Unravelling Diaporthe Species Associated with Woody Hosts from Karst Formations (Guizhou) in China

Phomopamide A, a cyclic pentadepsipeptide with α-glucosidase inhibition activity from the endophytic fungus Diaporthe sp

An undescribed cytotoxic cyclopeptide named phomopamide A (1) was isolated from Diaporthe sp., which is an endophytic fungus from Artemisia argyi. Phomopamide A (1) featured an pentadepsipeptide skeleton and composed of two Phe, one Val, one Leu, and one 2-hydroxyoctanoic acid units. The structure of this new compound was fully characterised on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis. Moreover, phomopamide A was evaluated for in vitro cyctotoxic and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. As a result, phomopaminde A exhibited no cytotoxic activity against four tumour cell lines, while it showed a potent α-glucosidase inhibition effect with IC50 value of 62.35 µM.

Species of Diaporthe (Diaporthaceae, Diaporthales) associated with Alnusnepalensis leaf spot and branch canker diseases in Xizang, China

Alnusnepalensis is an important tree species in the Himalayas with significant ecological and economic roles. During disease surveys in Xizang, China, we observed leaf spot and branch canker symptoms on this tree. Fungal isolates associated with these diseases were collected and identified based on morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analysis of ITS, cal, his3, tef1, and tub2 sequences. As a result, Diaporthealnicola sp. nov. and D.amygdali were identified from the leaf spots, while D.linzhiensis was identified to be associated with the cankered branches. This study identifies pathogenic species from alder trees, providing a foundation for future disease management and forest health research.

New Species of Diaporthales (Ascomycota) from Diseased Leaves in Fujian Province, China

Fungal biota represents important constituents of phyllosphere microorganisms. It is taxonomically highly diverse and influences plant physiology, metabolism and health. Members of the order Diaporthales are distributed worldwide and include devastating plant pathogens as well as endophytes and saprophytes. However, many phyllosphere Diaporthales species remain uncharacterized, with studies examining their diversity needed. Here, we report on the identification of several diaporthalean taxa samples collected from diseased leaves of Cinnamomum camphora (Lauraceae), Castanopsis fordii (Fagaceae) and Schima superba (Theaceae) in Fujian province, China. Based on morphological features coupled to multigene phylogenetic analyses of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, the large subunit of nuclear ribosomal RNA (LSU), the partial beta-tubulin (tub2), histone H3 (his3), DNA-directed RNA polymerase II subunit (rpb2), translation elongation factor 1-α (tef1) and calmodulin (cal) genes, three new species of Diaporthales are introduced, namely, Diaporthe wuyishanensis, Gnomoniopsis wuyishanensis and Paratubakia schimae. This study contributes to our understanding on the biodiversity of diaporthalean fungi that are inhabitants of the phyllosphere of trees native to Asia.

Endophytic Diaporthe species from Brazil

Diaporthe species can inhabit various hosts with different lifestyles and live as endophytes, pathogens, and saprobes. Our study analysed 180 endophytic Diaporthe isolates from Miconia sp. in the Atlantic Forest, Brosimum gaudichaudii in the Brazilian savanna (Cerrado), and Anacardium occidentale in the Caatinga forest and Cerrado in Brazil. Based on multi-locus phylogenetic analyses [β-tubulin (tub2), internal transcribed spacer regions and intervening 5.8S rRNA (ITS), translation elongation factor 1-alpha (tef1), calmodulin (cmdA), and histone (his3)] and morphological features, we are introducing seven new species (D. azevedoi, D. catimbauensis, D. coracoralinae, D. luizorum, D. pedratalhadensis, D. samambaiaensis, and D. vargemgrandensis) and reporting seven known species (D. fructicola, D. inconspicua, D. infertilis, D. paranensis, D. raonikayaporum, D. schini, and D. ueckeri). We also included a morphological description of D. infertilis and synonymised D. lutescens, D. pseudoinconspicua, and D. samaneae under D. inconspicua; D. neoraonikayoporum under D. raonikayaporum; and D. passifloricola, D. rosae, and D. vochysiae under D. ueckeri, based on limited nucleotide differences among DNA sequence data and overlapping morphological features. Our results highlight the importance of including endophytic isolates in the phylogeny of Diaporthe, and show how these data expand the geographic distribution and host relationships of known species. Citation: Ferro LO, Bezerra JDP, da Silva TM, de Oliveira CS, Nascimento SS, Paiva LM, Fan X, Crous PW, Souza-Motta CM (2024). Endophytic Diaporthe species from Brazil. Fungal Systematics and Evolution 14: 251-269. doi: 10.3114/fuse.2024.14.16.

