Diagnosis of Fungal Plant Pathogens Using Conventional and Molecular Approaches

Fungi are a large group of eukaryotes found as saprophytes, pathogens or endophytes, which distribute in every corner of our planet. As the main pathogens, fungi can cause 70–80% of total plant diseases, leading to huge crop yield reduction and economic loss. For identification of fungal plant pathogens, mycologists and plant pathologists have mainly gone through two stages, viz. morphological observation and morphology/phylogeny, and the next era might be utilizing DNA barcodes as the tool for rapid identification. This chapter accounts i) the brief history of development for fungal identification tools and main concepts, ii) the importance and confusion of “One fungus, one name” for pathogen identification, iii) more or fewer species that we need in agricultural practice, and iv) the foreground of fungal plant pathogen identification. These will help to solve the practical problems of identification of fungal pathogens in agricultural production

Phylogenetic Revision of Savoryellaceae and Evidence for Its Ranking as a Subclass

Morphology, phylogeny, and molecular clock analyses were carried out on Savoryellaceae in order to understand the placements of taxa in this family. Ascotaiwania and Neoascotaiwania formed a well-supported separate clade in the phylogeny of concatenated partial SSU, LSU, TEF, and RPB2 gene data. These two genera share similar morphological features, especially in their asexual morphs, indicating that they are congeneric. Hence, we synonymize Neoascotaiwania under Ascotaiwania. Ascotaiwania hughesii (and its asexual morph, Helicoon farinosum) and Monotosporella setosa grouped in a clade sister to Pleurotheciales and are excluded from Ascotaiwania which becomes monophyletic. A novel genus Helicoascotaiwania is introduced to accommodate Ascotaiwania hughesii and its asexual morph, Helicoon farinosum. A novel species, Savoryella yunnanensis is introduced from a freshwater habitat in Yunnan Province, China. Comprehensive descriptions and illustrations are provided for selected taxa in this family. In addition, we provide evolutionary divergence estimates for Savoryellomycetidae taxa and major marine based taxa to support our phylogenetic and morphological investigations. The taxonomic placement of these marine-based taxa is briefly discussed. Our results indicate that the most basal group of marine-based taxa are represented within Lulworthiales, which diverged from ancestral Sordariomycetes around 149 Mya (91–209) and Savoryellomycetidae around 213 Mya (198–303)

Fungal diversity notes 929–1035: taxonomic and phylogenetic contributions on genera and species of fungi

