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The species of Coniolariella

Taylor & Francis
Mycologia
Authors:
Rasoul Zare at Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Rasoul Zare
Bita Asgari at Iranian Research Institute of Plant Protection
Bita Asgari
Walter Gams
Walter Gams
Walter Gams
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Abstract and Figures

Morphological and molecular analyses demonstrate that Coniolariella gamsii and Coniolaria murandii are distinct species. The latter species is validated here as Coniolariella macrothecia. A key to the five species of the genus is provided.
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The species of
Coniolariella
Rasoul Zare
1
Bita Asgari
Department of Botany, Iranian Research Institute of
Plant Protection, P.O. Box 1454, Tehran 19395, Iran
Walter Gams
Molenweg 15, 3743CK Baarn, the Netherlands
Abstract
:Morphological and molecular analyses
demonstrate that
Coniolariella gamsii
and
Coniolaria
murandii
are distinct species. The latter species is
validated here as
Coniolariella macrothecia
. A key to
the five species of the genus is provided.
Key words:
epiphytic fungi,
Nodulisporium
,tax-
onomy, Xylariaceae
Coniolariella
D. Garcı´a, Stchigel & Guarro 2006,
recently segregated from
Coniochaeta
(Coniochae-
tales), was introduced for species with affinities to
Xylariales (Garcı´a et al. 2006) and replaced the
previous invalidly published (ICBN Art 36.1) name
Coniolaria
Seigle-Mur., Guiraud, Steiman & Sage
1995, typified by
C. murandii
(Seigle-Murandi et al.
1995). The monotype was
C. gamsii
(Asgari & Zare)
Garcı´a, Stchigel & Guarro, with
Coniolaria murandii
as its purported synonym.
Coniolariella
accommo-
dates species having asci lacking visible apical
structures and polyblastic conidiogenesis. In a further
molecular study Checa et al. (2008) added the new
species
C. hispanica
and the new combination
C.
limoniispora
, under which they recognized
C. gamsii
and
Rosellinia australis
Sacc. & Trotter as varieties. In
the meantime Asgari et al. (2007) introduced another
related species,
Coniochaeta ershadii
, without molecu-
lar analysis. In the two molecular studies only an ex-
type strain (LCP 04.5004) of
Coniolaria murandii
,
identified as
C. gamsii
, was used but no authentic
isolates provided by Asgari et al. (2007). It appeared
doubtful that the synonymy of
Coniolaria murandii
and
Coniolariella gamsii
was correct and re-examina-
tion of type material of both taxa confirmed this
suspicion. Because the study by Checa et al. (2008)
was based only on LSU sequences an attempt to
obtain a living culture of
C. limoniispora
was made to
include it in our ITS tree (FIG. 2), but this was not
successful. Therefore the conclusions are based only
on LSU sequences (FIG. 1).
The sequences were aligned with the pairwise
alignment option in GeneDoc (Nicholas and Nicho-
las 1997). Three species described by Asgari and
Zare (2006) and Asgari et al. (2007) in addition to
others from GenBank (TABLE I) were included in
the analyses of partial LSU (D1–D2, 393–397 bp)
and ITS (444–515 bp) phylogeny with parsimony
and neighbor joining analyses in MEGA4 (Tamura
et al. 2007, see also Asgari and Zare 2010).
(Neighbor joining cladograms based on partial
LSU and ITS sequences are shown in FIGS 1, 2.)
Sequences were submitted to GenBank (TABLE I)
and alignments to TreeBASE (SN4942).
Coniolaria
murandii
is validated in
Coniolariella
as
C. macro-
thecia
. Five species are now recognized in
Coniolar-
iella
as follows.
Coniolariella gamsii (Asgari & Zare) Garcı´a, Stchigel
& Guarro (2006: 1285), holotype of
Coniolariella
.
Basionym:
Coniochaeta gamsii
Asgari & Zare, Nova
Hedwigia 82:228 (2006).
Coniolariella ershadii (Zare, Asgari & W. Gams) Zare,
Asgari & W. Gams, comb. nov.
Mycobank MB516539.
Basionym:
Coniochaeta ershadii
Zare, Asgari & W. Gams,
Nova Hedwigia 84:177 (2007).
Coniolariella hispanica Checa, Arenal & J.D. Rogers
(2008: 797).
Coniolariella limoniispora (Ellis & Everh.) Checa,
Arenal & J.D. Rogers (2008: 797).
Basionym:
Rosellinia limoniispora
Ellis & Everh.,
Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 46:326 (1894).
5
Coniolariella limoniispora
var.
australis
Checa, Arenal &
J.D. Rogers (2008: 797), based on
Rosellinia australis
Sacc. & Trotter 1913 [non Speg. 1909].
Coniolariella macrothecia Zare, Asgari & W. Gams, sp.
nov. FIG.3
MycoBank MB516540.
5
Coniolaria murandii
Seigle-Mur., Guiraud, Steiman &
Sage, Crypt. Bot. 5:347 (1995); nom. inval., Art. 36.1.
Coniolariellae gamsii
similis sed ascomatibus majoribus
(vulgo 800–1200 mm diam) crassitunicatis distin-
guenda. Anamorphe
Nodulisporii
similis, conidiis 7–12
32–2.5 mm.
