Two Novel Genera, <i>Neostemphylium</i> and <i>Scleromyces</i> (<i>Pleosporaceae</i>) from Freshwater Sediments and Their Global Biogeography

Although the <i>Pleosporaceae</i> is one of the species-richest families in the <i>Pleosporales</i>, research into less-explored substrates can contribute to widening the knowledge of its diversity. In our ongoing survey on culturable <i>Ascomycota</i> from freshw...

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Main Authors: Daniel Torres-Garcia, Dania García, José F. Cano-Lira, Josepa Gené
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-08-01
Series:Journal of Fungi
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/8/8/868
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author Daniel Torres-Garcia
Dania García
José F. Cano-Lira
Josepa Gené
author_facet Daniel Torres-Garcia
Dania García
José F. Cano-Lira
Josepa Gené
author_sort Daniel Torres-Garcia
collection DOAJ
description Although the <i>Pleosporaceae</i> is one of the species-richest families in the <i>Pleosporales</i>, research into less-explored substrates can contribute to widening the knowledge of its diversity. In our ongoing survey on culturable <i>Ascomycota</i> from freshwater sediments in Spain, several pleosporacean specimens of taxonomic interest were isolated. Phylogenetic analyses based on five gene markers (ITS, LSU, <i>gapdh</i>, <i>rbp</i>2, and <i>tef</i>1) revealed that these fungi represent so far undescribed lineages, which are proposed as two novel genera in the family, i.e., <i>Neostemphylium</i> typified by <i>Neostemphylium polymorphum</i> sp. nov., and <i>Scleromyces</i> to accommodate <i>Scleromyces submersus</i> sp. nov. <i>Neostemphylium</i> is characterized by the production of phaeodictyospores from apically swollen and darkened conidiogenous cells, the presence of a synanamorph that consists of cylindrical and brown phragmoconidia growing terminally or laterally on hyphae, and by the ability to produce secondary conidia by a microconidiation cycle. <i>Scleromyces</i> is placed phylogenetically distant to any genera in the family and only produces sclerotium-like structures in vitro. The geographic distribution and ecology of <i>N. polymorphum</i> and <i>Sc. submersus</i> were inferred from metabarcoding data using the GlobalFungi database. The results suggest that <i>N. polymorphum</i> is a globally distributed fungus represented by environmental sequences originating primarily from soil samples collected in Australia, Europe, and the USA, whereas <i>Sc. submersus</i> is a less common species that has only been found associated with one environmental sequence from an Australian soil sample. The phylogenetic analyses of the environmental ITS1 and ITS2 sequences revealed at least four dark taxa that might be related to <i>Neostemphylium</i> and <i>Scleromyces</i>. The phylogeny presented here allows us to resolve the taxonomy of the genus <i>Asteromyces</i> as a member of the <i>Pleosporaceae</i>.
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spelling doaj.art-f1e71ea9968e4b4da2527afc8f135cb72023-12-03T13:55:25ZengMDPI AGJournal of Fungi2309-608X2022-08-018886810.3390/jof8080868Two Novel Genera, <i>Neostemphylium</i> and <i>Scleromyces</i> (<i>Pleosporaceae</i>) from Freshwater Sediments and Their Global BiogeographyDaniel Torres-Garcia0Dania García1José F. Cano-Lira2Josepa Gené3Unitat de Micologia i Microbiologia Ambiental, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut and IISPV, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43201 Reus, SpainUnitat de Micologia i Microbiologia Ambiental, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut and IISPV, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43201 Reus, SpainUnitat de Micologia i Microbiologia Ambiental, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut and IISPV, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43201 Reus, SpainUnitat de Micologia i Microbiologia Ambiental, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut and IISPV, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43201 Reus, SpainAlthough the <i>Pleosporaceae</i> is one of the species-richest families in the <i>Pleosporales</i>, research into less-explored substrates can contribute to widening the knowledge of its diversity. In our ongoing survey on culturable <i>Ascomycota</i> from freshwater sediments in Spain, several pleosporacean specimens of taxonomic interest were isolated. Phylogenetic analyses based on five gene markers (ITS, LSU, <i>gapdh</i>, <i>rbp</i>2, and <i>tef</i>1) revealed that these fungi represent so far undescribed lineages, which are proposed as two novel genera in the family, i.e., <i>Neostemphylium</i> typified by <i>Neostemphylium polymorphum</i> sp. nov., and <i>Scleromyces</i> to accommodate <i>Scleromyces submersus</i> sp. nov. <i>Neostemphylium</i> is characterized by the production of phaeodictyospores from apically swollen and darkened conidiogenous cells, the presence of a synanamorph that consists of cylindrical and brown phragmoconidia growing terminally or laterally on hyphae, and by the ability to produce secondary conidia by a microconidiation cycle. <i>Scleromyces</i> is placed phylogenetically distant to any genera in the family and only produces sclerotium-like structures in vitro. The geographic distribution and ecology of <i>N. polymorphum</i> and <i>Sc. submersus</i> were inferred from metabarcoding data using the GlobalFungi database. The results suggest that <i>N. polymorphum</i> is a globally distributed fungus represented by environmental sequences originating primarily from soil samples collected in Australia, Europe, and the USA, whereas <i>Sc. submersus</i> is a less common species that has only been found associated with one environmental sequence from an Australian soil sample. The phylogenetic analyses of the environmental ITS1 and ITS2 sequences revealed at least four dark taxa that might be related to <i>Neostemphylium</i> and <i>Scleromyces</i>. The phylogeny presented here allows us to resolve the taxonomy of the genus <i>Asteromyces</i> as a member of the <i>Pleosporaceae</i>.https://www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/8/8/868<i>Ascomycota</i>geographic distributionGlobalFungiPhylogeny<i>Pleosporales</i>taxonomy
spellingShingle Daniel Torres-Garcia
Dania García
José F. Cano-Lira
Josepa Gené
Two Novel Genera, <i>Neostemphylium</i> and <i>Scleromyces</i> (<i>Pleosporaceae</i>) from Freshwater Sediments and Their Global Biogeography
Journal of Fungi
<i>Ascomycota</i>
geographic distribution
GlobalFungi
Phylogeny
<i>Pleosporales</i>
taxonomy
title Two Novel Genera, <i>Neostemphylium</i> and <i>Scleromyces</i> (<i>Pleosporaceae</i>) from Freshwater Sediments and Their Global Biogeography
title_full Two Novel Genera, <i>Neostemphylium</i> and <i>Scleromyces</i> (<i>Pleosporaceae</i>) from Freshwater Sediments and Their Global Biogeography
title_fullStr Two Novel Genera, <i>Neostemphylium</i> and <i>Scleromyces</i> (<i>Pleosporaceae</i>) from Freshwater Sediments and Their Global Biogeography
title_full_unstemmed Two Novel Genera, <i>Neostemphylium</i> and <i>Scleromyces</i> (<i>Pleosporaceae</i>) from Freshwater Sediments and Their Global Biogeography
title_short Two Novel Genera, <i>Neostemphylium</i> and <i>Scleromyces</i> (<i>Pleosporaceae</i>) from Freshwater Sediments and Their Global Biogeography
title_sort two novel genera i neostemphylium i and i scleromyces i i pleosporaceae i from freshwater sediments and their global biogeography
topic <i>Ascomycota</i>
geographic distribution
GlobalFungi
Phylogeny
<i>Pleosporales</i>
taxonomy
url https://www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/8/8/868
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