Molecular Characterization of Fungi

A special issue of Biology (ISSN 2079-7737). This special issue belongs to the section "Ecology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2022) | Viewed by 16903

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Alvalab, 33006 Oviedo, Spain
Interests: mycology; phylogeny; barcoding; biodiversity; taxonomy

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Departamento de Micología, Real Jardín Botánico-CSIC, Plaza de Murillo, 2, 28014 Madrid, Spain
Interests: biodiversity; mycology; systematic; phylogeny; barcoding
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The increasing complexity of the species concept, as well as the particularities of the speciation process and evolution in fungi demand the integration of genetic analysis and phenotype-based studies to build an accurate taxonomy. While genetic barcoding and database-guided identifications provide a useful automated approach to classify samples from diverse sources, weighting changes in variability through phylogenetic analysis is necessary to infer reproductive isolation processes between closely related lineages and estimate divergence times of the supraspecific ranks. The amount of information analyzed and its quality are critical to provide reliable conclusions. Integrative taxonomy complements the informativeness and computability of genetic sequences with phenotype data obtained from morphology, ecology and biogeography, in order to evidence ongoing evolutionary trends and provide optimal tools for taxonomic decisions.

This Special Issue welcomes original manuscripts integrating genetic studies and phenotype data to resolve the phylogenetic status of fungal taxa, as well as research focusing on methodological aspects of integrative taxonomy.

Dr. Pablo Alvarado
Prof. Dr. María P. Martín
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • mycology
  • phylogeny
  • barcoding
  • biodiversity
  • taxonomy

