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Analyses of partial rDNA sequences from both the small and large subunit genes of species of Ceratocystis s.l. support the contention that species that lack Chalara anamorphs, are resistant to cycloheximide, and have rhamnose in their cell walls should be assigned to Ophiostoma, whereas only species with Chalara anamorphs should be accommodated in Ceratocystis s.s. The data also show that Ceratocystiopsis is polyphyletic, and Sphaeronaemella fimicola appears to have little relation to either Ceratocystis or Ophiostoma. Key words: Ceratocystis, Ophiostoma, phylogeny, partial rDNA sequences.

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Two potential wood-staining fungi that superficially resemble species of the genus Ceratocystis s.l. were investigated employing morphological criteria and rDNA analysis. After morphological comparison with Togninia minima (Tul. and C. Tul.) Berl., they are assigned to Togninia as Togninia fraxinopennsylvanica (Hinds) n.comb. and Togninia novae zealandiae n.sp. Key words: Togninia, Ceratocystis, taxonomy, morphological, molecular.

An efficient method for the extraction of DNA and RNA from fungi is described. Urediosporelings and sporidia of two basidiomycete species and mycellia from several species of Ascomycetes and Oomycetes were homogenized in a lysis buffer containing sodium dodecyl sulfate followed by cetyltrimethylammonium bromide extraction of carbohydrates in 1.4 M NaCl, leaving nucleic acids in the supernatant. After chloroform – isoamyl alcohol extraction of proteins, nucleic acids were precipitated with ethanol. Total nucleic acids prepared in this way contained nuclear, ribosomal, and mitochondrial DNA as well as double-stranded and single-stranded RNA. DNA was eluted from agarose gels and digested with endonucleases, labelled by nick translation, and used for hybridization without nonspecific background signal. A method is also described for RNase digestion of single-stranded and double-stranded RNA in agarose gels. Key words: DNA extraction, double-stranded RNA, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, sodium dodecyl sulfate.