Taxonomy and systematics of Fagales-associated microfungi and overview of Italian Ascomycota

Name: Subodini Nuwanthika Wijesinghe Arachchige

keyword: Asexual

MeSH: Fungi imperfecti

Classification :.DDC: e-Theses

; Checklists

MeSH: Dothideomycetes -- 259375

MeSH: Morphology

MeSH: Phylogeny

MeSH: Fungi -- Geographical distribution -- 305483

MeSH: Plant communities

MeSH: Biology -- Classification -- 59923

LCSH: Fungi imperfecti

LCSH: Dothideomycetes -- 259375

LCSH: Morphology

LCSH: Phylogeny

Abstract: Italy is a Mediterranean country in south-central Europe that has a long tradition in mycology. The country consists of diverse terrestrial biomes in which fungal communities are richly colonized with plants and soil habitats contributing to ecosystem stability and functioning. Fungi represent an extremely heterogeneous group, and Ascomycota is the largest phylum, which is comprising around 92,700 extant species, with an estimated origin of 650–550 million years ago. Ascomycota is a cosmopolitan group of fungi and often specialize in specific habitats. Many members are plant-associated and microscopic but include some larger cup fungi, morels, and truffles. The mycological journey from ancient Italy to modern advanced studies is remarkable. In this study, I outlined historical studies on different fungal groups, mycologists’ contributions, fungal collections, illustration techniques, and the development, including traditional and modern taxonomic approaches. In addition, the current progress of mycology is discussed, with an emphasis on Fagales-associated Ascomycota. Early studies focused mainly on larger fungi, while taxonomic studies on microfungi were limited to certain regions and progressed slowly from the 17th century, but significantly increased by the 19th century. The historical studies were based only on morphological identification, with line drawings, color paintings, descriptions (sometimes incomplete), and morphological keys, while the majority were not documented in English. Since ancient times, Italian mycology has been developed gradually with the involvement of knowledgeable mycologists. They have preserved historical fungal collections, which serve as valuable resources for modern-day mycologists. Over time, morphology-based taxonomic revisions, updated regional checklists, and monographs for different fungal groups have been developed based on the significant contribution of ancient mycologists. In fungal taxonomy, the traditional identification was based only on observable morphology, but as the number of studies grew, challenges arose in identifying species complexes, cryptic species, and linkages between asexual and sexual species. Since the early 1990s, DNA-based molecular data has become the most widely accepted approach. In current studies, molecular data are combined with morphology and sometimes with physiological, chemical, ecological, and geographical approaches to better understand fungal taxonomy. Most studies were scattered across various sources and consisted of poorly reported data on fungal hosts, substrates, ecology, and geography. The present study provides an overview of Italian mycology and inspires mycologists to explore the hidden fungal diversity in poorly observed natural Italian forest ecosystems. Studies of plant-associated Ascomycota are topical, as they have varied life modes depending on their hosts in different ecosystems. In Italy, Fagales are economically and ecologically important plants, especially in the Alps and Apennine Mountain ranges. Fagales species host numerous ascomycetous species, comprising endophytes, saprobes, or pathogens. I retrieved data from 308 publications from 1873 to 2021 and listed 776 Ascomycota on Fagales in Italy. Among these, 696 were identified at the species level and 80 at the genus level. Documented taxa belong to Pezizomycotina (746), Saccharomycotina (2), Taphrinomycotina (5), and Ascomycota genera incertae sedis (23). The taxa in Sordariomycetes are recognized as dominant (34%) in Italy, followed by taxa in Dothideomycetes (24%), Lecanoromycetes (16%), and Leotiomycetes (11%). In addition, 25 Fagales-associated Dothideomycetes and Sordariomycetes taxa were identified from province of Arezzo [AR] in Tuscany region; Bologna [BO], Forlì-Cesena [FC] and Ravenna [RA] in Emilia–Romagna region and Trento [TN] in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol region. Also, I discovered a novel genus named Corylicola in Pleosporales; three new species Corylicola italica in Pleosporales, Alborbis italica in Diaporthales, and Phaeoacremonium camporesii in Togniniales; and 20 existing species, including novel host records, geographical records and some host recurrence species such as Dothiorella iberica, Melanops tulasnei in Dothideomycetes incertae sedis; Fenestella media, Neocucurbitaria juglandicola, Nigrograna thymi in Pleosporales; Valsaria rudis in