Diaporthe species on palms - integrative taxonomic approach for species boundaries delimitation in the genus Diaporthe, with the description of D. pygmaeae sp. nov

The application of traditional morphological and ecological species concepts to closely related, asexual fungal taxa is challenging due to the lack of distinctive morphological characters and frequent cosmopolitan and plurivorous behaviour. As a result, multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) has become a powerful and widely used tool to recognise and delimit independent evolutionary lineages (IEL) in fungi. However, MLSA can mask discordances in individual gene trees and lead to misinterpretation of speciation events. This phenomenon has been extensively documented in Diaporthe, and species identifications in this genus remains an ongoing challenge. However, the accurate delimitation of Diaporthe species is critical as the genus encompasses several cosmopolitan pathogens that cause serious diseases on many economically important plant hosts. In this regard, following a survey of palm leaf spotting fungi in Lisbon, Portugal, Diaporthe species occurring on Arecaceae hosts were used as a case study to implement an integrative taxonomic approach for a reliable species identification in the genus. Molecular analyses based on the genealogical concordance phylogenetic species recognition (GCPSR) and DNA-based species delimitation methods revealed that speciation events in the genus have been highly overestimated. Most IEL identified by the GCPSR were also recognised by Poisson tree processes (PTP) coalescent-based methods, which indicated that phylogenetic lineages in Diaporthe are likely influenced by incomplete lineage sorting (ILS) and reticulation events. Furthermore, the recognition of genetic recombination signals and the evaluation of genetic variability based on sequence polymorphisms reinforced these hypotheses. New clues towards the intraspecific variation in the common loci used for phylogenetic inference of Diaporthe species are discussed. These results demonstrate that intraspecific variability has often been used as an indicator to introduce new species in Diaporthe, which has led to a proliferation of species names in the genus. Based on these data, 53 species are reduced to synonymy with 18 existing Diaporthe species, and a new species, D. pygmaeae, is introduced. Thirteen new plant host-fungus associations are reported, all of which represent new host family records for Arecaceae. This study has recognised and resolved a total of 14 valid Diaporthe species associated with Arecaceae hosts worldwide, some of which are associated with disease symptoms. This illustrates the need for more systematic research to examine the complex of Diaporthe taxa associated with palms and determine their potential pathogenicity. By implementing a more rational framework for future studies on species delimitation in Diaporthe, this study provides a solid foundation to stabilise the taxonomy of species in the genus. Guidelines for species recognition, definition and identification in Diaporthe are included. Taxonomic novelties: New species: Diaporthe pygmaeae D.S. Pereira & A.J.L. Phillips. New synonyms: Diaporthe afzeliae Monkai & Lumyong, Diaporthe alangii C.M. Tian & Q. Yang, Diaporthe araliae-chinensis S.Y. Wang et al., Diaporthe australiana R.G. Shivas et al., Diaporthe australpacifica Y.P. Tan & R.G. Shivas, Diaporthe bombacis Monkai & Lumyong, Diaporthe caryae C.M. Tian & Q. Yang, Diaporthe chimonanthi (C.Q. Chang et al.) Y.H. Gao & L. Cai, Diaporthe conferta H. Dong et al., Diaporthe diospyrina Y.K. Bai & X.L. Fan, Diaporthe durionigena L.D. Thao et al., Diaporthe etinsideae Y.P. Tan & R.G. Shivas, Diaporthe eucalyptorum Crous & R.G. Shivas, Diaporthe fujianensis Jayaward. et al., Diaporthe fusiformis Jayaward. et al., Diaporthe globoostiolata Monkai & Lumyong, Diaporthe hainanensis Qin Yang, Diaporthe hongkongensis R.R. Gomes et al., Diaporthe hubeiensis Dissan. et al., Diaporthe infecunda R.R. Gomes et al., Diaporthe italiana Chethana et al., Diaporthe juglandigena S.Y. Wang et al., Diaporthe lagerstroemiae (C.Q. Chang et al.) Y.H. Gao & L. Cai, Diaporthe lithocarpi (Y.H. Gao et al.) Y.H. Gao & L. Cai, Diaporthe lutescens S.T. Huang et al., Diaporthe machili S.T. Huang et al., Diaporthe megabiguttulata M. Luo et al., Diaporthe middletonii R.G. Shivas et al., Diaporthe morindae M. Luo et al., Diaporthe nannuoshanensis S.T. Huang et al., Diaporthe nigra Brahman. & K.D. Hyde, Diaporthe orixae Q.T. Lu & Zhen Zhang, Diaporthe passifloricola Crous & M.J. Wingf., Diaporthe pimpinellae Abeywickrama et al., Diaporthe pseudoinconspicua T.G.L Oliveira et al., Diaporthe pungensis S.T. Huang et al., Diaporthe rhodomyrti C.M. Tian & Qin Yang, Diaporthe rosae M.C. Samar. & K.D. Hyde, Diaporthe rumicicola Manawas et al., Diaporthe salicicola R.G. Shivas et al., Diaporthe samaneae Monkai & Lumyong, Diaporthe subcylindrospora S.K. Huang et al., Diaporthe tectonae Doilom et al., Diaporthe tectonigena Doilom et al., Diaporthe theobromatis H. Dong et al., Diaporthe thunbergiicola Udayanga & K.D. Hyde, Diaporthe tuyouyouiae Y.P. Tan et al., Diaporthe unshiuensis F. Huang et al., Diaporthe vochysiae S.A. Noriler et al., Diaporthe xishuangbannaensis Hongsanan & K.D. Hyde, Diaporthe xylocarpi M.S. Calabon & E.B.G. Jones, Diaporthe zaobaisu Y.S. Guo & G.P. Wang, Diaporthe zhaoqingensis M. Luo et al. Citation: Pereira DS, Phillips AJL (2024). Diaporthe species on palms - integrative taxonomic approach for species boundaries delimitation in the genus Diaporthe, with the description of D. pygmaeae sp. nov. Studies in Mycology 109: 487-594. doi: 10.3114/sim.2024.109.08.

