Characterization of Neopestalotiopsis, Pestalotiopsis and Truncatella species associated with grapevine trunk diseases in France

Pestalotioid fungi associated with grapevine wood diseases in France are regularly found in vine growing regions, and research was conducted to identify these fungi. Many of these taxa are morphologically indistinguishable, but sequence data can resolve the cryptic species in the group. Thirty pestalotioid fungi were isolated from infected grapevines from seven field sites and seven diseased grapevine varieties in France. Analysis of internal transcribed spacer (ITS), partial β-tubulin (TUB) and partial translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF) sequence data revealed several species of Neopestalotiopsis, Pestalotiopsis and Truncatella associated with the symptoms. Three Neopestalotiopsis spp. and one Pestalotiopsis sp. are reported for the first time associated with wood diseases in grapevine in France and worldwide, and include Neopestalotiopsis asiatica, N. javaensis, Neopestalotiopsis sp. and Pestalotiopsis biciliata. The sequence data indicate that Truncatella angustata was also associated with wood grapevine diseases in France; this species was previously reported on grapevine in Iran.  The importance of controlling Pestalotioid fungi associated with wood grapevine diseases is discussed, which was previously considered of minor importance. These fungi are isolated from plants in nurseries before marketing

FungalTraits:A user-friendly traits database of fungi and fungus-like stramenopiles

The cryptic lifestyle of most fungi necessitates molecular identification of the guild in environmental studies. Over the past decades, rapid development and affordability of molecular tools have tremendously improved insights of the fungal diversity in all ecosystems and habitats. Yet, in spite of the progress of molecular methods, knowledge about functional properties of the fungal taxa is vague and interpretation of environmental studies in an ecologically meaningful manner remains challenging. In order to facilitate functional assignments and ecological interpretation of environmental studies we introduce a user friendly traits and character database FungalTraits operating at genus and species hypothesis levels. Combining the information from previous efforts such as FUNGuild and Fun(Fun) together with involvement of expert knowledge, we reannotated 10,210 and 151 fungal and Stramenopila genera, respectively. This resulted in a stand-alone spreadsheet dataset covering 17 lifestyle related traits of fungal and Stramenopila genera, designed for rapid functional assignments of environmental studies. In order to assign the trait states to fungal species hypotheses, the scientific community of experts manually categorised and assigned available trait information to 697,413 fungal ITS sequences. On the basis of those sequences we were able to summarise trait and host information into 92,623 fungal species hypotheses at 1% dissimilarity threshold

Finding needles in haystacks : linking scientific names, reference specimens and molecular data for Fungi

DNA phylogenetic comparisons have shown that morphology-based species recognition often underestimates fungal diversity. Therefore, the need for accurate DNA sequence data, tied to both correct taxonomic names and clearly annotated specimen data, has never been greater. Furthermore, the growing number of molecular ecology and microbiome projects using high-throughput sequencing require fast and effective methods for en masse species assignments. In this article, we focus on selecting and re-annotating a set of marker reference sequences that represent each currently accepted order of Fungi. The particular focus is on sequences from the internal transcribed spacer region in the nuclear ribosomal cistron, derived from type specimens and/or ex-type cultures. Reannotated and verified sequences were deposited in a curated public database at the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), namely the RefSeq Targeted Loci (RTL) database, and will be visible during routine sequence similarity searches with NR_prefixed accession numbers. A set of standards and protocols is proposed to improve the data quality of new sequences, and we suggest how type and other reference sequences can be used to improve identification of Fungi.The Intramural Research Programs of the National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine and the National Human Genome Research Institute, both at the National Institutes of Health.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bioproject/PRJNA177353am201

Greeneria saprophytica sp. nov. on dead leaves of Syzygium cumini from Chiang Rai, Thailand

Tangthirasunun, Narumon, Silar, Philippe, Bhat, Darbhe Jayarama, Maharachchikumbura, Sajeewa S.N., Hyde, Kevin D. (2014): Greeneria saprophytica sp. nov. on dead leaves of Syzygium cumini from Chiang Rai, Thailand. Phytotaxa 184 (5): 275-282, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.184.5.

