Phylogeny of chrysosporia infecting reptiles: proposal of the new family <I>Nannizziopsiaceae</I> and five new species

Abstract

We have performed a phenotypic and phylogenetic study of a set of fungi, mostly of veterinary origin, morphologically similar to the Chrysosporium asexual morph of Nannizziopsis vriesii (Onygenales, Eurotiomycetidae, Eurotiomycetes, Ascomycota). The analysis of sequences of the D1-D2 domains of the 28S rDNA, including representatives of the different families of the Onygenales, revealed that N. vriesii and relatives form a distinct lineage within that order, which is proposed as the new family Nannizziopsiaceae. The members of this family show the particular characteristic of causing skin infections in reptiles and producing hyaline, thin- and smooth-walled, small, mostly sessile 1-celled conidia and colonies with a pungent skunk-like odour. The phenotypic and multigene study results, based on ribosomal ITS region, actin and β-tubulin sequences, demonstrated that some of the fungi included in this study were different from the known species of Nannizziopsis and Chrysosporium and are described here as new. They are N. chlamydospora, N. draconii, N. arthrosporioides, N. pluriseptata and Chrysosporium longisporum. Nannizziopsis chlamydospora is distinguished by producing chlamydospores and by its ability to grow at 5 °C. Nannizziopsis draconii is able to grow on bromocresol purple-milk solids-glucose (BCP-MS-G) agar alkalinizing the medium, is resistant to 0.2 % cycloheximide but does not grow on Sabouraud dextrose agar (SDA) with 3 % NaCl. Nannizziopsis arthrosporioides is characterised by the production of very long arthroconidia. Nannizziopsis pluriseptata produces 1- to 5-celled sessile conidia, alkalinizes the BCP-MS-G agar and grows on SDA supplemented with 5 % NaCl. Chrysosporium longisporum shows long sessile conidia (up to 13 μm) and does not produce lipase.

Two new keratinophilic fungal species

“…Numerous studies worldwide have demonstrated that ITS-5.8S rDNA can successfully distinguish most fungal species, an important characteristic for fungal identification and recognition (Schoch et al 2012, Kiss et al 2012. Although ITS-5.8S, β-tubulin, and the D1/ D2 region of the nuclear 28S subunit (nucLSU) sequences have all been used for phylogenetic reconstruction in the genus Chrysosporium, ITS-5.8S rDNA sequences alone were able to successfully distinguish Chrysosporium species in two studies (Stchigel et al 2013, Vidal et al 2000. Subsequent phylogenetic analyses in the genus Chrysosporium have been predominantly based on ITS-5.8S sequences , Vidal et al 2000, Pitt et al 2013.…”

Two new Chrysosporium (Onygenaceae, Onygenales) from China

“…Only six new species have been reported in the past 5 years, namely, C. guarroi J. Cabañes & Abarca (Abarca et al 2010), C. speluncarum A. Nováková & M. Kolařík (Nováková & Kolařík 2010), C. longisporum Stchigel, Deanna A. Sutton, Cano & Guarro (Stchigel et al 2013), C. magnasporum Stchigel, Cano, Mac Cormack & Guarro (Crous et al 2013), C. qinghaiense Y.F. Han, J.D.…”

Molecular Characterization of Reptile Pathogens Currently Known as Members of the Chrysosporium Anamorph of Nannizziopsis vriesii Complex and Relationship with Some Human-Associated Isolates

“…The new genus Ophidiomyces was published recently to accommodate C. ophiodiicola, and we provide here an expanded description to facilitate the recognition of this emerging snake pathogen (29). While the present paper was under review, Stchigel et al (30) published a study that analyzed 19 isolates from reptile and human sources. The four Nannizziopsis species described in that study, including Nannizziopsis chlamydospora, Nannizziopsis draconii, Nannizziopsis arthrosporioides, and Nannizziopsis pluriseptata, differ from those described here based on a comparison of ITS sequence similarity, their analyses, and phenotypic features.…”