Colonies fast-growing, floccose, plane, with low and
white aerial mycelium, soon becoming pale gray with
Mycologia myco-102-06-13.3d 22/9/10 01:25:29 1383 Cust #10-035R
Submitted 14 Feb 2010; accepted for publication 10 Apr 2010.
1
Corresponding author. E-mail: simplicillium@yahoo.com
Mycologia,
102(6), 2010, pp. 1383–1388. DOI: 10.3852/10-035
#2010 by The Mycological Society of America, Lawrence, KS 66044-8897
1383
the production of ascomata, reverse pale buff;
ascomata superficial, globose, solitary or in small
groups, dark brown to black, 800–1200(–1500) mm,
with short ostioles, up to 50 mm long and 100 mm wide;
peridium 170–250 mm thick, pseudoparenchymatous,
two-layered, outer part of several layers of dark brown,
thick-walled, anastomosing and interwoven hyphae
(
textura intricata
), inner part of several layers of
hyaline to pale olive-brown, thin-walled, subglobose to
angular cells, 5–15 mmdiam(
textura epidermoidea
or
angularis
); paraphyses numerous, filiform, septate,
simple, slightly undulate, considerably longer than
the asci (150–230 mm), 7–10 mm wide at the base,
tapering to 1.5–2.5 mm at the apex; asci cylindrical,
slightly tapering toward the base, eight-spored, 100–
130 312–16 mm; ascospores exuded as a large,
globose to irregularly shaped mass at the ostiole,
obliquely uniseriate in the ascus, hyaline at first, soon
turning dark pistachio green and finally dark choco-
late brown and black, ellipsoidal fusoid, with a
protrusion at one or both ends, 16–20 39–12 mm;
immature ascospores with a distinct large guttule
when mounted in water; germ slit straight to slightly
sinuous at one end (FIG. 3f, g, k–l). Octahedral
crystals present in the culture (FIG. 3u, v).
Holotype: IRAN 14439 F (ex-type strain LCP
04.5004, IRAN 1637 C, CBS 125772), isolated from
soil at Monument Valley area, Colorado, USA, by F.
Seigle-Murandi, 1995.
Anamorph: nodulisporium-like.
Mycologia myco-102-06-13.3d 22/9/10 01:26:20 1384 Cust #10-035R
FIG. 1. NJ tree based on partial LSU-rDNA (D1–D2) sequences. Bootstrap values .50%(1000 replicates) shown above
branches (those of parsimony analysis are shown in brackets below branches).
Coniocessia nodulisporioides
is outgroup.
Col.
5
Coniolariella
,
Con.
5
Coniochaeta
,
X.
5
Xylaria
.
1384 MYCOLOGIA
Conidiophores produced predominantly on asco-
matal initials, variable in length, (15–)25–85(–120)
32–3 mm, macronematous, mononematous, mostly
simple (rarely branched), smooth, septate, hyaline
or pale olive-brown; conidiogenous cells monoblas-
tic or polyblastic, integrated, terminal or intercalary,
with sympodial elongation, visible as short, less than
1mm long, inconspicuous denticles bearing blasto-
conidia solitarily and leaving a distinctly pigmented
scar; conidia holoblastic, hyaline to pale olive,
smooth, oblong, cylindrical with rounded apex and
attenuated and truncated base, 7–12 32–2.5 mm
(FIG.3m–t).
Remarks.
This species is distinguished from
C.
gamsii
by having larger ascomata with a much thicker
peridium. In the absence of information relating to the
etymology of the original epithet
murandii
a different,
descriptive name for this taxon is introduced based on
the largest ascomata thus far known in the genus.
FIVE SPECIES OF
C
ONIOLARIELLA
ARE TO BE DISTINGUISHED AS FOLLOWS:
1. Ascomata non-ostiolate; paraphyses absent in
mature ascomata; ascospores ellipsoidal to slightly
inaequilateral without protruding ends, 16–17.5 3
9–9.5 mm .....................
C. hispanica
19. Ascomata ostiolate; paraphyses present in mature
ascomata; ascospores with protruding ends ..... 2
2. Ascomata 200–500 mm diam, covered with blunt-
ended setae; peridium 100–120 mm thick; asci 110–
150 310.5–12 mm; ascospores 16–18 39.5–
10.5 mm, with distinctive protruding ends up to
1.7–2.5 mm long ..................
C. ershadii
29. Ascomata larger, without setae; asci slightly shorter
(,130 mm); ascospores on average wider with
slightly protruding ends . . ................. 3
3. Ascomata globose to ovate, often flattened or
depressed above, smooth or granular—roughened;
peridium 80–110 mm thick; ascospores 16–18 3
10.5–12 mm; anamorph sporothrix-like . ......
............................
C. limoniispora
39. Ascomata globose to subglobose, not flattened or
depressed above, smooth; anamorph nodulispor-
ium-like ............................... 4
4. Ascomata 500–800 mm diam; peridium 80–110 mm
thick; asci 110–130 312–14 mm; ascospores 16–19
36–11 mm .......................
C. gamsii
49. Ascomata 800–1200 mm diam; peridium 170–
250 mm thick; asci 100–130 312–16 mm; ascospores
16–20 39–12 mm ...............
C. macrothecia
Mycologia myco-102-06-13.3d 22/9/10 01:26:28 1385 Cust #10-035R
FIG. 2. NJ tree based on ITS (rDNA) sequences. Bootstrap values .50%(1000 replicates) shown above branches (those of
parsimony analysis are shown in brackets below branches).
Coniochaeta velutinosa
is outgroup.
Col.
5
Coniolariella
,
R.
5
Rosellinia
.
ZARE ET AL.: SPECIES OF
C
ONIOLARIELLA
1385
Mycologia myco-102-06-13.3d 22/9/10 01:26:33 1386 Cust #10-035R
TABLE I. Isolates used in phylogenetic analyses
Species Strain Source
Sequences
LSU ITS
Col. ershadii
Co48, IRAN 972C, CBS
119785 (T)
Twig of
Pistacia vera
, Iran GU553331 GU553328
Col. gamsii
Co27, IRAN 842C, CBS
114379 (T)
Leaf of
Hordeum vulgare
, Iran GU553329 GU553325
Col. gamsii
Co28, IRAN 907C, CBS
117677
Leaf of
Hordeum vulgare
, Iran — GU553326
Col. hispanica
Co125, ATCC MYA4453,
CBS 124506, TAH 34624
(T)
Leaf of
Eryngium campestre
, Spain EF489465 GU553323
Col. limoniispora
08fa (R108)
Vitis vinifera
, USA EF489469 —
Col. limoniispora
var.
australis
AH 24323 (R154AH) Twig of
Nicotiana glauca
, Spain EF489464 AY908997
Col. macrothecia
Co127, LCP 04.5004,
IRAN 1637 C, CBS
125772 (T)
Soil, USA AJ875233 GU553324
Con. boothii
CBS 381.74 (T) Soil, India AJ875226 —
Con. cruciata
FMR 7409 Soil, Nigeria AJ875222 —
Con. discoidea
CBS 158.80 (T) Soil, Japan AJ875230 —
Con. hansenii
CBS 885.68 Dung of rabbit, the Netherlands AJ875223 —
Con. ornata
FMR7415 Soil, Russia AJ875228 —
Con. ostrea
CBS 507.70 Twig of
Larrea
sp., USA AJ875227 —
Con. punctulata
FMR 7408 Soil, Argentina AJ875231 —
Con. savoryi
CBS 725.74 (T) Wood of
Juniperus scopulorum
, UK AJ875229 —
Con. tetraspora
FMR 8167 Soil, Spain AJ875225 —
Con. velutinosa
Co29, IRAN 843C, CBS
117678 (T)
Leaf of
Hordeum vulgare
, Iran GU553330 GU553327
Con. verticillata
CBS 816.71 (T) Soil, the Netherlands AJ875232 —
Coniocessia
nodulisporioides
CBS 281.77 (T) Soil, Jordan AJ875224 —
Daldinia fissa
35524C
Betula
sp., Finland — AF176979
Nodulisporium
sp. Et0502
Epichloe¨ typhina
on
Anthoxanthum
odoratum
— EF600033
Nodulisporium
sp. JP807 ? — AF280629
R. arcuata
CBS 347.29 Japan? — AB017660
R. buxi
ATCC 32869 ? — AY909000
R. buxi
R153A ? — DQ272572
R. necatrix
W539 A dead broad-leaf tree, Japan — AB430453
X. badia
BCC 1190 Thailand? AB376711 —
X. escharoidea
BCC 23634, NBRC
104736
Soil, Thailand AB376822 —
X. hypoxylon
GB6391 ? AY327481 —
X. mellissii
BCC 1186 Wood, Thailand AB376710 —
X. psidii
BCC 1127 Thailand? AB376698 —
Underlined sequence numbers are generated in this study, others are from GenBank.
Col.
5
Coniolariella
,
Con.
5
Coniochaeta
,
R.
5
Rosellinia
,
X.
5
Xylaria
. (T), ex-type strain; ATCC, American Type Culture Collection, USA; CBS,
Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures, Utrecht, the Netherlands; LCP, Laboratoire de Cryptogamie, Paris, France; IRAN,
Herbarium Ministerii Iranici Agriculturae, Tehran, Iran; BCC, BIOTEC Culture Collection, Thailand Biodiversity Center;
others are not registered abbreviations.
1386 MYCOLOGIA
Mycologia myco-102-06-13.3d 22/9/10 01:26:34 1387 Cust #10-035R
FIG.3.
Coniolariella macrothecia
. Teleomorph: a, b. ascomata and masses of ascospores (top view); c. section of ascoma
showing two-layered peridium; d. peridium outer layer; e. peridium inner layer; f, g. immature asci containing ascospores with
distinct guttule; h. mature ascus; i, j. paraphyses; k. mature ascospores with protruding ends; l. germ slits. Anamorph: m–t.
conidiophores, conidiogenous cells and conidia; u, v. crystals. All mounts were prepared in water. Bars: a 51000 mm; b 5
200 mm; c 550 mm; j 520 mm; d–i, k–v 510 mm; f, r–v 5DIC.
ZARE ET AL.: SPECIES OF
C
ONIOLARIELLA
1387
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This study was supported in part by a research grant from
Iranian National Science Foundation (INSF). The authors
are indebted to Dr Joe¨lle Dupont (France) for supplying the
ex-type culture (LCP 04.5004) of
Coniolaria murandii
and
to Dr Gerard Verkley (the Netherlands) for supplying the
ex-type culture (CBS 124506) of
Coniolariella hispanica
.
LITERATURE CITED
Asgari B, Zare R. 2006. Two new
Coniochaeta
species from
Iran. Nova Hedwig 82:227–236.
———, ———. 2010. Two new species of
Preussia
from
Iran. Nova Hedwig 90:533–548.
———, ———, Gams W. 2007.
Coniochaeta ershadii
, a new
species from Iran, and a key to well documented
Coniochaeta
species. Nova Hedwigia 84:175–187.
Checa J, Arenal F, Blanco N, Rogers JD. 2008.
Coniolariella
hispanica
sp. nov. and other additions to
Coniolariella
.
Mycol Res 112:795–801.
Garcı´a D, Stchigel AM, Cano J, Calduch M, Hawksworth DL,
Guarro J. 2006. Molecular phylogeny of
Coniochaetales
.
Mycol Res 110:1271–1289.
Nicholas KB, Nicholas HB Jr. 1997. GeneDoc: a tool for
editing and annotating multiple sequences alignments.
http://www.psc.edu/biomed/genedoc. Distributed by
the authors.
Seigle-Murandi F, Guiraud F, Steiman R, Sage L. 1995.
Coniolaria
: a new genus of Ascomycetes—description of
Coniolaria murandii
sp. nov. from soil of Monument
Valley in Colorado (USA). Crypt Bot 5:346–350.
Tamura K, Dudley J, Nei M, Kumar S. 2007. MEGA4:
molecular evolutionary genetics analysis (MEGA)
software version 4.0. Mol Biol Evol 10.1093/molbev/
msm092.
Mycologia myco-102-06-13.3d 22/9/10 01:27:22 1388 Cust #10-035R
1388 MYCOLOGIA

Supplementary resources (9)

Coniolariella gamsii strain Co28 internal transcribed spacer 1, partial sequence; 5.8S ribosomal RNA gene, complete sequence; and internal transcribed spacer 2, partial sequence
Nucleotide Sequence
January 2010
Rasoul Zare · Bita Asgari · W. Gams
Coniolariella gamsii strain Co27 internal transcribed spacer 1, partial sequence; 5.8S ribosomal RNA gene, complete sequence; and internal transcribed spacer 2, partial sequence
Nucleotide Sequence
January 2010
Rasoul Zare · Bita Asgari · W. Gams
Coniochaeta velutinosa strain Co29 large subunit ribosomal RNA gene, partial sequence
Nucleotide Sequence
January 2010
Rasoul Zare · Bita Asgari · W. Gams
Coniolariella ershadii strain Co48 large subunit ribosomal RNA gene, partial sequence
Nucleotide Sequence
January 2010
Rasoul Zare · Bita Asgari · W. Gams
Coniolariella ershadii strain Co48 internal transcribed spacer 1, partial sequence; 5.8S ribosomal RNA gene, complete sequence; and internal transcribed spacer 2, partial sequence
Nucleotide Sequence
January 2010
Rasoul Zare · Bita Asgari · W. Gams
Coniolariella gamsii strain Co27 large subunit ribosomal RNA gene, partial sequence
Nucleotide Sequence
January 2010
Rasoul Zare · Bita Asgari · W. Gams
Coniochaeta velutinosa strain Co29 internal transcribed spacer 1, partial sequence; 5.8S ribosomal RNA gene, complete sequence; and internal transcribed spacer 2, partial sequence
Nucleotide Sequence
January 2010
Rasoul Zare · Bita Asgari · W. Gams
Coniolariella macrothecia strain Co127 internal transcribed spacer 1, partial sequence; 5.8S ribosomal RNA gene, complete sequence; and internal transcribed spacer 2, partial sequence
Nucleotide Sequence
January 2010
Rasoul Zare · Bita Asgari · W. Gams
Coniolariella hispanica strain Co125 internal transcribed spacer 1, partial sequence; 5.8S ribosomal RNA gene, complete sequence; and internal transcribed spacer 2, partial sequence
Nucleotide Sequence
January 2010
Rasoul Zare · Bita Asgari · W. Gams
... In the LSU phylogeny of the genus Coniochaeta, C. velutinosa, and C. cruciata are basal to all other Coniochaeta spp. Closest matches in a blastn search of the ITS sequence of C. velutinosa (GU553327, Zare et al. 2010) were with ≤ 95% several Coniolariella limonispora isolates (syn. Coniolariella gamsii, Rosellinia australis, R. limonispora; Xylariaceae); the sequence was therefore not included in the ITS phylogeny in Fig. 3. Conidiogenesis of Bprimary conidia^in the figures of Asgari and Zare (2006) appears to be rather sympodially than phialidic; the species is unlikely to be a Coniochaeta sp. ...
