Morphological and phylogenetic characterisation of novel <i>Cytospora</i> species associated with mangroves

Mangroves are relatively unexplored habitats and have been shown to harbour a number of novel species of fungi. In this study, samples of microfungi were collected from symptomatic branches, stem and leaves of the mangrove species Xylocarpus granatum, X. moluccensis and Lumnitzera racemosa and examined morphologically. The phylogeny recovered supports our morphological data to introduce three new species, Cytospora lumnitzericola, C. thailandica and C. xylocarpi. In addition, a combined multi-gene DNA sequence dataset (ITS, LSU, ACT and RPB2) was analysed to investigate phylogenetic relationships of isolates and help in a more reliable species identification

Fungal diversity notes 253–366: taxonomic and phylogenetic contributions to fungal taxa

Notes on 113 fungal taxa are compiled in this paper, including 11 new genera, 89 new species, one new subspecies, three new combinations and seven reference specimens. A wide geographic and taxonomic range of fungal taxa are detailed. In the Ascomycota the new genera Angustospora (Testudinaceae), Camporesia (Xylariaceae), Clematidis, Crassiparies (Pleosporales genera incertae sedis), Farasanispora, Longiostiolum (Pleosporales genera incertae sedis), Multilocularia (Parabambusicolaceae), Neophaeocryptopus (Dothideaceae), Parameliola (Pleosporales genera incertae sedis), and Towyspora (Lentitheciaceae) are introduced. Newly introduced species are Angustospora nilensis, Aniptodera aquibella, Annulohypoxylon albidiscum, Astrocystis thailandica, Camporesia sambuci, Clematidis italica, Colletotrichum menispermi, C. quinquefoliae, Comoclathris pimpinellae, Crassiparies quadrisporus, Cytospora salicicola, Diatrype thailandica, Dothiorella rhamni, Durotheca macrostroma, Farasanispora avicenniae, Halorosellinia rhizophorae, Humicola koreana, Hypoxylon lilloi, Kirschsteiniothelia tectonae, Lindgomyces okinawaensis, Longiostiolum tectonae, Lophiostoma pseudoarmatisporum, Moelleriella phukhiaoensis, M. pongdueatensis, Mucoharknessia anthoxanthi, Multilocularia bambusae, Multiseptospora thysanolaenae, Neophaeocryptopus cytisi, Ocellularia arachchigei, O. ratnapurensis, Ochronectria thailandica, Ophiocordyceps karstii, Parameliola acaciae, P. dimocarpi, Parastagonospora cumpignensis, Pseudodidymosphaeria phlei, Polyplosphaeria thailandica, Pseudolachnella brevifusiformis, Psiloglonium macrosporum, Rhabdodiscus albodenticulatus, Rosellinia chiangmaiensis, Saccothecium rubi, Seimatosporium pseudocornii, S. pseudorosae, Sigarispora ononidis and Towyspora aestuari. New combinations are provided for Eutiarosporella dactylidis (sexual morph described and illustrated) and Pseudocamarosporium pini. Descriptions, illustrations and / or reference specimens are designated for Aposphaeria corallinolutea, Cryptovalsa ampelina, Dothiorella vidmadera, Ophiocordyceps formosana, Petrakia echinata, Phragmoporthe conformis and Pseudocamarosporium pini. The new species of Basidiomycota are Agaricus coccyginus, A. luteofibrillosus, Amanita atrobrunnea, A. digitosa, A. gleocystidiosa, A. pyriformis, A. strobilipes, Bondarzewia tibetica, Cortinarius albosericeus, C. badioflavidus, C. dentigratus, C. duboisensis, C. fragrantissimus, C. roseobasilis, C. vinaceobrunneus, C. vinaceogrisescens, C. wahkiacus, Cyanoboletus hymenoglutinosus, Fomitiporia atlantica, F. subtilissima, Ganoderma wuzhishanensis, Inonotus shoreicola, Lactifluus armeniacus, L. ramipilosus, Leccinum indoaurantiacum, Musumecia alpina, M. sardoa, Russula amethystina subp. tengii and R. wangii are introduced. Descriptions, illustrations, notes and / or reference specimens are designated for Clarkeinda trachodes, Dentocorticium ussuricum, Galzinia longibasidia, Lentinus stuppeus and Leptocorticium tenellum. The other new genera, species new combinations are Anaeromyces robustus, Neocallimastix californiae and Piromyces finnis from Neocallimastigomycota, Phytophthora estuarina, P. rhizophorae, Salispina, S. intermedia, S. lobata and S. spinosa from Oomycota, and Absidia stercoraria, Gongronella orasabula, Mortierella calciphila, Mucor caatinguensis, M. koreanus, M. merdicola and Rhizopus koreanus in Zygomycota

