Aspergillus diversity from the Gcwihaba cave in Botswana and description of one new species

A fungal survey of the Gcwihaba Cave from Botswana found Aspergillus to be one of the more common fungal genera isolated. The 81 Aspergillus strains were identified using CaM sequences and comparing these to a curated reference dataset. Nineteen species were identified representing eight sections (sections Candidi, Circumdati, Flavi, Flavipedes, Nidulantes, Nigri, Terrei and Usti). One strain could not be identified. Morphological characterisation and multigene phylogenetic analyses confirmed it as a new species in section Flavipedes and we introduce it below as A. okavangoensis. The new species is most similar to A. iizukae, both producing conidiophores with vesicles typically wider than 20 μm. The new species, however, does not produce Hülle cells and its colonies grow slower than those of A. iizukae on CYA at 37 °C (14–15 vs 18–21 mm) and CREA (15–16 vs 23–41mm).The Botswana International University of Science and Technology; the Department of Tertiary Education Financing (Botswana); the Future Leaders - African Independent Research fellowship programme. The FLAIR Fellowship Programme is a partnership between the African Academy of Sciences and the Royal Society funded by the UK Government’s Global Challenges Research Fund.https://fuse-journal.orgam2022BiochemistryForestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI)GeneticsMicrobiology and Plant Patholog

Putative neuromycotoxicoses in an adult male following ingestion of moldy walnuts

A tremorgenic syndrome occurs in dogs following ingestion of moldy walnuts, and Penicillium crustosum has been implicated as the offending fungus. This is the first report of suspected moldy walnut toxicosis in man. An adult male ingested approximately eight fungal-infected walnut kernels and after 12 h experienced tremors, generalized pain, incoordination, confusion, anxiety, and diaphoresis. Following symptomatic and supportive treatment at a local hospital, the man made an uneventful recovery. A batch of walnuts (approximately 20) was submitted for mycological culturing and identification as well as for mycotoxin analysis. Penicillium crustosum Thom was the most abundant fungus present on walnut samples, often occurring as monocultures on isolation plates. Identifications were confirmed with DNA sequences. The kernels and shells of the moldy walnuts as well as P. crustosum isolates plated on yeast extract sucrose (YES) and Czapek yeast autolysate (CYA) agars and incubated in the dark at 25 °C for 7 days were screened for tremorgenic mycotoxins and known P. crustosum metabolites using a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric (LC-MS/MS) method. A relatively low penitrem A concentration of only 1.9 ng/g was detected on the walnut kernels when compared to roquefortine C concentrations of 21.7 μg/g. A similar result was obtained from P. crustosum isolates cultured on YES and CYA, with penitrem A concentrations much lower (0.6–6.4 μg per g mycelium/agar) compared to roquefortine C concentrations (172–1225 μg/g). The authors surmised that besides penitrem A, roquefortine C might also play an additive or synergistic role in intoxication of man.This work is based on research supported in part by the National Research Foundation of South Africa (grant number 103747).https://link.springer.com/journal/125502020-02-01hj2019Paraclinical Science

A new Paecilomyces from wooden utility poles in South Africa

During a survey of fungi on electricity utility poles in South Africa, a diverse range of fungi were discovered. Paecilomyces was frequently isolated, with five species identified using ITS and β-tubulin (BenA) sequences. These were P. brunneolus, P. dactylethromorphus, P. lecythidis, P. paravariotii and a potential new species. The genomes of 30 of these strains were subsequently sequenced and used in a phylogenomic analysis with 45 previously published genomes of the genus. Phylogenetic analyses were also conducted using ITS, BenA, calmodulin (CaM), RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (RPB2), RNA polymerase II largest subunit (RPB1), the genes coding for the theta subunit of the TCP-1 chaperonin complex (Cct8), and for a putative ribosome biogenesis protein (Tsr1). Both phylogenomic and phylogenetic analyses supported the 15 Paecilomyces species currently accepted and confirmed the novelty of the new species, which we describe as P. lignorum. The latter is the sister species of P. brunneolus and belongs to a clade also containing P. variotii and P. paravariotii. Morphologically, the new species produces longer ellipsoidal conidia and grows more restricted on malt extract agar at 30 °C compared to its closest relatives.The National Research Foundation (NRF), Tree Protection Co-operative Programme (TPCP), the THRIP initiative of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (RISE) under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant.https://fuse-journal.orghj2024BiochemistryForestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI)GeneticsMicrobiology and Plant PathologySDG-15:Life on lan