... Both ascomycete genera, Coniochaeta and Collophorina, were reported from Iran before. Collophorina hispanica was reported from almond in Iran (Arzanlou et al. 2016), while three Coniochaeta species, C. gamsii, C. velutinosa, and C. ershadii have been described from Iran Zare 2006, Asgari et al. 2007), of which two species were later revealed not to belong to this genus (Checa et al. 2008, Zare et al. 2010. However, considering the high plant diversity in Iran as part of the irano-anatolian biodiversity hotspot, including 1810 endemic species (http://flora-iran.com/) ...
Novel Collophorina and Coniochaeta species from Euphorbia polycaulis, an endemic plant in Iran
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View
... Nevertheless, Checa et al. (2008) questioned the common existence of non-stromatic ascomata in Coniolariella and emended its description to include both stromatic and nonstromatic taxa. Finally, Zare et al. (2010), after molecular examination of the type of Coniolariella gamsii (Asgari & Zare) García, Stchigel & Guarro, recognized five species in the genus mainly characterized by non-amyloid asci without apical structures and nodulisporium-like anamorphs compared with Coniochaeta species. The monotypic genus Coniocessia was segregated by García et al. (2006) to accommodate the single species, C. nodulisporioides (D. ...
... In cases where anamorphs are absent, Coniocessia can be distinguished from Coniochaeta, including those with 4-spored asci, by possessing ascomata with predominant hypha-like ostiolar projections; a thin, membranous, mostly translucent peridium with textura intricata in the outer layers and non-amyloid asci without apical structures (Asgari and Zare 2006 ). Coniolariella can also be differentiated from Coniocessia (so far all species with 4-spored asci) by possessing larger ascomata (mostly exceeding 200 μm, reaching up to 1 mm diameter), a thick, coriaceous peridium with textura intricata, angularis or epidermoidea and 8-spored asci (Zare et al. 2010). The anamorphs of Coniolariella differ slightly from those of Coniocessia by having mostly simple, unbranched conidiophores, integrated conidiogenous cells (rarely discrete) with inconspicuous, not persistent denticles and ellipsoidal to cylindrical conidia lacking a projection at the point of attachment to the conidiogenous cells (Asgari and Zare 2006). ...
A contribution to the taxonomy of the genus Coniocessia (Xylariales)
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The ascomycete genus Coniocessia has recently been established to accommodate the only and type species, C. nodulisporioides, with nodulisporium-like anamorph, formerly classified in Coniochaeta. Four new Coniocessia species are described here, three of which were isolated from cereal seeds and straw in Iran and one from goat dung collected in Spain, using morphological and molecular data (sequences of the ITS and D1-D2 regions of the LSU-ribosomal DNA) as well as growth–temperature relationships. Parsimony and neighbor-joining analyses based on the D1-D2 regions of the LSU strongly supported the placement of Coniocessia as a monophyletic clade within the new family Coniocessiaceae and Coniolariella within the Xylariaceae (Xylariales). Coniocessia maxima is differentiated from the closest species, C. nodulisporioides, by larger ascomata and asci, and more richly branched, macronematous conidiophores with very distinct, elongated conidiogenous cells. Coniocessia cruciformis has ascospores with strongly thickened longitudinal rim, appearing rather cruciform in side view; micronematous conidiophores and less distinct conidiogenous cells. Coniocessia minima possesses small ascomata maturing very slowly, with an opaque peridium and inaequilaterally flattened ascospores; conidiogenous cells are bulbose to club-shaped, conidia globose to subglobose. Coniocessia anandra, the only species lacking an anamorph, is mainly characterized by translucent ascomata with a broad ostiole. KeywordsCoprophilous fungi–Epiphytic fungi–Ribosomal DNA–Phylogeny–Taxonomy–Coniocessiaceae–Xylariales
View
... First molecular studies on the Coniochaetaceae (Coniochaetales) were published by Weber et al. (2002), who emphasised the connection of Coniochaeta with the asexual morph genus Le cythophora, by Huhndorf et al. (2004), who showed the family as an integral part of the Sordariomycetes, and by García et al. (2006), who detected that the Coniochaetaceae were polyphyletic. They determined that Coniochaetidium, Ephemeroascus and Poroconiochaeta are synonyms of Coniochaeta and transferred two species to the new genera Conioces sia (see also Asgari & Zare 2011) and Coniolariella Friebes et al.: Lopadostoma taeniosporum revisited (see also Checa et al. 2008, Zare et al. 2010 in the Xylariales. Other genera of the Coniochaetaceae are Barrina and possibly Synaptospora. ...
Lopadostoma taeniosporum revisited and a new species of Coniochaeta
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  • Jun 2016
  • SYDOWIA
Phylogenetic analyses of ITS-LSU rDNA sequence data revealed that Anthostoma taeniosporum, currently classified as Lo­padostoma taeniosporum, does not belong to Xylariales but to the genus Coniochaeta (Coniochaetales), in which it is formally combined. Anthostoma taeniosporum is epitypified with a recent specimen for which sequence data are available. Coniochaeta taeniospora differs macro-morphologically from most other species of Coniochaeta in the immersed habit of ascomata. Furthermore , this species is well defined by its light brown, obtuse hairs, green peridium in KOH, and relatively large, ellipsoid to ovoid ascospores. A Spanish specimen initially identified as Coniochaeta taeniospora turned out to be phylogenetically distinct from the other two accessions sequenced, and is described as the new species Coniochaeta navarrae. This species differs morphologically from C. taeniospora in ascomatal habit, lack of clearly developed hairs on the peridium, colour of the peridium in KOH, and size of the ascospores, which are slightly larger and sometimes show a hyaline sheath in C. navarrae.
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... [11]. The two strains were clustered within the clade containing most species of Coniolariella [4,39] including the type species, C. gamsii (Asgari & Zare) Garcia, Stchigel & Guarro (Fig. S1, S2). Based on both ITS BLAST search as well as ML analysis using portions of ITS and LSU regions, the MSX strains were identified as belonging to Coniolariella (Xylariales, Ascomycota). ...
Optimizing production and evaluating biosynthesis in situ of a herbicidal compound, mevalocidin, from Coniolariella sp
Article
Full-text available
  • May 2016
Mevalocidin is a fungal secondary metabolite produced by Coniolariella sp. It is a unique phytotoxin that demonstrates broad spectrum post-emergent herbicidal properties. With limited options for weed control, the commercialization of a natural product pesticide would be beneficial to organic farming. In this study, two mevalocidin-producing fungal strains, coded MSX56446 and MSX92917, were explored under a variety of growth conditions, including time, temperature, and media. The concentration of mevalocidin was quantitatively measured via LC–MS to determine the optimal setting for each condition. Maximum production was achieved for each condition at 20 days, at 30 °C, with YESD + agar, and with a media containing 2.5 % dextrose. Furthermore, an advanced surface sampling technique was incorporated to gain a better understanding of the fungal culture’s natural ability to biosynthesize and distribute this herbicide into its environment. It was shown that both fungi actively exude mevalocidin into their environment via liquid droplet formations known as guttates. Graphical abstract
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... Most of the Coniochaeta species exhibit different ascospore sizes: Coniochaeta leucoplaca (Berk. & Ravenel) 7–10 × 5–9 × 4–8 µm and Coniolariella ershadii (Zare, Asgari & W. Gams) Zare, Asgari & W. Gams (basionym Coniochaeta ershadii Zare, Asgari & W. Gams) 16 × 18 × 9.5–10 µm isolated from twigs of Pistacia vera L. (asgari et al., 2007; zarE et al., 2010 ), Coniolariella gamsii (Asgari & Zare) Dania García, Stchigel & Guarro (basionym Coniochaeta gamsii Asgari & Zare) 16–19 × 6–11 µm isolated from leaves of Hordeum vulgare L. (zarE et al., 2010; asgari and Zare, 2006), Coniochaeta ligniaria (Grev.) Massee 9–20 × 8–15 × 4–8 µm (mahonEy and LaFavrE, 1981), Coniochaeta rhapalochaeta sp. ...
Coniochaeta prunicola - causal factor involved in health state decline of selected trees of the genus Prunus
Article
Full-text available
  • Jan 2013
The record of Coniochaeta prunicola Damm & Crous (Coniochaetales, Sordariomycetes, Ascomycota) as apathogen of host trees was described and illustrated from Nitra. This pathogen was isolated from symptomatic twigs and leaves of Prunus laurocerasus L. as well as from symptomatic leaves of Prunus persica Mill. and based on morphological attributes identified as acausative agent of this trees damage. C. prunicola is characterized by dark brown ascomata clothed with setae, the fasciculate, unitunicate, cylindrical asci and broadly almond-shaped, ellipsoidal ascospores with alongitudinal germ slit.
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... As discussed by several authors (Reynolds, 1993;Taylor et al., 2000;Agapow et al., 2004), problems and inefficiencies related to MSC and BSC have encouraged mycologists to use the PSC for delimiting fungal species that is mostly recognized based on DNA sequence data . Among the genomic regions used in fungal taxonomy at the species level, internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences of rDNA often have been successfully used (Adams et al., 2002;Jeewon et al., 2003;Phillips et al., 2006;Watanabe et al., 2010;Zare et al., 2010;Hu et al., 2011). However, because of the slow rate of evolution, ITS sequence data have not always been sufficient to separate cryptic species and even genera (Zhou & Stanosz, 2001;Zhou et al., 2001;Alvarez & Wendel, 2003;Slippers et al., 2004). ...
Efficiency of rep-PCR fingerprinting as a useful technique for molecular typing of plant pathogenic fungal species: Botryosphaeriaceae species as a case study
Article
Full-text available
  • Dec 2014
  • FEMS MICROBIOL LETT
Progress in molecular biology and the advent of rapid and accurate molecular techniques have contributed to precise and rapid detection and differentiation of microbial pathogens. Identification of the Botryosphaeriaceae species based on morphology have been problematic over time. In this study we used rep-PCR technique as a molecular tool for typing and differentiation of the Botryosphaeriaceae species, well-known and cosmopolitan fungal pathogens on woody plants. Three primer sets BOX, ERIC and REP were used to differentiate 27 species belong to eight genera. The majority of them were examined in terms of typing and differentiation using molecular methods for the first time. All the primer sets were able to generate species-specific DNA fingerprints from all the tested strains, with two exceptions in the genera Diplodia and Spencermartinsia. Despite the deficiency of each primer sets to separate a few species, cluster analysis of combined datasets indicated the ability of rep-PCR technique to separate 26 out of 27 examined species in highly supported clusters corresponded to the species recognized based on DNA sequence data. Our findings revealed the efficiency of rep-PCR for detection and differentiation of the Botryosphaeriaceae species, especially cryptic species with the same ITS sequences and similar morphology.