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

44 pages, 19856 KiB  
Article
Phylogeny and Morphology of Novel Species and New Collections Related to Sarcoscyphaceae (Pezizales, Ascomycota) from Southwestern China and Thailand
by Ming Zeng, Eleni Gentekaki, Kevin D. Hyde, Qi Zhao, Neven Matočec and Ivana Kušan
Biology 2023, 12(1), 130; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/biology12010130 - 13 Jan 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2122
Abstract
Sarcoscyphaceae (Pezizales) is distinguished by small to large, vividly-coloured sessile to stipitate apothecia, plurinucleate and pigmented paraphyses, operculate asci with thick walls, and plurinucleate, uniguttulate to multiguttulate ascospores with smooth walls or ornamentations. We collected more than 40 Sarcoscyphaceae specimens from [...] Read more.
Sarcoscyphaceae (Pezizales) is distinguished by small to large, vividly-coloured sessile to stipitate apothecia, plurinucleate and pigmented paraphyses, operculate asci with thick walls, and plurinucleate, uniguttulate to multiguttulate ascospores with smooth walls or ornamentations. We collected more than 40 Sarcoscyphaceae specimens from dead twigs or wood. Based on morphology and phylogeny, these species belong to Cookeina, Nanoscypha, Phillipsia, Pithya, and Sarcoscypha. Among these, we introduce three new species–Nanoscypha aequispora, Pithya villosa, and Sarcoscypha longitudinalis. Phylogenetic analyses based on ITS, LSU, SSU, rpb2, and tef-1α gene regions indicate the relationships of these species within Sarcoscyphaceae. Meanwhile, we propose Ph. gelatinosa as a synonym of Ph. domingensis. One new record of C. sinensis is reported from Thailand. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Characterization of Fungi)
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29 pages, 5070 KiB  
Article
Taxonomic Novelties of Woody Litter Fungi (Didymosphaeriaceae, Pleosporales) from the Greater Mekong Subregion
by Guangcong Ren, Dhanushka N. Wanasinghe, Antonio Roberto Gomes de Farias, Kevin D. Hyde, Erandi Yasanthika, Jianchu Xu, Abhaya Balasuriya, Kandawatte Wedaralalage Thilini Chethana and Heng Gui
Biology 2022, 11(11), 1660; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/biology11111660 - 13 Nov 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1867
Abstract
The Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) is known as a diverse geographic landscape and one of the richest biodiversity hotspots in the world with a high fungal diversity. Collections were carried out in terrestrial habitats to determine the diversity of woody litter fungi in [...] Read more.
The Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) is known as a diverse geographic landscape and one of the richest biodiversity hotspots in the world with a high fungal diversity. Collections were carried out in terrestrial habitats to determine the diversity of woody litter fungi in the GMS, with an emphasis on northern Thailand and the Yunnan Province of China. Morphological characteristics and multigene phylogenetic analyses of combined SSU, LSU, ITS, and tef1-α supported the placement of the new isolates in the family Didymosphaeriaceae. The phylogenetic affinities of our isolates are illustrated through maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analyses. Seven species of woody litter fungi were identified, comprising a new monotypic genus, Septofusispora; five novel species (Chromolaenicola sapindi, Dictyoarthrinium thailandicum, Karstenula lancangensis, Septofusispora thailandica, and Spegazzinia jinghaensis); and new host records of two species (Austropleospora archidendri, and Montagnula donacina). Furthermore, this study provides a synopsis of the Montagnula aff. donacina species based on their morphological characteristics, which can be useful in the species-level identifications in this genus. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Characterization of Fungi)
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31 pages, 3787 KiB  
Article
Amanita Section Phalloideae Species in the Mediterranean Basin: Destroying Angels Reviewed
by Pablo Alvarado, Antonia Gasch-Illescas, Sylvie Morel, Magda Bou Dagher-Kharrat, Gabriel Moreno, José Luis Manjón, Xavier Carteret, Jean-Michel Bellanger, Sylvie Rapior, Matteo Gelardi and Pierre-Arthur Moreau
Biology 2022, 11(5), 770; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/biology11050770 - 18 May 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 6418
Abstract
In Europe, amatoxin-containing mushrooms are responsible for most of the deadly poisonings caused by macrofungi. The present work presents a multidisciplinary revision of the European species of Amanita sect. Phalloideae based on morphology, phylogeny, epidemiology, and biochemistry of amatoxins and phallotoxins. Five distinct [...] Read more.
In Europe, amatoxin-containing mushrooms are responsible for most of the deadly poisonings caused by macrofungi. The present work presents a multidisciplinary revision of the European species of Amanita sect. Phalloideae based on morphology, phylogeny, epidemiology, and biochemistry of amatoxins and phallotoxins. Five distinct species of this section have been identified in Europe to date: A. phalloides, A. virosa, A. verna, the recently introduced North American species A. amerivirosa, and A. vidua sp. nov., which is a new name proposed for the KOH-negative Mediterranean species previously described as A. verna or A. decipiens by various authors. Epitypes or neotypes are selected for species lacking suitable reference collections, namely A. verna and A. virosa. Three additional taxa, Amanita decipiens, A. porrinensis, and A. virosa var. levipes are here considered later heterotypic synonyms of A. verna, A. phalloides, and A. amerivirosa, respectively. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Characterization of Fungi)
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31 pages, 196030 KiB  
Article
Twelve New Taxa of Xylaria Associated with Termite Nests and Soil from Northeast Thailand
by Niwana Wangsawat, Yu-Ming Ju, Cherdchai Phosri, Anthony J. S. Whalley and Nuttika Suwannasai
Biology 2021, 10(7), 575; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/biology10070575 - 23 Jun 2021
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 5084
Abstract
The diversity of Xylaria species associated with termite nests in northeast Thailand was investigated. Among the 14 taxa included in this study, 11 species and one variety were described as new, and another two species resemble the existing taxa, X. escharoidea and X. [...] Read more.
The diversity of Xylaria species associated with termite nests in northeast Thailand was investigated. Among the 14 taxa included in this study, 11 species and one variety were described as new, and another two species resemble the existing taxa, X. escharoidea and X. nigripes. The newly described taxa are X. chaiyaphumensis, X. conica, X. fulvescens, X. ischnostroma, X. margaretae, X. minima, X. reinkingii var. microspora, X. siamensis, X. sihanonthii, X. subintraflava, X. thienhirunae, and X. vinacea. Their morphological and cultural characteristics are described and illustrated, and their ITS, α-actin and β-tubulin sequences were analysed. A dichotomous key to the 17 species of Xylaria occurring in Thailand is provided. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Characterization of Fungi)
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