Recommendations to prevent taxonomic misidentification of genome-sequenced fungal strains

Correct identification of a (genome-sequenced) strain is an essential step in evolutionary and comparative genomic studies. It came to our attention that the number of publicly available misidentified genome-sequenced strains is increasing. By using the order Eurotiales (Aspergillus, Penicillium, Talaromyces, and related genera) as an example, in this letter we want to increase awareness among readers of Microbiology Resource Announcements of this ongoing problem and give recommendations to ensure availability and correct strain identification in the future.https://mra.asm.org/https://mra.asm.orgam2022BiochemistryForestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI)GeneticsMicrobiology and Plant Patholog

A re-evaluation of Penicillium section Canescentia, including the description of five new species

A survey of Penicillium in the fynbos biome from South Africa resulted in the isolation of 61 species of which 29 were found to be new. In this study we focus on Penicillium section Canescentia, providing a phylogenetic re-evaluation based on the analysis of partial beta-tubulin (BenA), calmodulin (CaM) and RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (RPB2) sequence data. Based on phylogenies we show that five fynbos species are new and several previously assigned synonyms of P. canescens and P. janczewskii should be considered as distinct species. As such, we provide descriptions for the five new species and introduce the new name P. elizabethiae for the illegitimate P. echinatum. We also update the accepted species list and synonymies of section Canescentia species and provide a review of extrolites produced by these species.South African Biosystematics Initiative (SABI); Foundational Biodiversity Information Programme (FBIP) of the National Research Foundation (NRF); Future Leaders - African Independent Research fellowship programme (FLAIR); Novo Nordisk Foundation; Project INTARACT.https://www.persoonia.orgpm2022BiochemistryForestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI)GeneticsMicrobiology and Plant Patholog

Re-evaluation of the taxonomy of Talaromyces minioluteus

Talaromyces minioluteus belongs to the section Trachyspermi, has a worldwide distribution and has been found on various substrates, especially on various (stored) food commodities and indoor environments. This species is phenotypically and phylogenetically closely related to T. chongqingensis and T. minnesotensis. The phylogenetic and morphological analyses of 37 strains previously identified as T. chongqingensis, T. minnesotensis and T. minioluteus revealed that this clade incudes eight species: the accepted species T. chongqingensis, T. minnesotensis and T. minioluteus, the newly proposed species T. calidominioluteus, T. africanus and T. germanicus, and the new combinations T. gaditanus (basionym Penicillium gaditanum) and T. samsonii (basionym Penicillium samsonii). In this study, we give insight of the phylogenetic relationships and provide detailed descriptions of the species belonging to this clade. Macromorphological features, especially colony growth rates, texture and conidial colors on agar media, are important characters for phenotypic differentiation between species.SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL : Figure S1: Maximum Likelihood (ML) tree inferred based on the ITS sequence dataset with GenBank sequences (indicated in red). The BI posterior probabilities and ML bootstrap percentages are presented at the nodes. The fully supported branches are thickened and the BS/PP values are indicated with asterisk. Values less than 70% bs (ML) or less than 0.95 pp (Bayesian analysis) are indicated with a hyphen or not shown. The phylogram is rooted with T. flavus (CBS 310.38T) and T. sayulitensis (CBS 138204). T = ex-type, Table S1: Re-identification of T. minioluteus sequences present in GenBank.https://www.mdpi.com/journal/jofam2022BiochemistryForestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI)GeneticsMicrobiology and Plant Patholog

Phylogenetic relationships of the newly discovered sexual state of Talaromyces flavovirens, comb. nov.