Inheritance of the chloroplast genome in Sorbus aucuparia L. (Rosaceae).

Chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) inheritance was investigated in Sorbus aucuparia using progenies obtained from six controlled crosses between individuals of known haplotype. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification, followed by restriction analysis, was used to characterize 248 offspring for either of two polymorphic cpDNA fragments. All offspring exhibited the maternal haplotype, which indicates maternal inheritance of chloroplasts in S. aucuparia. Power analysis of the test showed that the frequency of paternal transmission of chloroplasts, if any, should not exceed 1.84% (with 99% confidence)

Development and multiplexing of microsatellite markers using pyrosequencing in the clonal Plant Comarum palustre (Rosaceae)

Microsatellites represent one of the most commonly used genetic markers for population genetic studies. Traditionally, their development is quite time consuming, requiring construction of a genomic library enriched for repeated motifs. Using pyrosequencing, a fast and cost-effective new generation sequencing technique, we produced 24,340,862 bases in 63,860 short fragment reads, including 1170 dinucleotide motifs with a minimum of six repeats and 1383 trinucleotide motifs with a minimum of four repeats for the Marsh Cinquefoil, Comarum palustre L., an endangered marsh pioneer species. We selected 58 loci with SSR (Short Sequence Repeat) segments (at least 10 repeats) for a preliminary screening. Out of them, we screened 29 loci on a capillary sequencer after ligation in a vector and PCR using T7 forward primer labelled with FAM fluorescent dye and the specific unlabeled reverse primers. This procedure allowed us to screen large number of candidate loci with the same labelled primer and unlabelled specific primers. Finally, we characterized 20 polymorphic microsatellite markers, nine dinucleotides and 11 trinucleotides. We used these markers to assess genetic diversity and clonal structure in two Belgian populations. All loci showed a maximum of two alleles per individual, suggesting that they are from a diploid genome. One genet was detected in a newly extending population while 53 different genets in a long-term ecologically managed population. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 6 to 14 in this old population with an expected heterozygosity, ranging from 0.5964 to 0.8278. These preliminary results show a genet size up to 7.2 m

S-allele diversity in Sorbus aucuparia and Crataegus monogyna (Rosaceae : Maloideae)

RT-PCR was used to obtain the first estimates from natural populations of allelic diversity at the RNase-based gametophytic self-incompatibility locus in the Rosaceae. A total of 20 alleles were retrieved from 20 Sorbus aucuparia individuals, whereas 17 alleles were found in 13 Crataegus monogyna samples. Estimates of population-level allele numbers fall within the range observed in the Solanaceae, the only other family with RNase-based incompatibility for which estimates are available. The nucleotide diversity of S-allele sequences was found to be much lower in the two Rosaceae species as compared with the Solanaceae. This was not due to a lower sequence divergence among most closely related alleles. Rather, it is the depth of the entire genealogy that differs markedly in the two families, with Rosaceae S-alleles exhibiting more recent apparent coalescence. We also investigated patterns of selection at the molecular level by comparing nucleotide diversity at synonymous and nonsynonymous sites. Stabilizing selection was inferred for the 5' region of the molecule, while evidence of diversifying selection was present elsewhere