During a survey of cold-adapted fungi in alpine glaciers on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, 1 428 fungal isolates were obtained of which 150 species were preliminary identified. Phoma sclerotioides and Pseudogymnoascus pannorum were the most dominant species. Psychrotolerant species in Helotiales (Leotiomycetes, Ascomycota) were studied in more detail as they represented the most commonly encountered group during this investigation. Two phylogenetic trees were constructed based on the partial large subunit nrDNA (LSU) to infer the taxonomic placements of these strains. Our strains nested in two well-supported major clades, which represented Tetracladium and a previously unknown lineage. The unknown lineage is distant to any other currently known genera in Helotiales. Psychrophila gen. nov. was therefore established to accommodate these strains which are characterised by globose or subglobose conidia formed from phialides on short or reduced conidiophores. Our analysis also showed that an LSU-based phylogeny is insufficient in differentiating strains at species level. Additional analyses using combined sequences of ITS+TEF1+TUB regions were employed to further investigate the phylogenetic relationships of these strains. Together with the recognisable morphological distinctions, six new species (i.e. P. antarctica, P. lutea, P. olivacea, T. ellipsoideum, T. globosum and T. psychrophilum) were described. Our preliminary investigation indicates a high diversity of cold-adapted species in nature, and many of them may represent unknown species.
Penicillium species in section Lanata-divaricata are common soil-inhabiting fungi, but their presence in acidic soil has rarely been investigated. In an ongoing survey of Penicillium species occurring in China, 465 strains were isolated from soil, and of which 60 belonged to section Lanata-divaricata. The majority of these strains were isolated from acidic soil. The phylogenetic relationship between these 60 isolates and accepted species of section Lanata-divaricata was studied using ITS, BenA, CaM and RPB2 sequences, which revealed the presence of seven accepted species and 13 novel lineages. Combining phylogenetic data with data generated during macro-and microscopic observations resulted in the description of 13 new species. The growth rate of the new species obtained in this study was determined under acidic, neutral and alkaline conditions (pH 4, 7, 10). With the exception of P. hainanense, which was not able to grow at pH 10, all strains were able to grow at the three examined pH levels. Eleven species (i.e. P. austrosinense, P. flaviroseum, P. globosum, P. griseoflavum, P. hainanense, P. jianfenglingense, P. laevigatum, P. rubriannulatum, P. soliforme, P. spinuliferum, P. yunnanense) grew faster at low pH (pH 4) than at pH 7 or 10, and these species are therefore referred to as acidpreferential. Penicillium viridissimum grew fastest on neutral medium and P. guangxiense grew best at pH 10, and is therefore considered to be acid-tolerant. By isolating strains from a unique environment, combined with targeted isolation using a well-designed protocol, we are able to describe new fungal diversity with specific physiological characteristics.
Three new Talaromyces species isolated from soil are reported here, namely T. dimorphus (ex-type strain AS3.15692 T), T. lentulus (ex-type strain AS3.15689 T) and T. mae (ex-type strain AS3.15690 T). T. dimorphus is characterized by biverticillate and monoverticillate penicilli, ampulliform phialides, slimy texture with sparse mycelial funicles and absent conidiogenesis on MEA. T. lentulus is featured by vivid yellow mycelium on Cz and MEA, absent conidiogenesis on CYA, and globose smooth-walled conidia. T. mae presents sparse conidia on CYA and YES, funiculous and floccose texture on MEA, and ovoid smooth-walled conidia. Both morphological and molecular characters show that T. dimorphus is unique and has no close relatives. Although T. lentulus and T. mae resembles T. adpressus and T. pinophilus very much, phylogenetic analyses of CaM, BenA, ITS and Rpb2 sequences all support their status as novel species.
Species belonging to Aspergillus section Cervini are characterised by radiate or short columnar, fawn coloured, uniseriate conidial heads. The morphology of the taxa in this section is very similar and isolates assigned to these species are frequently misidentified. In this study, a polyphasic approach was applied using morphological characters, extrolite data, temperature profiles and partial BenA, CaM and RPB2 sequences to examine the relationships within this section. Based on this taxonomic approach the section Cervini is resolved in ten species including six new species: A. acidohumus, A. christenseniae, A. novoguineensis, A. subnutans, A. transcarpathicus and A. wisconsinensis. A dichotomous key for the identification is provided.
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