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Introduction of some endophytic fungi of sour cherry trees (Prunus cerasus) in Iran
Article
Full-text available
  • Sep 2017
Endophytic fungi are beneficial fungi to their host plants and help them to endure biotic and abiotic stresses with different methods. In order to identify some endophytic fungi of sour cherry trees, healthy plant samples including twigs and leaves were collected from several provinces of Iran. A total number of 176 isolates were obtained and studied taxonomically. Based on morphological features and ITS regions sequence data, 10 different fungal species, namely, Aureobasidium namibiae, A. pullulans, Alternaria multiformis, A. rosae, Botryosphaeria dothidea, Cladosporium tenuissimum, Coniolariella limonispora, Didymosphaeria variabile, Epicoccum nigrum, Lecanicillium muscarium, and Neoscytalidium dimidiatum were identified as endophytic fungi of sour cherry trees in Iran. Among these species, Aureobasidium namibiae is new for the mycobiota of Iran. All identified species except A. pullulans, are reported here for the first time as endophytic fungi of sour cherry trees in the world.
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Resurrection and emendation of the Hypoxylaceae, recognised from a multi-gene genealogy of the Xylariales
Article
Full-text available
  • Feb 2018
A multigene phylogeny was constructed including a significant number of representative species of the main lineages in the Xylariaceae and four DNA loci – the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS), the large subunit (LSU) of the nuclear rDNA; the second largest subunit of the RNA polymerase II (RPB2) and beta-tubulin (TUB2). Specimens were selected based on more than a decade of intensive morphological and chemotaxonomic work and cautious taxon sampling was performed to cover the major lineages of the Xylariaceae, however with emphasis on hypoxyloid species. The comprehensive phylogenetic analysis revealed a clear-cut segregation of the Xylariaceae into several major clades, which was well in accordance with previously established morphological and chemotaxonomic concepts. One of these clades contained Annulohypoxylon, Hypoxylon, Daldinia and other related genera that have stromatal pigments and a nodulisporium-like anamorph. They are accommodated in the family Hypoxylaceae, which is resurrected and emended. Representatives of genera with a nodulisporium-like anamorph and bipartite stromata, lacking stromatal pigments (i.e. Biscogniauxia, Camillea and Obolarina) appeared in a clade basal to the xylarioid taxa. As they clustered with Graphostroma platystomum, they are accommodated in the Graphostromataceae. The new genus Jackrogersella with J. multiformis as type species is segregated from Annulohypoxylon. The genus Pyrenopolyporus is resurrected for Hypoxylon polyporus and allied species. The genus Daldinia and its allies Entonaema, Rhopalostroma, Ruwenzoria and Thamnomyces appeared in two separate subclades, which may warrant further splitting of Daldinia in the future, and even Hypoxylon was divided in several clades. However, more species of these genera need to be studied before a conclusive taxonomic rearrangement can be envisaged. Epitypes were designated for several important species in which living cultures and molecular data are available, in order to stabilise the taxonomy of the Xylariales.
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New record of the fungus Coniochaeta prunicola on peaches from Slovakia
Article
Full-text available
  • Apr 2012
The first record of Coniochaeta prunicola Damm & Crous (Coniochaetales, Sordariomycetes, Ascomycota) as a pathogen of Persica vulgaris Mill. described and illustrated from Nitra district, Slovakia. C. prunicola was isolated from symptomatic leaves of host tree and based on morphological attributes identified for the first time as a causative agent of peach tree damage. C. prunicola is characterized by dark brown ascomata clothed with setae, the fasciculate, unitunicate, cylindrical asci and broadly almond-shaped, ellipsoidal ascospores with a longitudinal germ slit.
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Coniochaeta prunicola — first record for Slovakia and Europe
Article
Full-text available
  • Dec 2012
This study reports the first record of Coniochaeta on Laurocerasus officinalis Roem. from the Nitra district. This is the first record of Coniochaeta for Slovakia and also for Europe. The fungus Coniochaeta prunicola Damm & Crous (Coniochaetales, Sordariomycetes, Ascomycota) was isolated from damaged leaves and twigs of host trees. Morphological analyses demonstrate that Coniochaeta prunicola and Coniochaeta velutina are distinct species.
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Coniochaeta ershadii, a new species from Iran, and a key to well-documented Coniochaeta species
Article
Full-text available
  • Feb 2007
  • NOVA HEDWIGIA
A new species of Coniochaeta from dead pistachio twigs, C. ershadii, is described from Varamin district, Tehran Province. C. ershadii differs from the similar C. gamsii by possessing smaller ascocarps covered with setae, a peridium with an irregular texture, longer and narrower asci, shorter ascospores, and by producing numerous crystals when cultivated on Leonian agar and other media. It is particularly distinguished by its ascospores with protruding ends up to 1.7-2.5 μm long. The conidiophores of the nodulisporium-like anamorph of C. ershadii produce 2-3 conidiogenous loci and cylindrical blastoconidia with attenuated bases. A dichotomous key for identification of 54 sufficiently documented Coniochaeta species is provided.
