soil, Mycocalia aquaphila on decaying wood from tidal detritus, Preussia citrullina as endophyte from leaves of Citrullus lanatus, Queiroziella brasiliensis (incl. Queiroziella gen. nov.) as epiphytic yeast on leaves of Portea leptantha, Quixadomyces cearen-sis (incl. Quixadomyces gen. nov.) on decaying bark, Xylophallus clavatus on rotten wood. Canada, Didymella cari on Carum carvi and Coriandrum sativum. Chile, Araucasphaeria foliorum (incl. Araucasphaeria gen. nov.) on Araucaria araucana, Aspergillus tumidus from soil, Lomentospora valparaisensis from soil. Colombia, Corynespora pseudocassiicola on Byrsonima sp., Eucalyptostroma eucalyptorum on Eucalyptus pellita, Neometulocladosporiella eucalypti (incl. Neometulocladosporiella gen. nov.) on Eucalyptus grandis × urophylla, Tracylla eucalypti (incl. Tracyllaceae fam. nov., Tracyllalales ord. nov.) on Eucalyptus urophylla. Cyprus, Gyromitra anthracobia (incl. Gyromitra subg. Pseudoverpa) on burned soil. Czech Republic, Lecanicillium restrictum from the surface of the wooden barrel, Lecanicillium testudineum from scales of Trachemys scripta elegans. Ecuador, Entoloma yanacolor and Saproamanita quitensis on soil. France, Lentithecium carbonneanum from submerged decorticated Populus branch. Hungary, Pleuromyces hungaricus (incl. Pleuromyces gen. nov.) from a large Fagus sylvatica log. Iran, Zymoseptoria crescenta on Aegilops triuncialis. Malaysia, Ochroconis musicola on Musa sp. Mexico, Cladosporium michoacanense from soil. New Zealand, Acrodontium metrosideri on Metrosideros excelsa, Polynema podocarpi on Podocarpus totara, Pseudoarthrographis phlogis (incl. Pseudoarthrographis gen. nov.) on Phlox subulata. Nigeria, Coprinopsis afrocinerea on soil. Pakistan, Russula mansehraensis on soil under Pinus roxburghii. Russia, Baoran­ gia alexandri on soil in deciduous forests with Quercus mongolica. South Africa, Didymocyrtis brachylaenae on Brachylaena discolor. Spain, Alfaria dactylis from fruit of Phoenix dactylifera, Dothiora infuscans from a blackened wall, Exophiala nidicola from the nest of an unidentified bird, Matsushimaea monilioides from soil, Terfezia morenoi on soil. United Arab Emirates, Tirmania honrubiae on soil. USA, Arxotrichum wyomingense (incl. Arxotrichum gen. nov.) from soil, Hongkongmyces snookiorum from submerged detritus from a fresh water fen, Leratiomyces tesquorum from soil, Talaromyces tabacinus on leaves of Nicotiana tabacum. Vietnam, Afroboletus vietnamensis on soil in an evergreen tropical forest, Colletotrichum condaoense from Ipomoea pes-caprae. Morphological and culture characteristics along with DNA barcodes are provided. © 2018 Naturalis Biodiversity Center & Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute