Molecular phylogenetics of Pleosporales: Melanommataceae and Lophiostomataceae re-circumscribed (Pleosporomycetidae, Dothideomycetes, Ascomycota)

Abstract

The classification of Pleosporales has posed major challenges due to the lack of clear understanding of the importance of the morphological characters used to distinguish between different groups in the order. This has resulted in varied taxonomic treatments of many families in the group including Melanommataceae and Lophiostomataceae. In this study we employ two nuclear DNA gene markers, nuclear ribosomal large subunit DNA and translation elongation factor 1-alpha in order to examine the molecular phylogenetics of Pleosporales with strong emphasis on the families Melanommataceae and Lophiostomataceae. Phylogenetic analyses recovered Melanommataceae, Lophiostomataceae, Hypsostromataceae, and a few others as strongly supported clades within the Pleosporales. Melanommataceae as currently circumscribed was found to be polyphyletic. The genera Byssosphaeria, Melanomma, and Pseudotrichia were recovered within the family, while others such as Ostropella and Xenolophium nested outside in a weakly supported group along with Platystomum compressum and Pseudotrichia guatopoensis that may correspond to the family Platystomaceae. The genus Byssosphaeria was recovered as a strongly supported group within the Melanommataceae while Melanomma was weakly supported with unclear relationships among the species. The genera Herpotrichia and Bertiella were also found to belong in the Melanommataceae. Lophiostomataceae occurs as a strongly supported group but its concept is here expanded to include a new genus Misturatosphaeria that bears morphology traditionally not known to occur in the family. The strongly supported clade of Misturatosphaeria contains nine species that have gregarious, papillate ascomata with lighter coloured apices and plugged ostioles and that vary in ascospore morphology from 1- to 3-septate to muriform. Along with a strongly supported Lophiostoma clade, also within the family are Thyridaria macrostomoides based on new sequences from Kenyan collections and Massariosphaeria triseptata, M. grandispora, Westerdykella cylindrica and Preussia terricola based on GenBank sequences. The family Hypsostromataceae was recovered as a strongly supported monophyletic group nested within the Pleosporales.

Architrypethelium murisporum (Ascomycota, Trypetheliaceae), a remarkable new lichen species from Thailand challenging ascospore septation as an indicator of phylogenetic relationships

“…This phenomenon is also commonly found in many genera in families of non-lichenised ascomycetes, viz. Lophiostomataceae and Melanommataceae (Mugambi and Huhndorf 2009) and lichenised families, such as Graphidaceae and Pyrenulaceae (Lücking 2009, Aptroot 2012, Weerakoon et al 2012, Aptroot and Lücking 2016, Gueidan et al 2016, which supports the fact that ascospore characters are often poor predictors of phylogenetic relationships (Nelsen et al 2014, Lücking et al 2016b). …”

Pyrosequencing-Derived Bacterial, Archaeal, and Fungal Diversity of Spacecraft Hardware Destined for Mars

“…In synonymy with Pleosporales is the order Melanommatales. Recent molecular stud-ies have not supported separation of Melanommatales from Pleosporales (36). Dark-pigmented, double-wall-protected, often multicellular ascospores are typical of these fungi.…”

Molecular Identification andIn VitroResponse to Antifungal Drugs of Clinical Isolates of Exserohilum

“…The remaining 11.6% of the isolates were from abscesses, blood, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, and lumbar disc, while 6.2% were of unknown origin (Table 1). The fungi were cultured on potato carrot agar (PCA) and oatmeal agar (OA).The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and the 28S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) (D1/D2), actin (ACT), and elongation factor 1-alpha (EF-1␣) genes were amplified and sequenced following previously described protocols (4,18,25).The in vitro activity of eight antifungal agents (amphotericin B, itraconazole, posaconazole, voriconazole, anidulafungin, caspofungin, micafungin, and terbinafine) against the isolates tested was evaluated according to reference guidelines (6). Paecilomyces variotii ATCC MYA-3630 was used as a quality control strain.…”

“…The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and the 28S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) (D1/D2), actin (ACT), and elongation factor 1-alpha (EF-1␣) genes were amplified and sequenced following previously described protocols (4,18,25).…”