New species of Diaporthe (Diaporthaceae, Diaporthales) from Bauhiniavariegata in China

Diaporthe species are known as endophytes, saprobes and pathogens infecting a wide range of plants and resulting in important crop diseases. In the present study, four strains of Diaporthe were obtained from diseased leaves of Bauhiniavariegata in Guangdong Province, China. Phylogenetic analyses were conducted to identify these strains using five gene regions: internal transcribed spacer (ITS), calmodulin (cal), histone H3 (his3), translation elongation factor 1-α (tef1) and β-tubulin (tub2). The results combined with morphology revealed two new species of Diaporthe named D.bauhiniicola in D.arecae species complex and D.guangzhouensis in D.sojae species complex.

Diversity and Pathogenicity of Six Diaporthe Species from Juglans regia in China

Walnut (Juglans regia L.) is cultivated extensively in China for its substantial economic potential as a woody oil species. However, many diseases caused by Diaporthe greatly affect the health of Juglans regia trees. The present study revealed the presence of Diaporthe species from Juglans regia. A total of six species of Diaporthe were isolated from twigs of Juglans regia in three provinces in China, including two known species (Diaporthe gammata and D. tibetensis) and four novel species (D. chaotianensis, D. olivacea, D. shangluoensis and D. shangrilaensis). Phylogenetic relationships of the new species were determined by multilocus phylogenetic analyses based on partial sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, calmodulin (cal) gene, histone H3 (his3) gene, translation elongation factor 1-α (tef1-α) gene and β-tubulin (tub2) gene. Pathogenicity tests indicated that all Diaporthe species obtained in this study were confirmed as pathogens of Juglans regia. This study deepens the understanding of species associated with several disease symptoms in Juglans regia and provides useful information for effective disease control.

