All that glitters is not Ramularia

Abstract

Ramularia is a species-rich genus that harbours plant pathogens responsible for yield losses to many important crops, including barley, sugar beet and strawberry. Species of Ramularia are hyphomycetes with hyaline conidiophores and conidia with distinct, thickened, darkened, refractive conidiogenous loci and conidial hila, and Mycosphaerella sexual morphs. Because of its simple morphology and general lack of DNA data in public databases, several allied genera are frequently confused with Ramularia. In order to improve the delimitation of Ramularia from allied genera and the circumscription of species within the genus Ramularia, a polyphasic approach based on multilocus DNA sequences, morphological and cultural data were used in this study. A total of 420 isolates belonging to Ramularia and allied genera were targeted for the amplification and sequencing of six partial genes. Although Ramularia and Ramulariopsis proved to be monophyletic, Cercosporella and Pseudocercosporella were polyphyletic. Phacellium isolates clustered within the Ramularia clade and the genus is thus tentatively reduced to synonymy under Ramularia. Cercosporella and Pseudocercosporella isolates that were not congeneric with the ex-type strains of the type species of those genera were assigned to existing genera or to the newly introduced genera Teratoramularia and Xenoramularia, respectively. Teratoramularia is a genus with ramularia-like morphology belonging to the Teratosphaeriaceae, and Xenoramularia was introduced to accommodate hyphomycetous species closely related to Zymoseptoria. The genera Apseudocercosporella, Epicoleosporium, Filiella, Fusidiella, Neopseudocercosporella, and Mycosphaerelloides were also newly introduced to accommodate species non-congeneric with their purported types. A total of nine new combinations and 24 new species were introduced in this study.

Isolation of Acrodontium crateriforme as a pitcher trap inquiline

“…Acrodontium seems to be polyphyletic with type species Acrodontium crateriforme observed to be placed in the family Teratosphaeriaceae (Videira et al 2016). Phylogenetic analysis of current isolate also showed similar results (Fig.…”

“…2). However Videira et al 2016 also observed that LSU sequences of isolates belonging to A. antarcticum, A. abietis, A. griseum, A. hydnicola, A. salmoneum, A. simplex and A. virelum are placed in different orders of Sordariomycetes and Leotiomycetes.…”

“…Based on the blasts analysis and related literature (Videira et al 2016) further related sequences were assembled. ITS and LSU sequence data sets were generated (Table 1).…”

Towards incorporating asexual fungi in a natural classification: checklist and notes 2012–2016

“…Mycosphaerelloides Videira & Crous Videira et al (2016) introduced this genus with hyphomycetous asexual morph. In phylogenetic analyses, they showed that it belongs in Mycosphaerellaceae.…”

“…Teratoramularia Videira et al Videira et al (2016) introduced this hyphomycetous genus. Phylogenetic analyses showed that it belongs in Teratosphaeriaceae.…”