FIGURE 3 in Greeneria saprophytica sp. nov. on dead leaves of Syzygium cumini from Chiang Rai, Thailand

FIGURE 3. Greeneria saprophytica: conidiogenous cells and conidia.Published as part of <i>Tangthirasunun, Narumon, Silar, Philippe, Bhat, Darbhe Jayarama, Maharachchikumbura, Sajeewa S.N. & Hyde, Kevin D., 2014, Greeneria saprophytica sp. nov. on dead leaves of Syzygium cumini from Chiang Rai, Thailand, pp. 275-282 in Phytotaxa 184 (5)</i> on page 280, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.184.5.3, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/10089683">http://zenodo.org/record/10089683</a&gt

FIGURE 2 in Greeneria saprophytica sp. nov. on dead leaves of Syzygium cumini from Chiang Rai, Thailand

FIGURE 2. Greeneria saprophytica (MFLUCC 12-0298, holotype). A. Specimen on dead leaf of Syzygium cumini. B. Conidiomata on the host surface. C. L.S. of a conidioma. D–H. Phialidic conidiogenous cells with developing conidia; in G. note proliferating conidiogenous cell. I–L. Conidia. M. Germinating conidium. N–O. Colonies on PDA; N. From top, O. From reverse. Scale bars: C = 50 μm, D–M = 10 μm.Published as part of <i>Tangthirasunun, Narumon, Silar, Philippe, Bhat, Darbhe Jayarama, Maharachchikumbura, Sajeewa S.N. & Hyde, Kevin D., 2014, Greeneria saprophytica sp. nov. on dead leaves of Syzygium cumini from Chiang Rai, Thailand, pp. 275-282 in Phytotaxa 184 (5)</i> on page 279, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.184.5.3, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/10089683">http://zenodo.org/record/10089683</a&gt

FIGURE 1 in Greeneria saprophytica sp. nov. on dead leaves of Syzygium cumini from Chiang Rai, Thailand

FIGURE 1. Maximum likelihood (ML) majority rule 28S nuclear large subunit (nuLSU) consensus tree for Greeneria saprophytica, G. uvicola and other representatives in order Diaporthales and genera incertae sedis. RAxML bootstrap support values are given at the nodes. The tree is rooted to Coniochaeta velutina (Coniochaetales).Published as part of <i>Tangthirasunun, Narumon, Silar, Philippe, Bhat, Darbhe Jayarama, Maharachchikumbura, Sajeewa S.N. & Hyde, Kevin D., 2014, Greeneria saprophytica sp. nov. on dead leaves of Syzygium cumini from Chiang Rai, Thailand, pp. 275-282 in Phytotaxa 184 (5)</i> on page 278, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.184.5.3, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/10089683">http://zenodo.org/record/10089683</a&gt

Aspergillus terreus obtained from mangrove exhibits antagonistic activities against Pythium aphanidermatum-induced damping-off of cucumber

A study was conducted to investigate the potential of Aspergillus terreus obtained from Avicennia marina mangrove roots in inhibiting Pythium aphanidermatum and damping-off disease of cucumber. Aspergillus terreus exhibited in vitro inhibition of Pythium aphanidermatum growth. Electron microscope examination revealed that the antagonistic fungal isolate resulted in shrinking and groves in Pythium hypha. When Aspergillus terreus culture filtrate was added to Pythium aphanidermatum, it resulted in a significant increase (by 73%) in electrolyte leakage from Pythium hypha compared to the control, as well as significant reduction (by 71%) in oospore production. The Aspergillus terreus culture was also found to produce a cellulase enzyme, which is suggested to be involved in the antagonism against Pythium aphanidermatum. Adding Aspergillus terreus to soil infested with Pythium aphanidermatum significantly reduced percent mortality in cucumber seedlings by 70%. Aspergillus terreus, when applied alone on cucumber seedlings, did not show any suppressive effects on cucumber growth (length and fresh and dry weight). This appears to be the first report of isolation from mangrove of Aspergillus terreus with antagonistic activity against Pythium aphanidermatum-induced damping-off of cucumber. The study indicates that fungal isolates obtained from marine environments may serve as potential biocontrol agents against some plant pathogens