Morphophylogenetic evidence reveals four new fungal species within Tetraplosphaeriaceae (Pleosporales, Ascomycota) from tropical and subtropical forest in China

Tetraplosphaeriaceae (Pleosporales, Ascomycota) is a family with many saprobes recorded from various hosts, especially bamboo and grasses. During a taxonomic investigation of microfungi in tropical and subtropical forest regions of Guizhou, Hainan and Yunnan provinces, China, several plant samples were collected and examined for fungi. Four newly discovered species are described based on morphology and evolutionary relationships with their allies inferred from phylogenetic analyses derived from a combined dataset of LSU, ITS, SSU, and tub2 DNA sequence data. Detailed illustrations, descriptions and taxonomic notes are provided for each species. The four new species of Tetraplosphaeriaceae reported herein are Polyplosphaeriaguizhouensis, Polyplosphaeriahainanensis, Pseudotetraploayunnanensis, and Tetraploahainanensis. A checklist of Tetraplosphaeriaceae species with available details on their ecology is also provided.

Four new endophytic species of Diaporthe (Diaporthaceae, Diaporthales) isolated from Cameroon

The genus Diaporthe (Diaporthaceae, Diaporthales) is a large group of fungi frequently reported as phytopathogens, with ubiquitous distribution across the globe. Diaporthe have traditionally been characterized by the morphology of their ana- and teleomorphic state, revealing a high degree of heterogeneity as soon as DNA sequencing was utilized across the different members of the group. Their relevance for biotechnology and agriculture attracts the attention of taxonomists and natural product chemists alike in context of plant protection and exploitation for their potential to produce bioactive secondary metabolites. While more than 1000 species are described to date, Africa, as a natural habitat, has so far been under-sampled. Several endophytic fungi belonging to Diaporthe were isolated from different plant hosts in Cameroon over the course of this study. Phylogenetic analyses based on DNA sequence data of the internal transcribed spacer region and intervening 5.8S nrRNA gene, and partial fragments of the calmodulin, beta-tubulin, histone and the translation elongation factor 1-α genes, demonstrated that these isolates represent four new species, i.e. D.brideliae, D.cameroonensis, D.pseudoanacardii and D.rauvolfiae. Moreover, the description of D.isoberliniae is here emended, now incorporating the morphology of beta and gamma conidia produced by two of our endophytic isolates, which had never been documented in previous records. Moreover, the paraphyletic nature of the genus is discussed and suggestions are made for future revision of the genus.

Studies of Diaporthe (Diaporthaceae, Diaporthales) species associated with plant cankers in Beijing, China, with three new species described

The genus Diaporthe (Diaporthaceae, Diaporthales) comprises endophytes, pathogens and saprophytes, inhabiting a wide range of woody hosts and resulting in serious canker disease. To determine the diversity of Diaporthe species associated with canker disease of host plants in Beijing, China, a total of 35 representative strains were isolated from 18 host genera. Three novel species (D.changpingensis, D.diospyrina and D.ulmina) and four known species (D.corylicola, D.donglingensis, D.eres and D.rostrata) were identified, based on morphological comparison and phylogenetic analyses using partial ITS, cal, his3, tef1-α and tub2 loci. These results provide an understanding of the taxonomy of Diaporthe species associated with canker diseases in Beijing, China.

Integrative Taxonomy of Novel Diaporthe Species Associated with Medicinal Plants in Thailand

During our investigations of the microfungi on medicinal plants in Thailand, five isolates of Diaporthe were obtained. These isolates were identified and described using a multiproxy approach, viz. morphology, cultural characteristics, host association, the multiloci phylogeny of ITS, tef1-α, tub2, cal, and his3, and DNA comparisons. Five new species, Diaporthe afzeliae, D. bombacis, D. careyae, D. globoostiolata, and D. samaneae, are introduced as saprobes from the plant hosts, viz. Afzelia xylocarpa, Bombax ceiba, Careya sphaerica, a member of Fagaceae, and Samanea saman. Interestingly, this is the first report of Diaporthe species on these plants, except on the Fagaceae member. The morphological comparison, updated molecular phylogeny, and pairwise homoplasy index (PHI) analysis strongly support the establishment of novel species. Our phylogeny also revealed the close relationship between D. zhaoqingensis and D. chiangmaiensis; however, the evidence from the PHI test and DNA comparison indicated that they are distinct species. These findings improve the existing knowledge of taxonomy and host diversity of Diaporthe species as well as highlight the untapped potential of these medicinal plants for searching for new fungi.

Potential of Secondary Metabolites of Diaporthe Species Associated with Terrestrial and Marine Origins

Diaporthe species produce versatile secondary metabolites (SMs), including terpenoids, fatty acids, polyketides, steroids, and alkaloids. These structurally diverse SMs exhibit a wide range of biological activities, including cytotoxic, antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and phytotoxic activities, which could be exploited in the medical, agricultural, and other modern industries. This review comprehensively covers the production and biological potencies of isolated natural products from the genus Diaporthe associated with terrestrial and marine origins. A total of 275 SMs have been summarized from terrestrial (153; 55%) and marine (110; 41%) origins during the last twelve years, and 12 (4%) compounds are common to both environments. All secondary metabolites are categorized predominantly on the basis of their bioactivities (cytotoxic, antibacterial, antifungal, and miscellaneous activity). Overall, 134 bioactive compounds were isolated from terrestrial (92; 55%) and marine (42; 34%) origins, but about half the compounds did not report any kind of activity. The antiSMASH results suggested that Diaporthe strains are capable of encoding a wide range of SMs and have tremendous biosynthetic potential for new SMs. This study will be useful for future research on drug discovery from terrestrial and marine natural products.

Three New Species of Diaporthe Causing Leaf Blight on Acer palmatum in China

Diaporthe spp. are often reported as plant pathogens, endophytes, and saprobes. In this study, three new species (Diaporthe foliicola, D. monospora, and D. nanjingensis) on Acer palmatum were described and illustrated based on morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analyses. Phylogenetic relationships of the new species were determined by multilocus phylogenetic analyses based on partial sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, translation elongation factor 1-α (TEF), β-tubulin (TUB), histone H3 (HIS), and calmodulin (CAL) genes. Genealogical concordance phylogenetic species recognition with a pairwise homoplasy index test was used to verify the conclusions of the phylogenetic analyses. All species were illustrated and their morphology and phylogenetic relationships with other related Diaporthe spp. are discussed. In addition, the tests of Koch's postulates showed that the three new species were pathogens causing leaf blight on A. palmatum.

Two new species of Diaporthe (Diaporthaceae, Diaporthales) in China

Species of Diaporthe have been reported as plant endophytes, pathogens and saprobes on a wide range of plant hosts. Strains of Diaporthe were isolated from leaf spots of Smilax glabra and dead culms of Xanthium strumarium in China, and identified based on morphology and molecular phylogenetic analyses of combined internal transcribed spacer region (ITS), calmodulin (cal), histone H3 (his3), translation elongation factor 1-alpha (tef1) and β-tubulin (tub2) loci. As a result, two new species named Diaporthe rizhaoensis and D. smilacicola are identified, described and illustrated in the present study.

Chemical Investigation of Endophytic Diaporthe unshiuensis YSP3 Reveals New Antibacterial and Cytotoxic Agents

Chemical investigation of the plant-derived endophytic fungus Diaporthe unshiuensis YSP3 led to the isolation of four new compounds (1-4), including two new xanthones (phomopthane A and B, 1 and 2), one new alternariol methyl ether derivative (3) and one α-pyrone derivative (phomopyrone B, 4), together with eight known compounds (5-12). The structures of new compounds were interpreted on the basis of spectroscopic data and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. All new compounds were assessed for their antimicrobial and cytotoxic potential. Compound 1 showed cytotoxic activity against HeLa and MCF-7 cells with IC₅₀ values of 5.92 µM and 7.50 µM, respectively, while compound 3 has an antibacterial effect on Bacillus subtilis (MIC value 16 μg/mL).

