Additions to the coriaceous families Peniophoraceae and Stereaceae (Russulales): Six novel wood-inhabiting taxa in the genera Conferticium, Gloeocystidiellum, and Peniophora from southwest China

Russulales comprises a highly diverse group of species with respect to basidiomata morphology and hymenophore configuration, in which this order is highly heterogeneous, that can be classified as resupinate, effused-reflexed, discoid, clavarioid, pileate, or stipitate, and with varied hymenophores such as smooth, hydnoid, poroid, and lamellate in different russuloid species. Species in Russulales have been considered to have significant economic value. Six new wood-inhabiting fungi belonging to the genera Conferticium, Gloeocystidiellum, and Peniophora of two families, Peniophoraceae and Stereaceae (Russulales), were found in southwest China. Sequences of ITS+nLSU loci of six new taxa were generated, and phylogenetic analyses were performed with the maximum likelihood, maximum parsimony, and Bayesian inference methods with an emphasis on the phylogeny of wood-inhabiting smooth species in this order. The combined ITS+nLSU loci analysis showed that the six new species grouped within the order Russulales, in which Conferticiumtuberculatum, Gloeocystidiellumcremeum, and G.fissuratum grouped into the family Stereaceae, and Peniophoraalbohymenia, P.hengduanensis, and P.punctata grouped into the family Peniophoraceae. The morphology and multi-gene phylogenetic analyses confirmed the novelty and placement of the six new taxa. Descriptions, illustrations, and phylogenetic analysis results of the new taxa are provided.

Four New Wood-Inhabiting Fungal Species of Peniophoraceae (Russulales, Basidiomycota) from the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, China

Four new fungi of the family Peniophoraceae, viz., Peniophora roseoalba, P. yunnanensis, Vararia daweishanensis, and V. fragilis are herein proposed, based on a combination of morphological features and molecular evidence. Peniophora roseoalba is characterized by resupinate, membranaceous basidiomata with a rose pink to pale pinkish grey hymenophore, a monomitic hyphal system with clamped generative hyphae, the presence of cystidia, and ellipsoid basidiospores. However, P. yunnanensis differs in being tuberculate, with a pale cream to cream hymenial surface, small lamprocystidia (18-29 × 4.5-7 µm), and subcylindrical basidiospores. Vararia daweishanensis is characterized by resupinate, membranous basidiomata with a pale yellowish hymenial surface, a dimitic hyphal system with clamped generative hyphae, strongly dextrinoid dichohyphae, and allantoid basidiospores; V. fragilis is characterized by resupinate, brittle basidiomata, with a buff to ochraceous hymenial surface and small ellipsoid basidiospores measuring 3.5-5.5 × 2.5-3.5 µm. Sequences of the ITS and nLSU rRNA markers of the studied samples were generated, and phylogenetic analyses were performed with the maximum likelihood, maximum parsimony, and Bayesian inference methods. The nLSU analysis revealed that the four new species can be clustered into the family Peniophoraceae (Russulales), in the genera Peniophora and Vararia. Further studies based on the ITS dataset showed that four fungi of the family Peniophoraceae were new to science.

Antimicrobial and Cytotoxic Cyathane-Xylosides from Cultures of the Basidiomycete Dentipellis fragilis

In our continued search for biologically active metabolites from cultures of rare Basidiomycota species, we found eight previously undescribed cyathane-xylosides from submerged cultures of Dentipellis fragilis, which were named dentifragilins A–H. In addition, the known cyathane derivatives striatal D and laxitextine A were isolated. All compounds were characterized by high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HR-ESIMS) as well as by 1D and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Several of the compounds exhibited significant activities in standardized cell-based assays for the determination of antimicrobial and cytotoxic effects. The discovery of cyathanes in the genus Dentipellis has chemotaxonomic implications, as this class of diterpenoids has already been shown to be characteristic for mycelial cultures of the related genera Hericium and Laxitextum, which are classified as Dentipellis in the family Hericiaceae.

