No abstract

The family Stachybotriaceae was recently introduced to include the genera Myrothecium, Peethambara and Stachybotrys. Members of this family include important plant and human pathogens, as well as several species used in industrial and commercial applications as biodegraders and biocontrol agents. However, the generic boundaries in Stachybotriaceae are still poorly defined, as type material and sequence data are not readily available for taxonomic studies. To address this issue, we performed multi-locus phylogenetic analyses using partial gene sequences of the 28S large subunit (LSU), the internal transcribed spacer regions and intervening 5.8S nrRNA (ITS), the RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (rpb2), calmodulin (cmdA), translation elongation factor 1-alpha (tef1) and β-tubulin (tub2) for all available type and authentic strains. Supported by morphological characters these data resolved 33 genera in the Stachybotriaceae. These included the nine already established genera Albosynnema, Alfaria, Didymostilbe, Myrothecium, Parasarcopodium, Peethambara, Septomyrothecium, Stachybotrys and Xepicula. At the same time the generic names Melanopsamma, Memnoniella and Virgatospora were resurrected. Phylogenetic inference further showed that both the genera Myrothecium and Stachybotrys are polyphyletic resulting in the introduction of 13 new genera with myrothecium-like morphology and eight new genera with stachybotrys-like morphology.

 Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose of private study or research.  You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain  You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim.

We examined the phylogenetic relationships of two species that mimic Chaetosphaeria in teleomorph and anamorph morphologies, Chaetosphaeria tulasneorum with a Cylindrotrichum anamorph and Australiasca queenslandica with a Dischloridium anamorph. Four data sets were analysed: a) the internal transcribed spacer region including ITS1, 5.8S rDNA and ITS2 (ITS), b) nc28S (ncLSU) rDNA, c) nc18S (ncSSU) rDNA, and d) a combined data set of ncLSU-ncSSU-RPB2 (ribosomal polymerase B2). The traditional placement of Ch. tulasneorum in the Microascales based on ncLSU sequences is unsupported and Australiasca does not belong to the Chaetosphaeriaceae. Both holomorph species are nested within the Glomerellales. A new genus, Reticulascus, is introduced for Ch. tulasneorum with associated Cylindrotrichum anamorph; another species of Reticulascus and its anamorph in Cylindrotrichum are described as new. The taxonomic structure of the Glomerellales is clarified and the name is validly published. As delimited here, it includes three families, the Glomerellaceae and the newly described Australiascaceae and Reticulascaceae. Based on ITS and ncLSU rDNA sequence analyses, we confirm the synonymy of the anamorph genera Dischloridium with Monilochaetes. Consequently Dischloridium laeënse, type species of the genus, and three related species are transferred to the older genus Monilochaetes. The teleomorph of D. laeënse is described in Australiasca as a new species. The Plectosphaerellaceae, to which the anamorph genus Stachylidium is added, is basal to the Glomerellales in the three-gene phylogeny. Stilbella annulata also belongs to this family and is newly combined in Acrostalagmus. Phylogenetic analyses based on ncLSU, ncSSU, and combined ncLSU-ncSSU-RPB2 sequences clarify family relationships within the Microascales. The family Ceratocystidaceae is validated as a strongly supported monophyletic group consisting of Ceratocystis, Cornuvesica, Thielaviopsis, and the type species of Ambrosiella. The new family Gondwanamycetaceae, a strongly supported sister clade to the Ceratocystidaceae, is introduced for the teleomorph genus Gondwanamyces and its Custingophora anamorphs. Four families are accepted in the Microascales, namely the Ceratocystidaceae, Gondwanamycetaceae, Halosphaeriaceae, and Microascaceae. Because of a suggested affinity of a Faurelina indica isolate to the Microascales, the phylogenetic position of the Chadefaudiellaceae is reevaluated. Based on the results from a separate ncLSU analysis of the Dothideomycetes, Faurelina is excluded from the Microascales and placed in the Pleosporales.

Phylogenetic analyses of DNA sequences from nuclear ribosomal and protein-coding loci support the placement of several perithecial ascomycetes and dematiaceous hyphomycetes from freshwater and terrestrial environments in two monophyletic clades closely related to the Savoryellales. One clade formed by five species of Conioscypha and a second clade containing several genera of uncertain taxonomic status centred on Pleurothecium, represent two distinct taxonomic groups at the ordinal systematic rank. They are proposed as new orders, the Conioscyphales and Pleurotheciales. Several taxonomic novelties are introduced in the Pleurotheciales, i.e. two new genera (Adelosphaeria and Melanotrigonum), three novel species (A. catenata, M. ovale, Phaeoisaria fasciculata) and a new combination (Pleurotheciella uniseptata). A new combination is proposed for Savoryella limnetica in Ascotaiwania s.str. based on molecular data and culture characters. A strongly supported lineage containing a new genus Plagiascoma, species of Bactrodesmiastrum and Ascotaiwania persoonii, was identified as a sister to the Conioscyphales/Pleurotheciales/Savoryellales clade in our multilocus phylogeny. Together, they are nested in a monophyly in the Hypocreomycetidae, significantly supported by Bayesian inference and Maximum Likelihood analyses. Members of this clade share a few morphological characters, such as the absence of stromatic tissue or clypeus, similar anatomies of the 2-layered ascomatal walls, thin-walled unitunicate asci with a distinct, non-amyloid apical annulus, symmetrical, transversely septate ascospores and holoblastic conidiogenesis. They represent the only fungi in the Hypocreomycetidae with apically free, filiform to cylindrical, persistent or partially disintegrating paraphyses. The systematic placement of two other dematiaceous hyphomycetes was resolved based on DNA sequences; Phragmocephala stemphylioides is a member of the Pleurotheciales and Triadelphia uniseptata is within the Savoryellales.