Unreported cytochalasins from an acid-mediated transformation of cytochalasin J isolated from Diaporthe cf. ueckeri

Chemical investigation of an endophytic fungus herein identified as Diaporthe cf. ueckeri yielded four known compounds, named cytochalasins H and J and dicerandrols A and B. Reports of acid sensitivity within the cytochalasan family inspired an attempt of acid-mediated conversion of cytochalasins H and J, resulting in the acquisition of five polycyclic cytochalasins featuring 5/6/5/8-fused tetracyclic and 5/6/6/7/5-fused pentacyclic skeletons. Two of the obtained polycyclic cytochalasins constituted unprecedented analogues, for which the trivial names cytochalasins J₄ and J₅ were proposed, whereas the others were identified as the known phomopchalasin A, phomopchalasin D and 21-acetoxycytochalasin J₃. The structures of the compounds were determined by extensive spectral analysis, namely HR-ESIMS, ESIMS and 1D/2D NMR. The stereochemistry of cytochalasins J₄ and J₅ was proposed using their ROESY data, biosynthetic and mechanistic considerations and by comparison of their ECD spectra with those of related congeners. All compounds except for cytochalasins H and J were tested for antimicrobial and cytotoxic activity. Cytochalasins J₄ and J₅ showed neither antimicrobial nor cytotoxic activity in the tested concentrations, with only weak antiproliferative activity observable against KB3.1 cells. The actin disruptive properties of all cytochalasins obtained in this study and of the previously reported cytochalasins RKS-1778 and phomopchalasin N were examined, and monitored by fluorescence microscopy using human osteo-sarcoma (U2-OS) cells. Compared to their precursor molecules (cytochalasins H and J), phomopchalasins A and D, 21-acetoxycytochalasin J₃, cytochalasins J₄ and J₅ revealed a strongly reduced activity on the F-actin network, highlighting that the macrocyclic ring is crucial for bioactivity.

New polyketides from the liquid culture of Diaporthebreyniae sp. nov. (Diaporthales, Diaporthaceae)

During the course of a study on the biodiversity of endophytes from Cameroon, a fungal strain was isolated. A multigene phylogenetic inference using five DNA loci revealed that this strain represents an undescribed species of Diaporthe, which is introduced here as D.breyniae. Investigation into the chemistry of this fungus led to the isolation of two previously undescribed secondary metabolites for which the trivial names fusaristatins G (7) and H (8) are proposed, together with eleven known compounds. The structures of all of the metabolites were established by using one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopic data in combination with High-Resolution ElectroSpray Ionization Mass Spectrometry (HR-ESIMS) data. The absolute configuration of phomopchalasin N (4), which was reported for the first time concurrently to the present publication, was determined by analysis of its Rotating frame Overhauser Effect SpectroscopY (ROESY) spectrum and by comparison of its Electronic Circular Dichroism (ECD) spectrum with that of related compounds. A selection of the isolated secondary metabolites were tested for antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities, and compounds 4 and 7 showed weak antifungal and antibacterial activity. On the other hand, compound 4 showed moderate cytotoxic activity against all tested cancer cell lines with IC50 values in the range of 5.8-45.9 µM. The latter was found to be less toxic than the other isolated cytochalasins (1-3) and gave hints in regards to the structure-activity relationship (SAR) of the studied cytochalasins. Fusaristatin H (8) also exhibited weak cytotoxicity against KB3.1 cell lines with an IC50 value of 30.3 µM. Graphical abstract.

Diaporthe species infecting sunflower (Helianthus annuus) in Russia, with the description of two new species

Phomopsis stem canker is economically important sunflower disease that caused by multiple Diaporthe species. Recent investigations resulted in the resolution that there are at least 13 Diaporthe species that can infect sunflower. A comprehensive analysis of the biodiversity and geographic distribution of Diaporthe species in Russia, particularly those that infect sunflower, has not been undertaken. For this study, 16 Diaporthe isolates were obtained from samples of stem canker and visually healthy seeds of Helianthus annuus from northwestern, central European, southern European Russia, North Caucasus, and the Urals in 2016-2019. The aim of this study was to identify these Diaporthe isolates based on morphology and sequence analyses of the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, partial calmodulin (cal), DNA-lyase (apn2), histone H3 (his3), translation elongation factor-1α gene (tef1), and ß-tubulin (tub2) genes. The phylogenetic reconstruction revealed well-supported monophyletic clades corresponding to six Diaporthe species: D. eres, D. gulyae, D. helianthi, and D. phaseolorum. Two new species were described: Diaporthe monetii sp. nov. and Diaporthe vangoghii sp. nov. The isolates of D. gulyae and D. phaseolorum collected represent the first records of these species in Russia.