Species and genera in Aleurodiscus sensu lato as viewed from the Southern Hemisphere

Phylogenetic relationships of 12 species in Aleurodiscus sensu lato (Stereaceae, Russulales) described from the Patagonian forests of Chile and Argentina were investigated based on sequences of nuc rDNA internal transcribed spacer region ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 (ITS) and the D1-D2 domains of nuc 28S rDNA (28S). A new genus and a new species are presented, and 10 new combinations proposed. The genus Gloeosoma is shown to be phylogenetically well supported and morphologically circumscribed; it includes G. vitellinum (type species), G. mirabile, comb. nov., G. zealandicum, comb. nov., and Gloeosoma decorticans, sp. nov., which is newly described from Chile. The new genus Stereodiscus is proposed to accommodate a group of taxa characterized by an austral distribution and morphologically by smooth, thin-walled, amyloid basidiospores and a lack of gloeocystidia and acanthocystidia; three species develop Stereum-like basidiomata and two species present discoid ones. The new genus includes the species formerly known as Aleurodiscus antarcticus, A. limonisporus, A. parmuliformis, A. patagonicus, and A. triviale. Specimens of Stereodiscus parmuliformis (A. parmuliformis) from New Zealand (where it was originally described) and southern Chile are shown to be phylogenetically conspecific, which confirms its presence in Patagonia. Gloeosoma and Stereodiscus are shown to be distantly related to Aleurodiscus s. str. and other genera in Stereaceae. The new combinations Aleurocystidiellum bernicchiae, Aleurocystidiellum hallenbergii, and Acanthobasidium quilae are proposed based on morphology and phylogenetic analyses, and Aleurodiscus cerussatus is shown to be a cryptic species complex.

Characterization of the complete mitochondrial genome of Peniophora lycii (Russulales: Peniophoraceae) with its phylogenetic analysis

Peniophora lycii is a resupinate lichen-like species distributed all over the world. In the present study, we sequenced and assembled the complete mitochondrial genome of Peniophora lycii. The size of the mitochondrial genome of P. lycii was 38,296 bp, with a GC content of 25.89%. Twenty protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, and 24 transfer RNA genes were identified in the mitochondrial genome of P. lycii. Phylogenetic analysis based on combined mitochondrial gene dataset indicated that the mitochondrial genome of P. lycii exhibited a close relationship with that of Heterobasidion irregulare.

Multigene phylogeny and taxonomic revision of Atheliales s.l.: Reinstatement of three families and one new family, Lobuliciaceae fam. nov

Atheliales (Agaricomycetes, Basidiomycota) is an order mostly composed of corticioid fungi, containing roughly 100 described species in 20 genera. Members exhibit remarkable ecological diversity, including saprotrophs, ectomycorrhizal symbionts, facultative parasites of plants or lichens, and symbionts of termites. Ectomycorrhizal members are well known because they often form a major part of boreal and temperate fungal communities. However, Atheliales is generally understudied, and molecular data are scarce. Furthermore, the order is riddled with many taxonomic problems; some genera are non-monophyletic and several species have been shown to be more closely related to other orders. We investigated the phylogenetic position of genera that are currently listed in Atheliales sensu lato by employing an Agaricomycetes-wide dataset with emphasis on Atheliales including the type species of genera therein. A phylogenetic analysis based on 5.8S, LSU, rpb2, and tef1 (excluding third codon) retrieved Atheliales in subclass Agaricomycetidae, as sister to Lepidostromatales. In addition, a number of Atheliales genera were retrieved in other orders with strong support: Byssoporia in Russulales, Digitatispora in Agaricales, Hypochnella in Polyporales, Lyoathelia in Hymenochaetales, and Pteridomyces in Trechisporales. Based on this result, we assembled another dataset focusing on the clade with Atheliales sensu stricto and representatives from Lepidostromatales and Boletales as outgroups, based on ITS (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2), LSU, rpb2, and tef1. The reconstructed phylogeny of Atheliales returned five distinct lineages, which we propose here as families. Lobulicium, a monotypic genus with a distinct morphology of seven-lobed basidiospores, was placed as sister to the rest of Atheliales. A new family is proposed to accommodate this genus, Lobuliciaceae fam. nov. The remaining four lineages can be named following the family-level classification by Jülich (1982), and thus we opted to use the names Atheliaceae, Byssocorticiaceae, Pilodermataceae, and Tylosporaceae, albeit with amended circumscriptions.