Typical Talaromyces ascomata were observed on dry Quercus suber leaf litter amongst the characteristic synnemata of Penicillium aureocephalum, and they appear to represent the sexual state of the latter species. The species is a synonym of the older Lasioderma flavovirens, and we propose the new combination Talaromyces flavovirens. Lectotype and epitype specimens are designated for this name. The defining characters of the asexual state include yellow, short-stalked, mycetozoan-like synnemata with an unusual, almost closed terminal head of penicillate conidiophores intermixed with sinuous hyphae, and dark green conidia. Ascomata could not be induced in culture, but PCR amplifications of mating-type genes indicate the species is heterothallic. In nature, ascocarp initials appear to be antheridia coiled around clavate ascogonia, similar to those of T. flavus, and the thick-walled, spiny ascospores are also similar to those of T. flavus. ITS barcodes and β-tubulin sequences place T. flavovirens in a clade with T. apiculatus, T. flavus, T. funiculosus, T. galapagensis, T. pinophilus, T. macrosporus, and seven other species

New Resinogalea species from Araucaria araucana resin in Chile and reclassification of the genus in the Cryptocaliciomycetidae

Araucaria araucana is an ancient conifer, native to the mountain ranges in Chile and Argentina. These trees host a large number of organisms, mainly insects, strongly or even exclusively associated with them. The recent emergence of a novel canker disease on A. araucana has emphasised the importance of fungi associated with these iconic trees and has resulted in the discovery of various new species. In this study, we considered the identity of an unknown calicioid fungus consistently found on resin on the branches of A. araucana. Preliminary phylogenetic analyses placed isolates in the recently described sub-class Cryptocaliciomycetidae, closest to Cryptocalicium blascoi. However, the morphology of the ascomata and its occurrence in a unique niche suggested that the closest relative could be Resinogalea humboldtensis (Bruceomycetaceae, incertae sedis), a fungus with similar sporing structures found on resin of Araucaria humboldtensis in New Caledonia. There are no living cultures or sequence data available for either R. humboldtensis or its supposed closest relative, Bruceomyces castoris, precluding sequence-based comparisons. Morphological comparisons of the sporing structures on A. araucana confirmed that the ascomatal morphology of our unknown calicioid fungus and R. humboldtensis are almost identical and resemble each other more so than B. castoris or Cr. blascoi. A phylogenetic analysis based on the small subunit (SSU), internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and large subunit (LSU) rDNA regions resolved our strains into two clades with Cr. blascoi as its closest relative. Further analyses applying the Genealogical Concordance Phylogenetic Species Recognition (GCPSR) based on ITS, mini chromosome maintenance protein complex (MCM7), RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (RPB2) and translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF) gene regions, confirmed that strains represent two new species. Based on our morphological observations and phylogenetic analyses, we introduce two new Resinogalea species, R. araucana and R. tapulicola, and reclassify the genus in the subclass Cryptocaliciomycetidae.Tree Protection Cooperative Programme (TPCP), the Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI) and the University of Pretoria, South Africa, the Chilean National Forest Corporation (Corporación Nacional Forestal, CONAF), and Bioforest S.A. Arauco, Chile.https://imafungus.biomedcentral.com/Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI)Plant Production and Soil ScienceSDG-15:Life on lan

Redefining species limits in the Fusarium fujikuroi species complex

The Fusarium fujikuroi species complex (FFSC) includes more than 60 phylogenetic species (phylospecies) with both phytopathological and clinical importance. Because of their economical relevance, a stable taxonomy and nomenclature is crucial for species in the FFSC. To attain this goal, we examined type specimens and representative cultures of several species by employing morphology and phylogenetic analyses based on partial gene fragments of the translation elongation factor 1-alpha (tef1), beta-tubulin (tub2), calmodulin (cmdA), RNA polymerase largest subunit (rpb1) and RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (rpb2). Based on these results three new species were delimited in the FFSC. Two of these phylospecies clustered within the African clade, and one in the American clade. Epitypes were also designated for six previously described FFSC species including F. proliferatum and F. verticillioides, and a neotype designated for F. subglutinans. Furthermore, both F. acutatum and F. ophioides, which were previously invalidly published, are validated.Department of Science and Technology (DST) and National Research Foundation (NRF).https://www.persoonia.orgpm2022BiochemistryForestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI)GeneticsMicrobiology and Plant Patholog

A survey of xerophilic Aspergillus from indoor environment, including descriptions of two new section Aspergillus species producing eurotium-like sexual states

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