Two new species of Diaporthe (Diaporthaceae, Diaporthales) associated with tree cankers in the Netherlands

Diaporthe (Diaporthaceae, Diaporthales) is a common fungal genus inhabiting plant tissues as endophytes, pathogens and saprobes. Some species are reported from tree branches associated with canker diseases. In the present study, Diaporthe samples were collected from Alnusglutinosa, Fraxinusexcelsior and Quercusrobur in Utrecht, the Netherlands. They were identified to species based on a polyphasic approach including morphology, pure culture characters, and phylogenetic analyses of a combined matrix of partial ITS, cal, his3, tef1 and tub2 gene regions. As a result, four species (viz. Diaporthepseudoalnea sp. nov. from Alnusglutinosa, Diaporthesilvicola sp. nov. from Fraxinusexcelsior, D.foeniculacea and D.rudis from Quercusrobur) were revealed from tree branches in the Netherlands. Diaporthepseudoalnea differs from D.eres (syn. D.alnea) by its longer conidiophores. Diaporthesilvicola is distinguished from D.fraxinicola and D.fraxini-angustifoliae by larger alpha conidia.

Molecular Phylogenetic Diversity and Biological Characterization of Diaporthe Species Associated with Leaf Spots of Camellia sinensis in Taiwan

Camellia sinensis is one of the major crops grown in Taiwan and has been widely cultivated around the island. Tea leaves are prone to various fungal infections, and leaf spot is considered one of the major diseases in Taiwan tea fields. As part of a survey on fungal species causing leaf spots on tea leaves in Taiwan, 19 fungal strains morphologically similar to the genus Diaporthe were collected. ITS (internal transcribed spacer), tef1-α (translation elongation factor 1-α), tub2 (beta-tubulin), and cal (calmodulin) gene regions were used to construct phylogenetic trees and determine the evolutionary relationships among the collected strains. In total, six Diaporthe species, including one new species, Diaporthe hsinchuensis, were identified as linked with leaf spot of C. sinensis in Taiwan based on both phenotypic characters and phylogeny. These species were further characterized in terms of their pathogenicity, temperature, and pH requirements under laboratory conditions. Diaporthe tulliensis, D. passiflorae, and D. perseae were isolated from C. sinensis for the first time. Furthermore, pathogenicity tests revealed that, with wound inoculation, only D. hongkongensis was pathogenic on tea leaves. This investigation delivers the first assessment of Diaporthe taxa related to leaf spots on tea in Taiwan.

Additions to the Genus Arthrinium (Apiosporaceae) From Bamboos in China

Arthrinium has a widespread distribution occurring in various substrates (e.g., air, soil debris, plants, lichens, marine algae and even human tissues). It is characterized by the basauxic conidiogenesis in the asexual morph, with apiospores in the sexual morph. In this study, seventeen isolates of Arthrinium were collected in China. Based on their morphology and phylogenetic characterization, four new species (A. biseriale, A. cyclobalanopsidis, A. gelatinosum, and A. septatum) are described and seven known species (A. arundinis, A. garethjonesii, A. guizhouense, A. hydei, A. neosubglobosa, A. phyllostachium and A. psedoparenchymaticum) are identified, of which the sexual morph of three species (A. guizhouense, A. phyllostachium and A. psedoparenchymaticum) and asexual morph of A. garethjonesii are reported for the first time. The detailed descriptions, illustrations and comparisons with related taxa of these new collections are provided. Phylogenetic analyses of combined ITS, LSU, TUB2, and TEF sequence data support their placements in the genus Arthrinium and justify the new species establishments and identifications of known species.