Notes, outline and divergence times of Basidiomycota

The Basidiomycota constitutes a major phylum of the kingdom Fungi and is second in species numbers to the Ascomycota. The present work provides an overview of all validly published, currently used basidiomycete genera to date in a single document. An outline of all genera of Basidiomycota is provided, which includes 1928 currently used genera names, with 1263 synonyms, which are distributed in 241 families, 68 orders, 18 classes and four subphyla. We provide brief notes for each accepted genus including information on classification, number of accepted species, type species, life mode, habitat, distribution, and sequence information. Furthermore, three phylogenetic analyses with combined LSU, SSU, 5.8s, rpb1, rpb2, and ef1 datasets for the subphyla Agaricomycotina, Pucciniomycotina and Ustilaginomycotina are conducted, respectively. Divergence time estimates are provided to the family level with 632 species from 62 orders, 168 families and 605 genera. Our study indicates that the divergence times of the subphyla in Basidiomycota are 406–430 Mya, classes are 211–383 Mya, and orders are 99–323 Mya, which are largely consistent with previous studies. In this study, all phylogenetically supported families were dated, with the families of Agaricomycotina diverging from 27–178 Mya, Pucciniomycotina from 85–222 Mya, and Ustilaginomycotina from 79–177 Mya. Divergence times as additional criterion in ranking provide additional evidence to resolve taxonomic problems in the Basidiomycota taxonomic system, and also provide a better understanding of their phylogeny and evolution.

Dentipellistasmanica sp. nov. (Hericiaceae, Basidiomycota) from Australia

Dentipellistasmanicasp. nov. is described and illustrated from Tasmania, Australia based on rDNA evidence and morphological characters. It is characterised by an annual growth habit; resupinate basidiocarps up to 100 cm long; spines cream when fresh and cinnamon when dry, up to 3 mm long and a few glued at tips when dry; distinct white fibrillous to cottony margin; a monomitic hyphal structure with non-amyloid, non-dextrinoid and cyanophilous generative hyphae; the presence of gloeoplerous hyphae and gloeocystidia which become dark blue in Melzer’s reagent; the presence of chlamydospores in the subiculum and rough basidiospores measuring 3.5–4.5 × 2.4–3.2 µm. A molecular study based on the combined ITS (internal transcribed spacer region) and 28S (the large nuclear ribosomal RNA subunit) dataset supports the new species in Dentipellis. A key to species of Dentipellis sensu stricto is provided.

Laxitextines A and B, Cyathane Xylosides from the Tropical Fungus Laxitextum incrustatum

Bioassay-guided fractionation of the mycelial extract of a basidiomycete culture collected in Kenya led to the isolation of two new cyathane diterpenoids named laxitextines A (1) and B (2). The producer strain was characterized by detailed taxonomic studies based on rDNA using the 5.8S gene region, the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2), and part of the large subunit that identified the fungus as Laxitextum incrustatum. The structures of 1 and 2 were elucidated by NMR spectroscopic and mass spectrometric analyses. Both compounds exhibited moderate activities against Gram-positive bacteria Bacillus subtilis (DSM 10), Staphylococcus aureus (DSM 346), and methicillin-resistant Staph. aureus (DSM 1182). The two compounds also showed variable antiproliferative activities against mouse fibroblast (L929) and selected human cell lines (breast cancer MCF-7, epidermoid carcinoma A431, and umbilical vein endothelial HUVEC). The IC50 values with respect to the MCF-7 cell line for compounds 1 and 2 were 2.3 and 2.0 μM, respectively.