Cyphellophora and Phialophora (Chaetothyriales, Pezizomycota) comprise species known from skin infections of humans and animals and from a variety of environmental sources. These fungi were studied based on the comparison of cultural and morphological features and phylogenetic analyses of five nuclear loci, i.e., internal transcribed spacer rDNA operon (ITS), large and small subunit nuclear ribosomal DNA (nuc28S rDNA, nuc18S rDNA), β-tubulin, DNA replication licensing factor (mcm7) and second largest subunit of RNA polymerase II (rpb2). Phylogenetic results were supported by comparative analysis of ITS1 and ITS2 secondary structure of representatives of the Chaetothyriales and the identification of substitutions among the taxa analyzed. Base pairs with non-conserved, co-evolving nucleotides that maintain base pairing in the RNA transcript and unique evolutionary motifs in the ITS2 that characterize whole clades or individual taxa were mapped on predicted secondary structure models. Morphological characteristics, structural data and phylogenetic analyses of three datasets, i.e., ITS, ITS-β-tubulin and 28S-18S-rpb2-mcm7, define a robust clade containing eight species of Cyphellophora (including the type) and six species of Phialophora. These taxa are now accommodated in the Cyphellophoraceae, a novel evolutionary lineage within the Chaetothyriales. Cyphellophora is emended and expanded to encompass species with both septate and nonseptate conidia formed on discrete, intercalary, terminal or lateral phialides. Six new combinations in Cyphellophora are proposed and a dichotomous key to species accepted in the genus is provided. Cyphellophora eugeniae and C. hylomeconis, which grouped in the Chaetothyriaceae, represent another novel lineage and are introduced as the type species of separate genera.

With the advance to one scientific name for each fungal species, the generic names in the class Sordariomycetes typified by sexual and asexual morphs are evaluated based on their type species to determine if they compete with each other for use or protection. Recommendations are made for which of the competing generic names should be used based on criteria such as priority, number of potential names changes, and frequency of use. Some recommendations for well-known genera include Arthrinium over Apiospora, Colletotrichum over Glomerella, Menispora over Zignoëlla, Microdochium over Monographella, Nigrospora over Khuskia, and Plectosphaerella over Plectosporium. All competing generic names are listed in a table of recommended names along with the required action. If priority is not accorded to sexually typified generic names after 2017, only four names would require formal protection: Chaetosphaerella over Oedemium, Diatrype over Libertella, Microdochium over Monographella, and Phaeoacremonium over Romellia and Togninia. Concerning species in the recommended genera, one replacement name (Xylaria benjaminii nom. nov.) is introduced, and the following new combinations are made: Arthrinium sinense, Chloridium caesium, C. chloroconium, C. gonytrichii, Corollospora marina, C. parvula, C. ramulosa, Juncigena fruticosae, Melanospora simplex, Seimatosporium massarina, Sporoschisma daemonoropis, S. taitense, Torpedospora mangrovei, Xylaria penicilliopsis, and X. termiticola combs. nov.

The phylogenetic relationship of Jattaea and Wegelina, two morphologically related genera of the Calosphaeriales, is analyzed in two molecular analyses using the Internal transcribed spacer region of the DNA operon, and the nuclear large and small subunits of ribosomal DNA combined with the second largest subunit of RNA polymerase for a multigene analysis. For each data set maximum likelihood, maximum parsimony and Bayesian analyses were performed. Type and herbarium material of two lectotype species Jattaea algeriensis and Wegelina discreta were examined and correlated with results from in vitro studies. The phylogenetic analyses show that both species are congeneric. The name Jattaea is accepted to include species with hyaline, allantoid to suballantoid ascospores in clavate, stipitate asci without apical annulus borne on individual cells on ascogenous hyphae and with phialophora-like anamorphs produced in axenic culture. Twelve species are accepted in Jattaea, the concept of the genus is outlined and a key to its species is provided. The genus Wegelina is reduced to its synonymy. Molecular data also show that septation of ascospores, a diagnostic feature used to separate calosphaerialike fungi into the genus Phragmocalosphaeria, does not appear to be relevant in distinguishing genera in the Calosphaeriales. Therefore, Jattaea includes species with both one-celled and septate ascospores and Phragmocalosphaeria is accepted as its generic synonym. The genus Jattaea and its phialophora-like anamorphs is compared with other genera of the Calosphaeriales and the phylogenetically related Togniniaceae. The revision of four species of Ceratostomella, i.e., C. echinella, C. leptorrhyncha, C. mali and C. microspora, revealed their striking morphological similarities with the Calosphaeriaceae and the Togniniaceae. These are identified as species of Jattaea, Togninia and Togniniella and the respective new combinations are proposed.