Phylogenetic and Haplotype Network Analyses of Diaporthe eres Species in China Based on Sequences of Multiple Loci

Diaporthe eres is considered one of the most important causal agents of many plant diseases, with a broad host range worldwide. In this study, multiple sequences of ribosomal internal transcribed spacer region (ITS), translation elongation factor 1-α gene (EF1-α), beta-tubulin gene (TUB2), calmodulin gene (CAL), and histone-3 gene (HIS) were used for multi-locus phylogenetic analysis. For phylogenetic analysis, maximum likelihood (ML), maximum parsimony (MP), and Bayesian inferred (BI) approaches were performed to investigate relationships of D. eres with closely related species. The results strongly support that the D. eres species falls into a monophyletic lineage, with the characteristics of a species complex. Phylogenetic informativeness (PI) analysis showed that clear boundaries could be proposed by using EF1-α, whereas ITS showed an ineffective reconstruction and, thus, was unsuitable for speciating boundaries for Diaporthe species. A combined dataset of EF1-α, CAL, TUB2, and HIS showed strong resolution for Diaporthe species, providing insights for the D. eres complex. Accordingly, besides D. biguttusis, D. camptothecicola, D. castaneae-mollissimae, D. cotoneastri, D. ellipicola, D. longicicola, D. mahothocarpus, D. momicola, D. nobilis, and Phomopsis fukushii, which have already been previously considered the synonymous species of D. eres, another three species, D. henanensis, D. lonicerae and D. rosicola, were further revealed to be synonyms of D. eres in this study. In order to demonstrate the genetic diversity of D. eres species in China, 138 D. eres isolates were randomly selected from previous studies in 16 provinces. These isolates were obtained from different major plant species from 2006 to 2020. The genetic distance was estimated with phylogenetic analysis and haplotype networks, and it was revealed that two major haplotypes existed in the Chinese populations of D. eres. The haplotype networks were widely dispersed and not uniquely correlated to specific populations. Overall, our analyses evaluated the phylogenetic identification for D. eres species and demonstrated the population diversity of D. eres in China.

Morphology Characterization, Molecular Phylogeny, and Pathogenicity of Diaporthe passifloricola on Citrus reticulata cv. Nanfengmiju in Jiangxi Province, China

The Nanfengmiju (Citrus reticulata cv. Nanfengmiju), a high-quality local variety of mandarin, is one of the major fruit crops in Jiangxi Province, China. Citrus melanose and stem-end rot, two common fungal diseases of Nanfengmiju, are both caused by Diaporthe spp. (syn. Phomopsis spp.). Identification of the Diaporthe species is essential for epidemiological studies, quarantine measures, and management of diseases caused by these fungi. Melanose disease was observed on Nanfengmiju fruit in Jiangxi Province of China in 2016. Based on morphological characterization and multi-locus phylogenetic analyses, three out of 39 isolates from diseased samples were identified as D. passifloricola. Since these three isolates did not cause melanose on citrus fruit in the pathogenicity tests, they were presumed to be endophytic fungi present in the diseased tissues. However, our results indicate that D. passifloricola may persist as a symptom-less endophyte in the peel of citrus fruit, yet it may cause stem-end if it invades the stem end during fruit storage. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of D. passifloricola as the causal agent of the stem-end rot disease in Citrus reticulata cv. Nanfengmiju.

Bioactive Secondary Metabolites of the Genus Diaporthe and Anamorph Phomopsis from Terrestrial and Marine Habitats and Endophytes: 2010-2019

The genus Diaporthe and its anamorph Phomopsis are distributed worldwide in many ecosystems. They are regarded as potential sources for producing diverse bioactive metabolites. Most species are attributed to plant pathogens, non-pathogenic endophytes, or saprobes in terrestrial host plants. They colonize in the early parasitic tissue of plants, provide a variety of nutrients in the cycle of parasitism and saprophytism, and participate in the basic metabolic process of plants. In the past ten years, many studies have been focused on the discovery of new species and biological secondary metabolites from this genus. In this review, we summarize a total of 335 bioactive secondary metabolites isolated from 26 known species and various unidentified species of Diaporthe and Phomopsis during 2010-2019. Overall, there are 106 bioactive compounds derived from Diaporthe and 246 from Phomopsis, while 17 compounds are found in both of them. They are classified into polyketides, terpenoids, steroids, macrolides, ten-membered lactones, alkaloids, flavonoids, and fatty acids. Polyketides constitute the main chemical population, accounting for 64%. Meanwhile, their bioactivities mainly involve cytotoxic, antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-algae, phytotoxic, and enzyme inhibitory activities. Diaporthe and Phomopsis exhibit their potent talents in the discovery of small molecules for drug candidates.