This article is the ninth in the series of Fungal Diversity Notes, where 107 taxa distributed in three phyla, nine classes, 31 orders and 57 families are described and illustrated. Taxa described in the present study include 12 new genera, 74 new species, three new combinations, two reference specimens, a re-circumscription of the epitype, and 15 records of sexualasexual morph connections, new hosts and new geographical distributions. Twelve new genera comprise Brunneofusispora, Brunneomurispora, Liua, Lonicericola, Neoeutypella, Paratrimmatostroma, Parazalerion, Proliferophorum, Pseudoastrosphaeriellopsis, Septomelanconiella, Velebitea and Vicosamyces. Seventy-four new species are Agaricus memnonius, A. langensis, Aleurodiscus patagonicus, Amanita flavoalba, A. subtropicana, Amphisphaeria mangrovei, Baorangia major, Bartalinia kunmingensis, Brunneofusispora sinensis, Brunneomurispora lonicerae, Capronia camelliaeyunnanensis, Clavulina thindii, Coniochaeta simbalensis, Conlarium thailandense, Coprinus trigonosporus, Liua muriformis, Cyphellophora filicis, Cytospora ulmicola, Dacrymyces invisibilis, Dictyocheirospora metroxylonis, Distoseptispora thysanolaenae, Emericellopsis koreana, Galiicola baoshanensis, Hygrocybe lucida, Hypoxylon teeravasati, Hyweljonesia indica, Keissleriella caraganae, Lactarius olivaceopallidus, Lactifluus midnapurensis, Lembosia brigadeirensis, Leptosphaeria urticae, Lonicericola hyaloseptispora, Lophiotrema mucilaginosis, Marasmiellus bicoloripes, Marasmius indojasminodorus, Micropeltis phetchaburiensis, Mucor orantomantidis, Murilentithecium lonicerae, Neobambusicola brunnea, Neoeutypella baoshanensis, Neoroussoella heveae, Neosetophoma lonicerae, Ophiobolus malleolus, Parabambusicola thysanolaenae, Paratrimmatostroma kunmingensis, Parazalerion indica, Penicillium dokdoense, Peroneutypa mangrovei, Phaeosphaeria cycadis, Phanerochaete australosanguinea, Plectosphaerella kunmingensis, Plenodomus artemisiae, P. lijiangensis, Proliferophorum thailandicum, Pseudoastrosphaeriellopsis kaveriana, Pseudohelicomyces menglunicus, Pseudoplagiostoma mangiferae, Robillarda mangiferae, Roussoella elaeicola, Russula choptae, R. uttarakhandia, Septomelanconiella thailandica, Spencermartinsia acericola, Sphaerellopsis isthmospora, Thozetella lithocarpi, Trechispora echinospora, Tremellochaete atlantica, Trichoderma koreanum, T. pinicola, T. rugulosum, Velebitea chrysotexta, Vicosamyces venturisporus, Wojnowiciella kunmingensis and Zopfiella indica. Three new combinations are Baorangia rufomaculata, Lanmaoa pallidorosea and Wojnowiciella rosicola. The reference specimens of Canalisporium kenyense and Tamsiniella labiosa are designated. The epitype of Sarcopeziza sicula is re-circumscribed based on cyto- and histochemical analyses. The sexual-asexual morph connection of Plenodomus sinensis is reported from ferns and Cirsium for the first time. In addition, the new host records and country records are Amanita altipes, A. melleialba, Amarenomyces dactylidis, Chaetosphaeria panamensis, Coniella vitis, Coprinopsis kubickae, Dothiorella sarmentorum, Leptobacillium leptobactrum var. calidus, Muyocopron lithocarpi, Neoroussoella solani, Periconia cortaderiae, Phragmocamarosporium hederae, Sphaerellopsis paraphysata and Sphaeropsis eucalypticola

Paraeutypella guizhouensis gen. et sp. nov. and Diatrypella longiasca sp. nov. (Diatrypaceae) from China

In this study, we introduce a novel genus Paraeutypella of the family Diatrypaceae, comprising three species viz. Paraeutypella guizhouensis sp. nov. and P. citricola (basionym: Eutypella citricola) and P. vitis (basionym: Sphaeria vitis). Diatrypella longiasca sp. nov. is also introduced, which forms a distinct clade in Diatrypella sensu stricto. The discovery of this new genus will contribute to expand the knowledge and taxonomic framework of Diatrypaceae (Xylariales).Generic delimitations in Diatrypaceae, Xylariales, are unsettled because the phylogeny has yet to be resolved using extensive taxon sampling and sequencing of ex-type cultures. During an investigation of xylarialean fungi, we collected eutypella-like taxon which is distinct from Eutypella s. str. in our phylogenetic analyses (ITS and β-tubulin) thus, introduced as Paraeutypella guizhouensis gen. et sp. nov.. Paraeutypella is characterized by having 4–25 perithecia in a stroma each with 3–6 sulcate, long ostiolar necks. Paraeutypella citricola comb. nov. (basionym: Eutypella citricola) is introduced on Acer sp. from China. Diatrypella longiasca sp. nov. is introduced as a new species in Diatrypella s. str. which has 2–5 ascomata per stromata and long ascospores, unusual when compared to other Diatrypella species and distinct phylogenetically

Additions to Italian Pleosporinae, including Italica heraclei sp. nov

Our investigation on pleosporalean fungi from terrestrial habitats in provinces of Arezzo, Forlì-Cesena and Ravenna in Italy yielded a novel species, Italica heraclei (Phaeosphaeriaceae), a new host record of Pseudoophiobolus mathieui (Phaeosphaeriaceae) and the second Italian record of Phomatodes nebulosa (Didymellaceae). Species boundaries were defined using detailed morphological illustrations, comprehensive descriptions and multi-gene phylogeny of maximum likelihood (ML), maximum parsimony (MP) and Bayesian posterior probability (BI) analysis. Our findings expanded the knowledge on host and distribution ranges of the newly isolated pleosporalean taxa in Italy.8s