Valsariales and Cytospora cotini, Cytospora predappioensis, Coryneum modonium, Melanconiella flavovirens, M. meridionalis in Diaporthales; Clonostachys ralfsii, Nectria dematiosa in Hypocreales; and Biscogniauxia anceps, B. rosacearum, Cryptovalsa ampelina, Diatrype stigma, Eutypa flavovirens and E. lata in Xylariales with updated taxonomic notes for each family and genus. Identifications are based on detailed morphologies, descriptions, and family level or genus level updated multi-gene phylogenetic analyses, including ecological and mycogeographical data. Their DNA sequence data from rDNA and protein genes (ITS, LSU, SSU, act, tef1-α, tub2 and rpb2) were utilized to verify their identity in phylogenetic analyses. The study provides information on the taxonomy, Fagales hosts, and distribution of Ascomycota in Italy to encourage further research related to important plant species. Based on my further research interest, study on saprobic Ascomycota associated with other plant hosts except for Fagales trees was carried out to better understand the fungal occurrence in different terrestrial locations. Seventeen plant-associated taxa belonging to Dothideomycetes (collected from Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany regions) were described. A novel genus Pigmentatineomassaria and two novel species Pigmentatineomassaria italica and Italica heraclei in Pleosporales, a first sexual morph of Dothiorella californica in Botryosphaeriales were introduced in this study. Additionally, a new regional record of Phomatodes nebulosa, 12 new host records such as Ascochyta pisi, Botryosphaeria dothidea, Comoclathris lonicerae, Diplodia sapinea, Dothiorella californica, Hysterium angustatum, Leptosphaeria urticae Phragmotrichum chailletii, Plenodomus enteroleucus, Pseudoophiobolus mathieui, and Pseudoneoconiothyrium rosae, two records of host recurrence species such as Mucoharknessia anthoxanthi on Anthoxanthum odoratum, and Ascochyta medicaginicola on Medicago hosts, as well as one host-exclusive record of Boeremia galiicola on Galium sp. were re-described. Species boundaries were defined based on detailed morphologies, complete descriptions, and updated multi-gene phylogenetic analyses, including taxonomic justifications. Their DNA sequence data from rDNA and protein genes (ITS, LSU, SSU, tef1-α, tub2 and rpb2) were utilized to verify their identity in phylogenetic analyses. In the last decade, expert mycologists (past and present Ph.D. researchers including me) in Center of Excellence in Fungal Research (CEFR) have introduced many novel fungal taxa with numerous new host, country, regional and provincial records of microfungi from Italy. Their investigations were mainly focused on wood inhabiting Dothideomycetes and Sordariomycetes. These studied fungal species were collected from more than 300 host species in terrestrial habitats of different provinces in Italy. The hosts include shrubs, trees and grasses with the substrates differentiated as branches, stems and leaves. For these taxa, identification and classification were confirmed with the color illustrations including detailed morphology, comprehensive descriptions, and multi-gene phylogenetic analyses. These studies are scattered in different scientific journals. The online documentation at www.italianmicrofungi.org is a database for arranging all the published data together with novel updates of present and upcoming studies. Notes for species, genera and up-to-date records of Italian ascomycetes with accounts on different hosts and substrates are described here. This website provides a user-friendly and easily accessible framework to extract more information. To evaluate the mycological progress of plant-associated Ascomycota during the past decade, a study-based data listing (checklist) and advanced mapping program were performed by focusing on the online database of Italian microfungi (https://italianmicrofungi.org/). The prepared updated checklists and described fungal associates on both Fagales and other hosts, were linked to this online database to provide well-documented mycological data. This work paves the way for advanced fungal taxonomy based on a polyphasic approach and promotes ecological and mycogeographical data documentation in Italy as well as in other Mediterranean countries.

LCSH: Fungi -- Geographical distribution -- 305483

LCSH: Plant communities

LCSH: Biology -- Classification -- 59923

Mae Fah Luang University. Learning Resources and Educational Media Center

Address: CHIANG RAI

Email: library@mfu.ac.th

Name: Hyde Kevin David

Role: Advisor

Created: 2022

Modified: 2023-07-13

Issued: 2023-07-13

วิทยานิพนธ์/Thesis

application/pdf

CallNumber: e-Theses

eng

DegreeName: Doctor of Philosophy

Level: Doctoral Degree

Descipline: Biological Sciences

Grantor: Mae Fah Luang University

©copyrights Mae Fah Luang University

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