Fungal diversity notes 1-110: taxonomic and phylogenetic contributions to fungal species

International audienceThis paper is a compilation of notes on 110 fungal taxa, including one new family, 10 new genera, and 76 new species, representing a wide taxonomic and geographic range. The new family, Paradictyoarthriniaceae is introduced based on its distinct lineage in Dothideomycetes and its unique morphology. The family is sister to Biatriosporaceae and Roussoellaceae. The new genera are Allophaeosphaeria (Phaeosphaeriaceae), Amphibambusa (Amphisphaeriaceae), Brunneomycosphaerella (Capnodiales genera incertae cedis), Chaetocapnodium (Capnodiaceae), Flammeascoma (Anteagloniaceae), Multiseptospora (Pleosporales genera incertae cedis), Neogaeumannomyces (Magnaporthaceae), Palmiascoma (Bambusicolaceae), Paralecia (Squamarinaceae) and Sarimanas (Melanommataceae). The newly described species are the Ascomycota Aliquandostipite manochii, Allophaeosphaeria dactylidis, A. muriformia, Alternaria cesenica, Amphibambusa bambusicola, Amphisphaeria sorbi, Annulohypoxylon thailandicum, Atrotorquata spartii, Brunneomycosphaerella laburni, Byssosphaeria musae, Camarosporium aborescentis, C. aureum, C. frutexensis, Chaetocapnodium siamensis, Chaetothyrium agathis, Colletotrichum sedi, Conicomyces pseudotransvaalensis, Cytospora berberidis, C. sibiraeae, Diaporthe thunbergiicola, Diatrype palmicola, Dictyosporium aquaticum, D. meiosporum, D. thailandicum, Didymella cirsii, Dinemasporium nelloi, Flammeascoma bambusae, Kalmusia italica, K. spartii, Keissleriella sparticola, Lauriomyces synnematicus, Leptosphaeria ebuli, Lophiostoma pseudodictyosporium, L. ravennicum, Lophiotrema eburnoides, Montagnula graminicola, Multiseptospora thailandica, Myrothecium macrosporum, Natantispora unipolaris, Neogaeumannomyces bambusicola, Neosetophoma clematidis, N. italica, Oxydothis atypica, Palmiascoma gregariascomum, Paraconiothyrium nelloi, P. thysanolaenae, Paradictyoarthrinium tectonicola, Paralecia pratorum, Paraphaeosphaeria spartii, Pestalotiopsis digitalis, P. dracontomelon, P. italiana, Phaeoisaria pseudoclematidis, Phragmocapnias philippinensis, Pseudocamarosporium cotinae, Pseudocercospora tamarindi, Pseudotrichia rubriostiolata, P. thailandica, Psiloglonium multiseptatum, Saagaromyces mangrovei, Sarimanas pseudofluviatile, S. shirakamiense, Tothia spartii, Trichomerium siamensis, Wojnowicia dactylidicola, W. dactylidis and W. lonicerae. The Basidiomycota Agaricus flavicentrus, A. hanthanaensis, A. parvibicolor, A. sodalis, Cantharellus luteostipitatus, Lactarius atrobrunneus, L. politus, Phylloporia dependens and Russula cortinarioides are also introduced. Epitypifications or reference specimens are designated for Hapalocystis berkeleyi, Meliola tamarindi, Pallidocercospora acaciigena, Phaeosphaeria musae, Plenodomus agnitus, Psiloglonium colihuae, P. sasicola and Zasmidium musae while notes and/or new sequence data are provided for Annulohypoxylon leptascum, A. nitens, A. stygium, Biscogniauxia marginata, Fasciatispora nypae, Hypoxylon fendleri, H. monticulosum, Leptosphaeria doliolum, Microsphaeropsis olivacea, Neomicrothyrium, Paraleptosphaeria nitschkei, Phoma medicaginis and Saccotheciaceae. A full description of each species is provided with light micrographs (or drawings). Molecular data is provided for 90 taxa and used to generate phylogenetic trees to establish a natural classification for species