Taxonomic and Phylogenetic Characterizations Reveal Four New Species, Two New Asexual Morph Reports, and Six New Country Records of Bambusicolous Roussoella from China

During the ongoing investigation of bambusicolous ascomycetous fungi in Yunnan, China, 24 specimens belonging to the family Roussoellaceae were collected and identified based on morphological features and phylogenetic support. Maximum-likelihood (ML) analyses and Bayesian analyses were generated based on the combined data set of ITS, LSU, tef1, and rpb2 loci. The phylogenetic analyses revealed four novel lineages in Roussoella s. str.; thus, we introduced four new species viz., Roussoella multiloculate sp. nov., R. papillate sp. nov., R. sinensis sp. nov., and R. uniloculata sp. nov. Their morphological characters were compared with the known Roussoella taxa, which lack sequence data in the GenBank. Asexual morphs of R. kunmingensis and R. padinae were recorded from dead bamboo culms in China (from the natural substrates) for the first time. Neoroussoella bambusae, Roussoella japanensis, R. nitidula, R. padinae, R. scabrispora, and R. tuberculate were also reported as the first records from China. All new taxa are described and illustrated in detail. Plates are provided for new reports

Phylogeny of new marine Dothideomycetes and Sordariomycetes from mangroves and deep-sea sediments

This paper documents six new saprobic marine fungi and one new genus based on morphology and multi-gene phylogenies. Three Dothideomycetes, and members of the Pleosporales, are introduced: Pseudo-massariosphaeria triseptata sp. nov. was recognized as a mangrove species in Amniculicolaceae, and Salsuginea phoenicis sp. nov. was discovered as a second member of Salsugineaceae. A new genus Raghukumaria with Raghukumaria keshaphalae sp. nov., recovered from mangroves, is phylogenetically sister to Halomassarina and nests in the Trematosphaeriaceae. Three new species are referred to the Sordariomycetes: Coniochaeta marina (Coniochaetales, Coniochaetaceae) on driftwood; Fusicolla bharatavarshae (Hypocreales, Nectriaceae) is introduced with asexual and sexual morphs, on decayed mangrove wood of Avicennia marina; and Fusarium sedimenticola (Hypocreales, Nectriaceae) is new to the Fusarium solani species complex (FSSC) from deep-sea sediment.Marine fungi in Swede

Phylogenetic Revision of Savoryellaceae and Evidence for Its Ranking as a Subclass

Morphology, phylogeny, and molecular clock analyses were carried out on Savoryellaceae in order to understand the placements of taxa in this family. Ascotaiwania and Neoascotaiwania formed a well-supported separate Glade in the phylogeny of concatenated partial SSU, LSU, TEF, and RPB2 gene data. These two genera share similar morphological features, especially in their asexual morphs, indicating that they are congeneric. Hence, we synonymize Neoascotaiwania under Ascotaiwania. Ascotaiwania hughesii (and its asexual morph, Helicoon farinosum) and Monotosporella setosa grouped in a Glade sister to Pleurotheciales and are excluded from Ascotaiwania which becomes monophyletic. A novel genus Helicoascotaiwania is introduced to accommodate Ascotaiwania hughesii and its asexual morph, Helicoon farinosum. A novel species, Savoryella yunnanensis is introduced from a freshwater habitat in Yunnan Province, China. Comprehensive descriptions and illustrations are provided for selected taxa in this family. In addition, we provide evolutionary divergence estimates for Savoryellomycetidae taxa and major marine based taxa to support our phylogenetic and morphological investigations. The taxonomic placement of these marine-based taxa is briefly discussed. Our results indicate that the most basal group of marine-based taxa are represented within Lulworthiales, which diverged from ancestral Sordariomycetes around 149 Mya (91-209) and Savoryellomycetidae around 213 Mya (198-303).</p