Back to the roots: a reappraisal of Neocosmospora

Abstract

The genus Neocosmospora (Fusarium solani species complex) contains saprobes, plant endophytes and pathogens of major economic significance as well as opportunistic animal pathogens. Advances in biological and phylogenetic species recognition revealed a rich species diversity which has largely remained understudied. Most of the currently recognised species lack formal descriptions and Latin names, while the taxonomic utility of old names is hampered by the lack of nomenclatural type specimens. Therefore, to stabilise the taxonomy and nomenclature of these important taxa, we examined type specimens and representative cultures of several old names by means of morphology and phylogenetic analyses based on rDNA (ITS and LSU), rpb2 and tef1 sequences. Sixty-eight species are accepted in Neocosmospora, 29 of them described herein as new; while 13 new combinations are made. Eleven additional phylogenetic species are recognized, but remain as yet undescribed. Lectotypes are proposed for eight species, seven species are epitypified and two species are neotypified. Notes on an additional 17 doubtful or excluded taxa are provided.

Discovery of novel fungal species and pathogens on bat carcasses in a cave in Yunnan Province, China

“…The cultures were placed at 28°C in an incubator. Observation of fungal morphological structures followed Wagner et al [14], Sandoval-denis et al [15], and Tibpromma et al [16]. The pure cultures ( Figure 2, Supplementary Table 1) were deposited at the Kunming Institute of Botany Culture Collection (KMUCC), while the herbaria of new species were deposited at the Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology and Fermentation Technology of Yunnan (YMF), Kunming, Yunnan Province, China.…”

“…Species of Mortierella (Mortierellales, Mortierellaceae) are frequently isolated from soils, dead or dying plant tissues, freshwater, or animal dung samples [15,36,37]. Many show a strong capacity to decompose plant litter, degrade polyaromatic hydrocarbons, and are also potential producers of c-linolenic acid, polyunsaturated fatty acids and arachidonic acid [38,39].…”

No to Neocosmospora : Phylogenomic and Practical Reasons for Continued Inclusion of the Fusarium solani Species Complex in the Genus Fusarium

“…There has been a consensus for over a century that the FSSC is part of Fusarium , which was affirmed by molecular phylogenetic analyses ( 4 ) and codified in a proposal to recognize Fusarium as a monophyletic group that includes the FSSC ( 5 ). However, there has been a recent push to divide Fusarium into seven genera and specifically to move the FSSC, the most important group of fusarial human pathogens, into the genus Neocosmospora ( 6 – 8 ).…”

“…In this paper, we demonstrate that these nomenclatural changes were based on the incorrect interpretation of the phylogenetic data regarding the Geiser et al ( 5 ) circumscription of Fusarium that includes the FSSC. In addition, these papers published an additional 31 FSSC species and 18 new combinations under the genus Neocosmospora ( 7 , 8 ). A new 19-locus phylogeny, however, removes all doubt about inclusion of the FSSC in a taxonomically sound and historically consistent concept of Fusarium (Geiser et al, submitted).…”

“…Following the work of Short et al ( 23 ), where names were assigned to two of the most important human-pathogenic FSSC species, F. petroliphilum (FSSC 1) and F. keratoplasticum (FSSC 2), Sandoval-Denis and Crous ( 7 ) and Sandoval-Denis et al ( 8 ) provided names and types for almost all of the remaining phylogenetically diagnosable species. However, these species were described under the name Neocosmospora .…”