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Two new species of Preussia from Iran
Article
Full-text available
  • May 2010
We describe two new species of Preussia from dead barley leaves, P. persica from Sarab district, and P. polymorpha from Osku district, both East Azerbaijan province of Iran. P. polymorpha is characterized by possessing polymorphic asci and ascospores; it has a Chrysosporium-like anamorph that is described for the first time in Preussia, characterized by micronematous to semi-macronematous, mononematous, simple to branched, small, sometimes proliferating conidiophores producing solitary, hyaline, smooth, ovoid to ellipsoidal conidia with truncated base. P. persica has hairy and translucent ascomata with 1–3 distinct, more or less long necks, and ascospores with narrowly rounded ends and a nearly parallel germ-slit with a kink near the middle. Phylogenetic analysis of the ITS region combined with the D1-D2 domains of the 28S rRNA gene also supports the recognition of these fungi as new species.
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MEGA4: Molecular Evolutionary Genetics Analysis (MEGA) software version 4.0
Article
Full-text available
  • Sep 2007
We announce the release of the fourth version of MEGA software, which expands on the existing facilities for editing DNA sequence data from autosequencers, mining Web-databases, performing automatic and manual sequence alignment, analyzing sequence alignments to estimate evolutionary distances, inferring phylogenetic trees, and testing evolutionary hypotheses. Version 4 includes a unique facility to generate captions, written in figure legend format, in order to provide natural language descriptions of the models and methods used in the analyses. This facility aims to promote a better understanding of the underlying assumptions used in analyses, and of the results generated. Another new feature is the Maximum Composite Likelihood (MCL) method for estimating evolutionary distances between all pairs of sequences simultaneously, with and without incorporating rate variation among sites and substitution pattern heterogeneities among lineages. This MCL method also can be used to estimate transition/transversion bias and nucleotide substitution pattern without knowledge of the phylogenetic tree. This new version is a native 32-bit Windows application with multi-threading and multi-user supports, and it is also available to run in a Linux desktop environment (via the Wine compatibility layer) and on Intel-based Macintosh computers under the Parallels program. The current version of MEGA is available free of charge at (http://www.megasoftware.net).
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Molecular phylogeny of Coniochaetales
Article
  • Dec 2006
Although the taxonomy of ascomycetes has changed dramatically, generic delimitation within the recently proposed order Coniochaetales has not been resolved. In order to clarify the phylogenetic relationships of genera in the Coniochaetaceae, we performed a molecular study based on the analyses of the sequences of the partial SSU and of the variable domains of the LSU rDNA genes. The phylogenetic trees obtained do not support the monophyly of the genera Coniochaeta, Coniochaetidium, Ephemeroascus, and Poroconiochaeta. A morphological study confirmed that there were not enough differences to distinguish these genera, and the latter three are treated as synonyms of Coniochaeta. The phialidic anamorph proved to be an informative phylogenetic character in Coniochaetales, while that the type of ascomata (cleistothecial or perithecial) and the ornamentation of the ascospore walls were of little taxonomic value at the generic level. The circumscription of the genus Coniochaeta is revised. The genera Coniocessia and Coniolariella are proposed as new within the order Xylariales to accommodate Coniochaeta nodulisporioides, and C. gamsii, respectively. The taxonomic position of Synaptospora and Wallrothiella subiculosa are also discussed.
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Coniolariella hispanica sp nov and other additions to Coniolariella
Article
  • Aug 2008
Coniolariella hispanica, isolated as an endophyte from leaves of Eryngium campestre on the Iberian Peninsula, is established as a new cleistocarpous species. The perithecial species Rosellinia limoniispora is transferred to Coniolariella on morphological and molecular evidence. R. australis is transferred to Coniolariella as a variety of C. limoniispora. The type species of Coniolariella, C. gamsii, is considered to be a variety of C. limoniispora. The taxa discussed here have soft stromata, deliquescent asci that lack an iodine-positive apical ring, and more or less symmetrical ascospores. They lack subicula in natural conditions. C. hispanica and C. limoniispora var. limoniispora have Sporothrix- or Geniculosporium-like anamorphs associated with stromata at different stages of development, but anamorphs are not usually evident in cultures. Coniolariella limoniispora var. gamsii produces the anamorph abundantly in culture. It is not known whether or not C. limoniispora var. australis possesses an anamorph. An emendation of the description of Coniolariella is necessitated by these changes.
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Rosellinia limoniispora Ellis & Everh
  • Jan 1894
  • 326
  • Basionym
Basionym: Rosellinia limoniispora Ellis & Everh., Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 46:326 (1894).
ITS (444–515 bp) phylogeny with parsimony and neighbor joining analyses in MEGA4
  • Jan 2007
  • Tamura
ITS (444–515 bp) phylogeny with parsimony and neighbor joining analyses in MEGA4 (Tamura et al. 2007, see also Asgari and Zare 2010).